Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to military plans for daily tactical pauses in fighting along a major road into the heavily bombarded Gaza Strip to enable aid delivery into the Palestinian territory.

The military had stated that the daily halts would occur from 05:00 GMT until 16:00 GMT, along the route from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to Salah al-Din Road, extending northwards.

“When the prime minister was informed of an 11-hour humanitarian pause each morning, he told his military secretary that he found this unacceptable,” an Israeli official disclosed to Reuters news agency.

The military clarified that operations would persist in Rafah, currently a focal point of its southern Gaza offensive, where eight soldiers were killed on Saturday.

On Sunday, despite it being the first day of Eid al-Adha, Israeli forces demolished homes and continued their assaults. In one incident, an attack in the Bureij refugee camp killed nine people, including six children, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Additionally, at least two Palestinians were killed in another attack in Rafah’s Tal as-Sultan neighborhood, and an ambulance attempting to reach the area was also targeted, according to Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents.

On the same day, the Israeli military reported that three soldiers, including two reservists, had died.

Divisions among government, army

Netanyahu’s stance highlights political divisions over aiding Gaza, where global entities have flagged a major humanitarian crisis and impending starvation.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the tactical pause, labeling anyone who decided it as an unfit person for their role.

Right-wing ministers seek to cut aid further to Gaza, despite severe restrictions since Israel assumed control of the vital Rafah crossing. Right-wing Israeli protests and roadblocks have also hindered aid delivery.

Before the May 6 seizure of the crossing, Gaza’s northern region was already experiencing a lack of aid, with starvation setting in.

This dispute is one of many between the coalition and military over the nine-month-long assault on Gaza, coming a week after centrist Benny Gantz exited the government, criticizing Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy.

Further, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently opposed a parliamentary military conscription law for ultra-Orthodox Jews, citing it as inadequate.

Religious coalition members strongly object to conscription, fueling widespread Israeli dissatisfaction. Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi noted the necessity of enlisting more soldiers from the growing ultra-Orthodox community.

Despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire, such an agreement seems far-off, over eight months since Israel launched its fierce offensive against Gaza following Hamas’ attacks.

This military campaign has resulted in over 37,300 Palestinian deaths and vast destruction in Gaza, as per Palestinian health ministry reports.

While polling shows most Israelis back the government’s aim to dismantle Hamas, there are significant protests demanding more government action to return around 120 captives held by Hamas since October 7.

Simultaneously, skirmishes along the Israel-Lebanon border threaten to expand into a larger conflict, with frequent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah group.

In a sign that fighting could continue, Netanyahu’s government announced it would extend hotel accommodations for southern Israeli border town evacuees until August 15.