During a tense Friday security cabinet discussion, ministers criticized military restrictions that they said limit IDF freedom of action against Hezbollah's military buildup. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir reminded ministers they had requested the ceasefire. Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified there is no restriction on responding to immediate threats, according to the report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified during Friday's security cabinet session that there is no restriction on responding to an immediate threat, according to the report. The clarification came after ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, sharply criticized operational limitations imposed under the current ceasefire framework, arguing they hamper the IDF's ability to counter Hezbollah's military buildup in southern Lebanon. The remarks appear aimed at reassuring ministers while maintaining the existing policy boundaries.
The security cabinet meeting — which began around Friday 10:04 Jerusalem — is the latest in a series of escalating internal disagreements. The first version of this story, published at Fri 10:04 Jerusalem, reported ministers confronting Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz over the ceasefire, with troops described as being in a "shooting gallery." The Chief of Staff countered at that time: "You — the political level — wanted the ceasefire." A subsequent version at the same timestamp noted that Defense Minister Katz said every soldier can respond immediately when needed, while Netanyahu added that the US understands Israel's right to self-defense. By a later update at Fri 10:04 Jerusalem, the Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir rebuffed the criticism directly: "You wanted the ceasefire." The current version adds Netanyahu's explicit clarification on immediate threats.
As The Zioneer reported on Fri 10:15 Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir had earlier Friday called to "exploit the events to collapse the agreement" and strike hundreds of Hezbollah sites. Background context from earlier this week — including Hezbollah's own warnings of proportionate responses to any breaches (Tue Jun 23), and multiple reports of ceasefire violations — underscores the persistent volatility on the ground.
It remains unclear how the policy clarification will be implemented operationally, or whether it will satisfy ministers pushing for a broader escalation. The gap between the political framework and military commanders' field assessments persists.
5 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu says troops have full freedom of action; report claims zero strikes in 48 hours
- StrongKatz: No restriction on IDF action to remove threats in Lebanon; Amir says no initiated ops, no ceasefire
- DevelopingNetanyahu, IDF chief detail tense Trump call and independent Iran strike readiness in cabinet
- StrongNetanyahu, Katz told troops to open fire on any threat in south Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake