“Israeli” Officials Clash Over Captives’ Fate

By Staff, Agencies

The "Israeli" occupation forces’ [IOF] Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir triggered widespread backlash from far-right ministers, especially Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, after warning that expansion of the war on Gaza could endanger the "Israeli" captives' lives.

The "Israeli" newspaper Ynet reported that Smotrich directly criticized Zamir during a cabinet meeting, saying they want to bring the captives back, but they're not willing to sacrifice an entire entity for it.

He further stressed the importance of moving forward with plans to establish a "southern 'Netzarim' zone" inside Gaza and "redistribute 'Israeli' settlers, relocating them from the north to that area."

Ben-Gvir strongly attacked Zamir's stance, saying, there's never been a war where defeating the enemy was stopped because of captives, according to Ynet.

He added that "the goal must be a decisive victory over Hamas to prevent thousands more future captives," calling for increased pressure on Gaza while insisting that recovering the most captives depends on cutting off aid to the strip and expanding the IOF's presence throughout Gaza.

These hardline positions come as "Israel's" assault on Gaza continues and captive deal negotiations stall, with the "Israeli" entity refusing to agree to a permanent ceasefire.

Despite its brutal offensive and siege, "Israel" has failed to achieve any of its stated objectives, unable to forcibly free its captives or establish full control over Gaza, as resistance fighters continue heroic operations inflicting heavy losses on occupation forces.

On June 30, Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad [PIJ] movement, announced that its fighters ambushed an "Israeli" infantry unit in eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing and wounding several "Israeli" forces.

Resistance fighters reportedly set up explosives in a house where the IOF had entered, rigging the building with both anti-personnel and anti-fortification devices, then detonating the charges after the forces were inside, according to a statement.

As "Israeli" reinforcements approached the scene, Palestinian fighters engaged them with heavy machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades, leading the IOF to respond by deploying helicopters amid intense covering fire and smoke screens to evacuate the surviving forces.