Israeli forces chief claims Netanyahu’s family decided his dismissal

Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said in closed discussions on Tuesday that the family of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to remove him because of his opposition to occupying the remaining parts of the Gaza Strip.

The Hebrew daily Haaretz quoted Zamir, during a meeting with senior army officers from the general staff and retired commanders, as saying that Netanyahu’s family wanted to oust him for rejecting the plan to occupy Gaza. He added that those close to Netanyahu were seeking to end his role, and that the pressure on him stemmed from his refusal to support the plan.

His remarks came after Defence Minister Israel Katz rejected a series of appointments approved by Zamir.

The paper also quoted a source who attended the meeting with the army chief as saying: “Zamir understands what is happening around him and has no intention of handing over the army to Netanyahu and Katz. The chief of staff believes that Netanyahu’s family intends to treat him in the same way they treated his predecessor, Herzi Halevi.”