The Israeli government has instructed the military and security establishment to continue developing target banks and preparing for future escalation, according to Maariv. Officials in Tel Aviv anticipate that the US-Iran peace agreement will quickly collapse. Minister Ze'ev Elkin alleged that Israel was completely excluded from the negotiations and stated Israel is not bound by the agreement's terms, saying the document holds no binding authority over Israeli actions. Elkin also revealed that international mediators attempted to secure Israeli approval for a full military withdrawal from Lebanon as part of the broader deal, but Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly rejected the proposal.
The Maariv report, published Wednesday afternoon, adds a new layer to the ongoing political and security controversy over the emerging US-Iran framework. It comes amid a flurry of reports that Israel was excluded from the full text of the memorandum of understanding — a point confirmed by a senior Israeli official Tuesday evening, as The Zioneer reported. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had already sharply rejected the deal on Monday, calling for continued demolitions and Hezbollah eliminations.
Minister Ze'ev Elkin's remarks Wednesday go further in detailing a categorical Israeli rejection of the terms. According to Elkin, international mediators tied a full IDF withdrawal from Lebanon to the broader US-Iran deal — a condition that Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly rejected outright. Elkin asserted that because Israel is not a party to the agreement, it is not bound by it and could not demand to review the memorandum of understanding.
The Israeli government's directive to keep building target banks and prepare for future escalation signals that the security establishment views the agreement as fragile and temporary. The frame echoes a message from the US reported earlier Wednesday — urging Israel to totally refrain from Lebanon operations so as not to jeopardize the emerging deal — which, according to a single report, Netanyahu accepted. The two directives appear contradictory and the settlement of this tension remains unverified. The status of the US-Iran memorandum itself is also unconfirmed by an independent source at this point.
- StrongUS and Iran signal breakthrough on nuclear deal as Israel orders IDF to prepare for independent action
- StrongBen Gvir demands PM let IDF continue demolitions, Hezbollah eliminations
- StrongBen Gvir: Israel must not accept US-Iran ceasefire
- DevelopingEizenkot warns Israel waking to a deal 'far from Israeli interest'
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake