The IDF on Sunday declared the area around the home of Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir a “closed military zone” following anti-war demonstrations held outside his residence.
The protests peaked about a week ago when dozens of activists from the “Standing Together” movement poured red paint outside Zamir’s house — an act condemned across Israel’s political spectrum.
“The decision to designate the area as a closed military zone was made based on professional and security considerations,” the IDF said in a statement.
Protest in front of IDF chief Eyal Zamir's home
(Video: Standing Together)
The order is valid until Sept. 10. A decision on whether to extend it will be made following a security assessment. The army said the measure does not affect other parts of the neighborhood or disrupt daily life in Ramat HaShavim, the Sharon region moshav where Zamir lives.
Activist Dr. Rotem Sivan Hoffman criticized the decision on X.
“Residents of Ramat HaShavim, a moshav in the Sharon, woke up this morning to discover they live in a closed military zone. Why? Because the chief of staff is afraid of mothers,” she wrote. “After he came out to the mothers standing outside his house and promised to protect our children, whom he is sending into a death trap, he ordered the Home Front Command chief to declare his home a closed military zone.
“An army that is afraid of the citizens it is supposed to protect is not a people’s army. A state whose army prevents protest and freedom of expression is not a democratic state,” she added.
During last week’s protest against the continuation of the war, activists poured red paint outside Zamir’s home as a symbol of the “rivers of blood that will flow if he conquers Gaza.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protest, saying: “The IDF, under the leadership of the chief of staff, is acting with morality and determination to defeat Hamas and return all our hostages. Every attempt to harm him and his commanders must be denounced.”
The IDF’s Gideon's Chariots II operation in Gaza City began Friday with airstrikes on high-rise buildings. Zamir has warned the campaign could last up to a year, citing the extensive tunnel networks still under the city and the presence of live hostages.
Despite political pressure to move quickly, Zamir instructed maneuvering forces to prioritize safety over speed to protect soldiers, especially in areas where hostages are held. In recent briefings, he told political leaders there is no guarantee that hostages in Gaza City will survive the campaign. The IDF, he said, cannot predict how Hamas will treat the captives in the coming months or whether the group will continue its policy of killing hostages when hearing Israeli forces approach.
First published: 15:06, 09.07.25