Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman claimed on Wednesday that approximately 50 terrorists from Hamas' Nukhba force held a training exercise in the Gaza Strip this week in which they practiced raiding and taking over a Jewish community.
According to Liberman, IDF commanders in the field requested permission to act against the terrorists, but the political echelon ordered them not to attack.
Liberman's comments come after Channel 12 News reported Tuesday night that the IDF had identified unusual terrorist activity that raised concerns that they were preparing to cross the Yellow Line. According to that report, the military raised its alert level and rushed forces to the fence, but did not attack, following instructions from the political echelon.
"The night before last, IDF forces identified a training exercise by approximately 50 Nukhba Force terrorists who were practicing a raid and takeover of a Jewish community," he revealed. "IDF commanders in the field requested immediate action to carry out a targeted elimination of all the terrorists, but the political echelon's instruction was: 'You don't touch a single one of them. You don't even fire a single blank.'"
"This is surrender to terrorism and a return to the policy of containment and the conception that led to October 7," he warned.
Liberman also said that he visited the Gaza envelope on Wednesday, including Kerem Shalom, the new American base which he said was built near the crossing, and Kibbutz Be'eri, where he met with local security coordinators.
"What I saw and heard is extremely concerning, and I want to inform members of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet of several details that the Prime Minister is hiding from them and from the public," he wrote.
Liberman also said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved an understanding between Board of Peace Director-General Nikolay Mladenov and Hamas under which the Board of Peace would transfer $400 million to suppliers and service providers based on lists provided by Hamas.
According to Liberman, there is also an understanding under which approximately 40% of that sum - $160 million - would be returned in cash to Hamas' military wing.
Liberman further claimed that the withdrawal of IDF forces has effectively been completed and that the troops have pulled back to the line of military posts, warning, "In the entire area between the line of posts - the Purple Line - and the yellow concrete barriers - the Yellow Line - not a single soldier remains."
According to Liberman, the instruction not to remove the yellow concrete barriers is a "smokescreen for political purposes," and in practice there is no IDF presence in the area between the line of military posts and the Yellow Line.
Liberman also addressed US involvement, claiming that the CENTCOM commander's visit to the American base in southern Israel demonstrates that Israel's independence in making security decisions has been compromised. "To move even a pin, American approval is required," he blasted.