A heated exchange erupted during Thursday night's Diplomatic-Security Cabinet meeting between government ministers and senior defense officials over Israel's policy in Lebanon and its response to Hezbollah activity following the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that IDF forces on the ground are authorized to respond to any immediate threat.
"For any immediate threat - the soldiers on the ground respond. We are not restricting any soldier," Netanyahu said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir questioned Israel's broader policy toward emerging threats, criticizing Hezbollah's continued military buildup.
"If we see Hezbollah rearming, why aren't we dismantling them?" he asked.
Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock echoed the criticism, saying there is frustration among troops operating in Lebanon, "who feel like they're sitting ducks."
"It's good that they respond to every immediate threat," she said.
Responding to the criticism, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reminded ministers that the ceasefire was implemented at the government's direction.
"You wanted a ceasefire," Zamir said.
Ben Gvir rejected the claim, saying he had opposed the agreement from the outset.
"I don't want a ceasefire, precisely because of this," he replied.
Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that "every soldier can respond immediately" to any threat.
Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf noted that operational restrictions remain beyond the designated "Yellow Line."
Netanyahu responded by saying, "The Americans understand our right to defend ourselves."
Later in the discussion, Strock argued that Hezbollah continues to bring weapons into Lebanon. Katz acknowledged that the ceasefire arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages but stressed that Israel is not putting its soldiers at unnecessary risk.
Ben Gvir urged a more aggressive policy, arguing that Israel should take advantage of the current situation to intensify operations against Hezbollah.
"We have soldiers who have been wounded. This is an opportunity to collapse the agreement. We can strike hundreds of targets and bomb them," he said.