Likud MK Amit Halevi issued a stark warning Tuesday evening regarding the IDF’s operational plan for the conquest of Gaza City, which is currently awaiting approval from the Defense Minister.
Halevi, who is familiar with the plan’s core principles, cautioned that in its current form, the plan is likely to fail and could exact a heavy toll in blood. He asserted that it does not meet the objectives recently outlined by the Cabinet - just as the previous “Gideon’s Chariots” plan had failed to do.
“As someone familiar with the plan, I am reiterating my public warning about the elements that require immediate changes,” Halevi stated. “Without these changes, this plan - like its predecessor - will fail, result in significant loss of life, and not accomplish the goals set by the Cabinet.”
Among the adjustments he demanded, Halevi emphasized that “under no circumstances should soldiers be sent into the neighborhoods of Gaza City. The city must be encircled. After allowing a few days for civilians to evacuate south of the Netzarim corridor, all access must be sealed. Aid to the northern area should be halted, and all enemy assets and sustenance sources should be destroyed from the outside using firepower. Without water and fuel, the remaining enemy will surrender within days, without the need for a ground incursion or mass reserve mobilization. Full purification should follow.”
He also sharply criticized the legal policy concerning aid to enemy-held areas. “To this day, the Chief of Staff supports the absurd legal view that Israel must continue supplying food, water, fuel, and equipment to areas where enemy forces operate - even while sustenance is provided to adjacent civilian areas. The shocking and immoral outcome is that the Chief of Staff is sending soldiers into battle with one hand while strengthening the enemy with the other. The heavy toll we’ve paid over the past 21 months is unacceptable, and the Defense Minister must not approve a plan that continues this practice.”
Halevi further stressed that the plan must reflect the Cabinet’s stated objective: full security control over the entire Gaza Strip - not just Gaza City. He said the IDF must implement the political echelon’s directives in full, under the direct and ongoing oversight of the Defense Minister.
“From my experience on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee over the past three years, I’ve learned that the IDF’s senior command may use various tactics to delay or avoid full implementation of government decisions. The Defense Minister must be closely familiar with every detail of the plan and personally ensure its daily execution.”
“These are critical days,” Halevi concluded. “Officers and soldiers have waited too long for an effective strategy that will deliver swift, decisive victory - one that will reshape the Middle East and deter our enemies. Prolonging the conflict and avoiding decisive action erodes Israel’s national security and endangers our soldiers. That is why this plan, and its proper implementation, are so vital. The heart of the plan - as I have demanded since the war began - must be full control over the entire Strip. That is the only key to victory, and we have the power to achieve it within weeks.”