The New York Times said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not sign an order to launch a large-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip. This is due to the fact that he is afraid of losing the trust of the population in case the operation fails.
At an emergency cabinet meeting attended by two officials, Benjamin Netanyahu “angered senior officers by refusing to sign off on the plan” for the invasion. The officials said the refusal was motivated by the prime minister’s desire to get unanimous approval for such a move from members of the emergency cabinet, which was formed with opposition representatives in the wake of the 7 October attacks.
The newspaper stressed that the prime minister’s refusal to sign the document indicates that there are significant disagreements in the cabinet. Some politicians are considering a less ambitious plan to invade the Gaza Strip, which could take place in several stages, affecting certain places, rather than a full-fledged large-scale operation.
Experts noted that Netanyahu is in no hurry to make serious decisions on his own and approve the military’s plan. He believes that against the backdrop of his declining credibility, he will be blamed for the failure of the operation.
Recall, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Lieutenant General Herzi Ha-Levi previously admitted that the Israeli military on 7 October failed to cope with the task on the day of the attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, that is – to ensure the security of the country.