Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the IDF to obtain approval from Israel’s political leadership before conducting any targeted killing in Gaza or carrying out an operation beyond the Yellow Line, according to a report by Maariv military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi.
The directive includes an exception for immediate threats. IDF forces may act without prior political approval when soldiers or Israeli communities near Gaza face imminent danger.
Ashkenazi reports that the order reflects growing concern within Israel about a possible confrontation with Washington. Israeli officials are seeking to protect the country’s military achievements without provoking a broader regional conflict that could lead to American diplomatic action or even an arms embargo.
According to the Maariv report, the United States currently considers Iran its primary theater of conflict. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has become a major challenge for the Trump administration, which is also facing mounting frustration from Arab Gulf states over its failure to defeat Iran.
President Donald Trump renewed his threats against Tehran over the past day and has discussed the possibility of bringing the Strait of Hormuz under American control.
Washington is now seeking greater stability in Gaza and Lebanon so it can devote more attention and resources to Iran. The administration is consequently pressing Israel to limit the intensity of its operations in both arenas.
At the same time, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are being sent to the region to promote diplomatic efforts concerning Gaza and Lebanon, Ashkenazi reported.
Israel Carefully Calibrates Gaza Operations
The IDF currently faces the difficult task of protecting its troops while preserving the gains achieved during nearly three years of war.
Israel must also prevent the fighting from escalating to a level that could undermine diplomatic efforts or cause the United States to take action against it.
Maariv reported that Israel’s political leadership recently approved four planned strikes against terrorists. On Sunday, the IDF attacked two additional individual targets in separate areas of Gaza within a single hour.
One strike targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in the Khan Yunis area. The other targeted a Hamas terrorist in Nuseirat.
The IDF said both terrorists were advancing attack plans and were struck from the air to eliminate the threats they posed.
Officials in the IDF and Shin Bet believe that carefully controlling the scale and timing of Israeli operations is essential to preventing a renewed escalation in Gaza, according to Ashkenazi.
Israeli officials do not believe Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will voluntarily surrender their weapons. Israel nevertheless does not want to be portrayed as the party responsible for ending negotiations or abandoning diplomatic efforts.
The Growing Challenge in Lebanon
The situation in Lebanon is even more complicated, the Maariv report states.
According to Ashkenazi, the IDF is approaching a decisive victory over Hezbollah forces along the Ali Taher Ridge, one of the terrorist organization’s most important defensive positions in southern Lebanon.
Israeli control of the area could provide the IDF with significantly greater freedom of movement if the government later decides to expand its ground operation. Routes toward the Bekaa Valley, Beirut and the Mediterranean coast are now almost entirely open to Israeli forces, the report said.
Hamas and Hezbollah recognize the military disadvantage they face and are attempting to provoke the IDF into a more intense campaign.
On Friday night, an explosive drone struck soldiers from the IDF Yahalom combat engineering unit, seriously wounding an officer and two soldiers.
The following day, a powerful explosive device was detonated against an IDF tank in southern Gaza.
Soldiers in both Gaza and Lebanon are reporting frequent hostile incidents. According to Ashkenazi, Hamas and Hezbollah hope these attacks will draw Israel into fighting at a much higher intensity.
The IDF must therefore balance several competing objectives. It must protect its soldiers, respond to immediate threats and preserve Israel’s military gains. At the same time, it is attempting to avoid an escalation that could derail diplomatic efforts or damage Israel’s relationship with the United States.
