Journalist Ben Caspit reports in Maariv that former minister Gadi Eisenkot demanded a wide-ranging response after Iran's first attack, including severe damage to the regime. According to the report, Prime Minister Netanyahu refused and chose to fire only a single missile into Iran.
A new report by Ben Caspit in Maariv reveals a significant policy rift within Israel's security cabinet during the previous round of escalation with Iran. According to Caspit, after Iran's first attack on Israel, Minister Gadi Eisenkot (National Unity) argued for a massive retaliatory strike aimed at inflicting severe damage on the Iranian regime. The report claims Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected this approach and opted instead for a symbolic response—a single missile fired into Iran. The account sheds light on internal deliberations that were not previously reported in this level of detail. Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor Eisenkot's office has commented on the report. The Zioneer has previously reported on divisions between Netanyahu and former defense figures over the scope of retaliation (BACKGROUND items June 8–16). This report, from a single source (Maariv), is uncorroborated and attributed; it is treated as Developing with the confidence explicitly hedged.
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