A clash erupted on Wednesday between Likud and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman following his allegations regarding the political leadership's handling of an operational incident along the Gaza Strip border.
The storm brewed following reports of unusual terrorist activity in the sector. Liberman presented further details that he claimed were behind the incident, stating:,"The night before last, IDF forces identified a training exercise involving approximately 50 Nukhba terrorists rehearsing a raid and capture of a Jewish community."
According to Liberman, "IDF commanders in the field requested to act immediately to carry out a targeted strike on all the terrorists, but the directive from the political echelon was 'You do not touch anyone, even fire a single blank.'"
He continued his attack on the policy, arguing that "this is a surrender to terrorism and a return to the containment mindset that led to October 7."
Likud responded forcefully to Liberman's statements, issuing a sharp rebuke: "Avigdor Liberman is knowingly lying, harming the security of the State of Israel, and exposing his ignorance regarding military operational matters."
The party further noted that the executive director of the Board of Peace completely denied claims regarding any alleged understandings, emphasizing that the IDF has not withdrawn from the Yellow Line and will continue operating throughout the Gaza Strip until Hamas is disarmed. They added that the recent visit by the CENTCOM commander to a southern military base reflects deep strategic cooperation.
Concurrently, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit issued an official statement clarifying the military establishment's position regarding the events: "On Tuesday night, intelligence was received regarding a terrorist training exercise in the Gaza Strip. Following an assessment of the situation, a decision was made to enhance intelligence collection and counter-threat readiness. At no point did intelligence collection assets detect terrorists or tactical organization. There is no change to the rules of engagement, which require every IDF soldier to neutralize any immediate threat. Furthermore, there is no change in force deployment within the sector or control over the Yellow Line."