Eyal Zamir to Netanyahu: Ceasefire agreement should be accepted immediately
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stressed that the invasion plan against Gaza would put the lives of prisoners at risk and called on Netanyahu to sign the agreement proposed by Egypt and Qatar. The families of the hostages also supported Zamir.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has reportedly asked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to “immediately accept” the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement on the agenda in Gaza.
According to the news of Channel 13 television broadcasting in Israel, Zamir texted Netanyahu during his visit to the naval base in Haifa that the agreement proposed by Egypt and Qatar to the parties should be signed.
Chief of General Staff Zamir claimed that the Israeli army fulfilled the necessary conditions on the ground for an agreement.
Zamir's "There is a deal on the table. This is a current draft of the agreement presented by Witkoff (US President Donald Trump's Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff). It should be accepted. The Israeli army has fulfilled the conditions for a prisoner exchange agreement, now the deal is in Netanyahu's hands. During the occupation of the city of Gaza, the lives of the prisoners will be at great risk," he said.
Support to Zamir from the families of Israeli prisoners
Israeli prisoner families, who opposed the invasion of the city of Gaza on the grounds that it would put the lives of the prisoners at risk, emphasized that Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir wanted a prisoner swap agreement like the vast majority of the people.
In the statement made on the roof platform established by the families, "Netanyahu, it's time to fulfill the will of the people. You do not have the authority to continue the war forever. You have no authority to sacrifice prisoners, soldiers and Israeli citizens" statements were included.
The Israeli press reported that there was an argument between Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir and some ministers at the meeting of the Security Cabinet, where it was decided to occupy the city of Gaza.
It was reported that there was a verbal controversy between Zamir and the ministers, who opposed an invasion operation in the Gaza Strip on the grounds that they could risk the lives of Israeli prisoners.
Netanyahu plans to carry out negotiations and Gaza occupation attacks at the same time
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced on August 21 that the Israeli army had presented him with a plan to invade the city of Gaza and had come to the headquarters of the Gaza Division in the south of the country to approve it.
Noting that he had also instructed the immediate start of negotiations for the release of Israeli prisoners and "the termination of the war under conditions that Israel can accept", Netanyahu said, "The defeat of Hamas and the release of all prisoners go hand in hand."
Netanyahu said that while continuing the invasion of the city of Gaza, they would also conduct ceasefires and prisoner exchange negotiations.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on August 22 that they approved the plan to invade the city of Gaza.
Israel decided to invade Gaza
The Israeli Security Cabinet approved the plan to occupy the city of Gaza in the north of the region on August 8.
In an interview before the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that they aimed to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
In the news in the Israeli press, it was stated that the army had received an order to occupy the rest of Gaza, but this step was not expected to be implemented before September.
According to the plan, in the first phase, approximately one million Palestinians will be deported to the south, the city will be surrounded and occupied after intense attacks.
In the second stage, the occupation of the refugee camps in the center of Gaza, which has largely been ruined, is envisaged.
Israel occupied the Gaza Strip for 38 years from 1967 to 2005. The Gaza Strip, where approximately 2.3 million Palestinians live today, has been under a heavy blockade for 18 years.