Channel 13 reported that a heated discussion took place between Zamir and Netanyahu during a meeting on Tuesday evening, which it described as "difficult and direct," in light of the latter's decision to proceed with the occupation of Gaza.
Zamir described the decision as a "strategic trap," asserting that it would exhaust the Israeli occupation army for years and endanger the lives of Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
On Tuesday evening, Netanyahu held a three-hour closed-door meeting with a limited number of ministers and senior security officials. The meeting discussed a plan to encircle Gaza City and the central military bases, a first stage in the occupation of the Strip, according to an unnamed Israeli official quoted by the Broadcasting Authority.
Channel 13 reported that Zamir "proposed an alternative to the occupation operation, which would involve isolating the Gaza Strip and imposing a tight siege on Gaza City, along with airstrikes on Hamas positions. However, Netanyahu rejected the proposal and insisted on proceeding with the plan to occupy the Strip."
Citing unnamed senior army officials, it said that Zamir hinted at a threat to resign during the meeting, saying, "I only have one bullet in my mouth."
The security cabinet is scheduled to meet tomorrow, Thursday, to discuss the plan to occupy Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip, which Chief of Staff Zamir opposes.
Calls for demonstrations against Netanyahu
Meanwhile, Yair Golan, head of the Israeli opposition Democratic Party, called on Wednesday for demonstrations against Netanyahu and a paralyzing of the economy in protest against the plan to reoccupy Gaza, which is "expected to result in human and material losses."
Local radio station FM-103 quoted Golan calling for massive demonstrations against Netanyahu's government and for the Israeli economy to be paralyzed.
"The government wants to impose the occupation of Gaza on Israel, and this move is expected to result in human and financial losses," Golan said.
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He continued, "We, the Israeli people, need to escalate the struggle, and we must continue to shut down the economy for a long time until the government announces elections."
The Democratic Party leader continued, "I call for shutting down the economy and for widespread protests."
On July 24, Israel withdrew from indirect negotiations with Hamas in Doha following Tel Aviv's intransigence regarding the withdrawal from Gaza, ending the war, Palestinian prisoners, and the mechanism for distributing humanitarian aid.
Fifty-two percent of Israelis hold their government fully or partially responsible for the failure to reach an agreement with Hamas, according to a poll published Sunday by the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies.
Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release Israeli prisoners "in bulk" in exchange for an end to the war of extermination, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The opposition and prisoners' families assert that Netanyahu is seeking partial deals that would allow the war to continue while ensuring his continued rule. He fears the collapse of his government if the most extreme faction, which refuses to end the war, withdraws.
Locally, Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges that warrant imprisonment if convicted. Internationally, the International Criminal Court is seeking his arrest on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.
For decades, Israel has occupied Palestine and territories in Syria and Lebanon, and refuses to withdraw from these territories and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the pre-1967 borders.
