This Is Why Netanyahu is Refusing to Sign Wide-Scale Ground Invasion Order – NYT

October 27, 2023 Blog, News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Remembrance Day Ceremony. (Photo: via Prime Minister of Israel Twitter page)

The Israeli government is divided, between those who want a large-scale military intervention in Gaza, and those who want small operations. And there is Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to sign the order which would allow his country’s military to start a wide-scale ground operation in the besieged Gaza Strip, the US newspaper, the New York Times, reported. 

The reason? Fear of losing the trust of the people, should the operation fail, the New York Times reported citing sources in the Israeli government.

According to two sources, who were present during meetings of the emergency cabinet, Netanyahu “outraged senior officers by refusing to sign the plan.” 

His refusal, the sources note, was partially motivated by Netanyahu’s desire to obtain unanimous approval of this step from the emergency cabinet, established jointly with the opposition after the October 7 attacks.

The NYT claims that Netanyahu’s refusal indicates disagreements within the cabinet, with some ministers considering a less ambitious invasion plan, which includes several operations covering a small portion of the enclave instead of a single wide-scale one. 

Analysts say that Netanyahu is unwilling to approve the action plan out of concerns that he will be blamed for the operation’s potential failure amid the falling public trust.

On October 25, Axios reported citing US officials that Netanyahu is skeptical about the armed forces’ command plans and intends to postpone the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip. 

According to Axios sources, the Israeli leader needs time to listen to different points of view and to provide the negotiators with more options to liberate hostages while the army prepares for the operation.

On October 24, the Times of Israel said that the Israeli ground operation in Gaza may be postponed for a long term or even not take place at all. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli army reported ‘full readiness’ for a ground operation. 

According to CNN, Washington pressured Israel, urging it to postpone the operation and to release the hostages held in the besieged, small enclave. 

Israel has, thus far, killed 7,326, including nearly 3,000 children, and 1,700 women; and wounded over 19,000 more. 

Palestinian Ministry of Health reports and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

Israel says that 1,400 of its citizens were killed in Hamas-led attacks on October 7. Many of those killed are soldiers and officers in the Israeli occupation army. 

Gaza has been under a tight Israeli military siege since 2007, following a democratic election in occupied Palestine, the results of which were rejected by Tel Aviv and Washington. 

(TASS, PC)

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