Netanyahu Denies Report of Dispute with IDF Chief Over Iran Strike

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently denied reports on Monday that he had demanded an immediate strike on Iran and was refused by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Netanyahu stated that the "protocols will show it" and called the reports "complete nonsense."

Speaking in an interview with "Yoman Ha'erev," Netanyahu addressed claims of a confrontation with Zamir regarding a potential Israeli military operation in Iran. He asserted that the official records of their discussions would prove the allegations false, though he did not elaborate on the content of these discussions or present the protocols themselves.

This denial comes amidst separate reporting from Kan News alleging a sharp disagreement between Netanyahu and Zamir on Sunday during a situation assessment at Tel Nof Air Force Base. According to that report, the dispute concerned the continuation of a military operation in Hebron, launched after a deadly attack that killed two IDF soldiers.

The Kan News report claims Zamir argued that the operation's objectives had been met, that there was no longer operational justification to continue, and raised legal difficulties in preventing displaced Palestinian families from returning to their homes. Zamir reportedly recommended ending the operation, but Netanyahu refused, and the activity continued.

The IDF explained that planned actions in the Hebron compound were completed, and that continuing to keep the population away could harm troop readiness and potentially risk escalation.