Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett leveled a sharp accusation Tuesday morning, saying Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz lied when they declared the IDF has full freedom of action in Lebanon. In a statement to N12, Bennett claimed troops in southern Lebanon see Hezbollah militants re-establishing positions and are forbidden to fire, and that Israeli Air Force strikes have completely stopped, leading to soldiers being harmed.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett escalated his criticism of the government's Lebanon policy Tuesday morning, directly accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz of lying to the public. In remarks published by N12 journalist Yaron Avraham, Bennett claimed that despite official statements asserting full operational freedom for the IDF in southern Lebanon, the reality on the ground is the opposite.
"When Netanyahu and Katz published yesterday that the IDF has freedom of action in Lebanon — they lied," Bennett said. He painted a dire picture of troops observing Hezbollah militants re-establishing themselves in the area yet being prohibited from engaging. Bennett further claimed the Israeli Air Force has completely halted operations, and that the cumulative effect has resulted in casualties among Israeli soldiers.
This accusation is the sharpest yet in a thread that began Monday evening, when The Zioneer reported Netanyahu stating "full freedom of action" for troops in southern Lebanon at 16:20 Jerusalem — a statement immediately contradicted by a report citing zero strikes in 48 hours. Over subsequent hours, multiple thread editions saw Netanyahu reiterate the same phrase, while a report of a "friction prevention mechanism" surfaced. By late Monday, Bennett himself had issued a statement saying his phone was "exploding with messages about an unimaginable reality in Lebanon," and former PM Yair Lapid said Sunday evening he was receiving messages from troops complaining their hands are tied. Bennett's Tuesday remarks now name Netanyahu and Katz directly, alleging deliberate deception.
As The Zioneer reported, the backdrop includes persistent diplomatic pressure and a reported erosion of Israel's pre-war freedom to strike Hezbollah anywhere — a point raised by journalist Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) at the start of the week. Bennett's camp has characterized the situation as a failure of political leadership, while the government continues to deny any restrictions exist.
There has been no immediate response from Netanyahu, Katz, or IDF officials. The claims remain one-sided and Bennett's accusation of deliberate lying has not been independently corroborated.
7 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu says troops have full freedom of action; report claims zero strikes in 48 hours
- DevelopingKatz: IDF has full backing, freedom of action against all threats in Lebanon, Gaza
- DevelopingBennett: Netanyahu incapable of deciding on Gaza, Lebanon, Iran fronts
- DevelopingBennett calls for enabling troops to defend themselves in Lebanon, criticizes political echelon
Source and signal
- Internal intake