Some in the Israeli military are getting “increasingly uncomfortable” with the violence in the Middle East, an expert has warned.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under intense pressure after Hamas’ brutal terror attack on October 7.
Netanyahu has, since then, overseen devastating strikes in Gaza, killing more than 21,000 people.
The severity of Israel’s retaliation has sparked international concern about the proportionality of the military response, including from some within the IDF.
Ahmed Helal, the Middle East and North Africa director at Global Counsel, told Al Jazeera: “The military elite has grown increasingly uncomfortable over the past 10 years, and they’re not pacifists by any means – they are not doves. But they understand what is strategically important for Israel, and they have been pushing against the overly militarist ambitions of the civilian government.”
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Mr Helal’s comments come after Netanyahu canceled a war cabinet meeting on Thursday night.
The meeting was scheduled to discuss post-war arrangements for the Gaza Strip, but the Israeli Prime Minister is facing pressure from his far-right coalition partners including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
It has been reported that there is disagreement within the Israeli government over whether the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank, should play a role in running Gaza after the war.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan also said on Thursday that the group will not release more Israeli hostages without a “complete and full ceasing of aggressive activities against our people through negotiations that are aligned with our people’s interest”.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said of the canceled meeting: “Netanyahu canceled the war cabinet, worried it would fracture his coalition, fracture his government, and put his position as prime minister at risk.”
While the US and UK have provided Israel with diplomatic support to continue its attacks on Gaza, US President Joe Biden has recently raised concerns over Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombing.
Natali Tocci, director of the Italian think tank Istituto Affari Internazionali, told the same outlet: “At the moment, we don’t see the US actually putting pressure on Israel for a ceasefire.
“However, as that Egyptian role is actually increasing … in calling for a ceasefire, (Antony) Blinken will basically find himself in between a rock and a hard place.”
