the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, informed the government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu that the army currently controls approximately 75% of the Gaza Strip. He believes that the next phase must move toward either achieving full control or negotiating a prisoner exchange deal, with Zamir favoring the latter option.
The channel reported a disagreement within the political and military echelons regarding the next priority, with the military establishment leaning toward ending the war through a prisoner exchange deal, while some politicians insist on continuing military operations.
The Security Cabinet is expected to discuss this issue during its meeting on Sunday evening.
For its part, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu has re-prioritized the war, considering the return of the prisoners to be the top goal.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu said during a meeting with the General Security Service (Shin Bet): "I give you good news that many opportunities have become available after this victory over Iran... The priority now is to rescue the hostages."
On June 13, Israel, with US support, launched a 12-day attack on military, nuclear, and civilian targets in Iran, resulting in casualties and widespread destruction.
Tehran responded by launching missiles and drones targeting Israeli sites, penetrating air defenses and causing material and human losses.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu continues to insist on combining "complete victory" in Gaza, as he calls it, with the return of the captives, despite his government's clear failure to achieve either goal so far.
Israel estimates that the number of Israeli prisoners in Gaza is approximately 50, of whom 20 are still alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,400 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons, including sick people and detainees suffering from difficult conditions, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.
While Hamas continues to declare its readiness to conclude a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal that includes the release of Israeli prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government adheres to a partial deal approach, stipulating the disarmament of the factions and the re-imposition of control over Gaza. The opposition views this as an attempt to achieve domestic political gains for Netanyahu.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide, backed by the United States, left approximately 190,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
For decades, Israel has occupied territories in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, and refuses to withdraw from them and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the pre-1967 borders.
