The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli officials, including senior security officials and ministers, secretly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement with Hamas instead of expanding the ground offensive against the armed group in Gaza City.

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, the head of Mossad, and the Foreign Minister supported a temporary ceasefire with Hamas rather than expanding the war now.

According to the newspaper, during a fiery six-hour meeting of the security cabinet on Sunday evening, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Netanyahu and senior ministers present that the operation could lead to Israeli military rule over Gaza.

Israeli officials said that Mossad chief David Barnea and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also expressed hesitation in recent weeks about proceeding with the attack on Gaza City.

Officials said that alongside Zamir, they called for seeking a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that would at least release some of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.

This disagreement reflects a split between Netanyahu and some officials in the country’s security establishment over the war’s objectives, its execution, and Gaza’s future.