Gaza strategy under fresh scrutiny

A high level row within Israel shows a right wing minister challenging the prime minister over Gaza strategy.

Smotrich Demands Gaza Plan Change After Losing Faith in Netanyahu

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he no longer believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to win the Gaza war. He calls Thursday's security cabinet move to seize Gaza City a half measure and says he has worked with Netanyahu on a plan for victory that would destroy Hamas's military and civil capabilities and free hostages. Smotrich argues that Netanyahu has reversed course and that the plan amounts to pressure rather than decisive victory. He says annexing large parts of the Gaza Strip and opening its gates to voluntary migration could be part of a broader strategy. Netanyahu has described a broader approach that would hand governance to an Arab force after a future government, not directly ruling the territory, and has said the plan aims to destroy Hamas and free hostages, not to occupy Gaza. Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir voted against the security cabinet plan. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed the Gaza City proposal, and hostage families protested against the plan. The clash adds to splits inside Netanyahu's coalition as dynamics around Gaza policy grow more complex.

The exchange reveals a fault line inside a fragile coalition, with two hardliners pressing for a strategy that aims at a full victory rather than a limited pressure tactic. It also shows how personal loyalties and ideological aims influence security choices at a moment of high risk. If the rift widens, Israel could face difficulties in presenting a coherent war plan to the public and to international partners, complicating decisions on humanitarian safeguards and postwar governance. The political pressures around Gaza policy could shape future budgets, international responses, and the balance of power inside a government already strained by public protests and military concerns.

Highlights

The road ahead will test how far political divisions can shape a national security strategy.