Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir to stop issuing media briefings against him, saying that his support for a “partial deal” harms the negotiations” aimed at bringing back the captives, according to Hebrew media.
The call came during a tense meeting between Netanyahu and Zamir on Tuesday, amid rising friction between Israel’s political and military leadership, including disagreements over a possible operation to occupy Gaza City, Channel 12 reported.
In recent weeks, both men have faced mounting criticism through briefings believed to be leaked by their associates to the media under the label of “informed sources”, the channel said.
“Against the backdrop of tensions between the military and political levels in recent weeks, Netanyahu and Zamir met on Tuesday in a heated meeting,” the channel reported on Wednesday evening.
It added: “Netanyahu demanded that Zamir stop his briefings against him and directed accusations at him on several issues.”
According to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter, “the meeting brought tensions and disputes between them back to the surface, particularly regarding the security cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City.”
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