TEL AVIV (Dispatches) -- 
Israel’s war minister sharply reprimanded the military chief on Tuesday for making key military appointments without his approval, highlighting deepening tensions between the military leadership and the regime as Israel prepares to escalate its war on Gaza.
According to a statement issued by the war minister Israel Katz’s office, chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted deliberations over senior military appointments “without prior coordination or agreement” with the minister. 
The statement condemned this as a breach of established protocol, declaring that Katz “does not intend to discuss or approve any of the appointments or names that were published.”
In response, the Israeli military issued a statement asserting that Zamir holds “the sole authority authorized to appoint officers from the rank of colonel upwards,” and that such appointments are made by the chief of staff before being submitted to the war minister for approval.
The confrontation between Katz and Zamir comes amid escalating disagreements over the conduct of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has been ongoing for nearly two years. Sources in Israeli media revealed that Zamir opposed a cabinet decision to fully occupy Gaza City, advocating instead for encircling the city.
Currently, Israeli forces occupy approximately 75 percent of the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by prolonged warfare.
Meanwhile, war minister Katz maintained that while the military chief is free to “express his views,” it remains imperative that the military “execute” any directives issued by the regime regarding Gaza operations.