Netanyahu defies military warnings, mobilizes 40,000 reservists for Gaza City assault
By isabelle // 2025-09-03
Copy
 
  • Netanyahu defies IDF warnings by launching a high-risk Gaza City offensive despite dire humanitarian and strategic consequences.
  • IDF Chief of Staff and reservists openly oppose the operation, calling it illegal and lacking clear objectives.
  • Gaza’s death toll surpasses 63,000 with famine worsening, while Israel’s military admits needing months to prepare for the assault.
  • Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate a permanent ceasefire isolates Israel diplomatically and fuels mass protests at home.
  • The war risks becoming an endless occupation, deepening Israel’s political and moral crisis with no clear path to victory.
Why is Israel’s government ignoring its own military leaders? That’s the question swirling around Tel Aviv this week as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramps up a new offensive in Gaza City despite dire warnings from the IDF’s top general that the operation could backfire catastrophically. With 40,000 reservists now being called up, tensions between Netanyahu and his military brass have exploded into open defiance, even as Gaza’s civilian death toll climbs and famine tightens its grip. The Jerusalem Post reports that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu’s war cabinet, arguing that the assault on Gaza City — Hamas’ last major stronghold — risks endangering the remaining 48 Israeli hostages, overextending troops, and worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Yet Netanyahu, backed by his far-right coalition, has dismissed these concerns, insisting on a full-scale invasion. The prime minister’s own son, Yair, has even accused Zamir of staging a “military coup,” a claim that speaks volumes about the toxic political climate driving this war.

A military in revolt

The rift isn’t just at the top. On the ground, Israeli reservists, many of whom have served multiple tours in Gaza, are increasingly refusing to report for duty. A group calling itself Soldiers for the Hostages has emerged, with more than 365 members publicly declaring they won’t participate in what they call Netanyahu’s “war of aggression.” Their reasoning? The operation lacks a clear strategy, jeopardizes hostage negotiations, and inflicts mass suffering on Gaza’s civilians. “We have all served, and some of us will serve again, but we are against the ongoing war and the current campaign,” spokesperson Yotam Vilk told CNN. The group’s letter to Israel’s Military Advocate General went further, labeling the Gaza City offensive “blatantly illegal” and warning that soldiers who comply “may bear criminal and personal responsibility.” All of this is happening as Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that 63,633 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with another 160,914 wounded. In August alone, 185 people died of malnutrition, the highest monthly toll yet. The United Nations’ food security experts have declared a full-blown famine in Gaza City, where aid workers now stand in line for food alongside starving families.

The human cost of Netanyahu’s obsession

While Netanyahu frames this as a “decisive stage” in Israel’s war against Hamas, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 47 Palestinians, including 15 in a single residential building in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood. Survivors like Sana Drimli described waking to “the sound of banging and rising smoke,” only to find their neighbors dead. “We woke up to see what happened to us and check in on our children and discovered that everyone around us is dead,” she told the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Israel’s military admits it needs at least two months to prepare for the offensive, ostensibly to allow more aid into Gaza. But given that Israeli settlers and extremist groups have repeatedly looted and destroyed aid trucks, it’s hard to take this justification seriously. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed contractor, has faced criticism for its chaotic aid distribution, which the UN has compared to a “Hunger Games” scenario. Since October, more than 2,300 aid seekers have been killed, with some shot while waiting for food.

A war with no endgame

So what’s the real goal here? Netanyahu insists the war won’t end until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed. But his own security cabinet is divided. Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that Gaza City could become another Rafah, a wasteland of rubble and mass graves, if Hamas doesn’t surrender. Yet Hamas has rejected ceasefire deals that don’t guarantee a permanent end to the war, a demand Netanyahu refuses to meet. The prime minister’s hardline stance has left Israel isolated. Even the UN General Assembly, in a rare show of unity, passed a resolution demanding an unconditional ceasefire. Germany and Ukraine, both staunch Israeli allies, voted in favor of it. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s approval ratings have plummeted as hundreds of thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv, demanding he secure the hostages’ release. Where does this end? If history is any guide, badly. Israel has already demolished 1,000 buildings in Gaza City, leaving thousands buried under rubble. The IDF’s own chief warns of a full military occupation of Gaza — a quagmire that would drain Israel’s resources and morale for years. And with reservists now openly resisting orders, the military’s cohesion is fraying. The Israeli people deserve better than a leader who prioritizes political survival over their safety. The Palestinian people deserve better than a war that treats their lives as collateral damage. And the world deserves better than a conflict fueled by lies, greed, and unchecked militarism. Sources for this article include: RT.com APNews.com ABCNews.go.com CNN.com
Copy