Netanyahu-Ben Gvir Gaza Clash: Cabinet Meeting Tensions

Itamar Ben Gvir clashed sharply Thursday in the first security cabinet meeting since Netanyahu's return from Washington, with Ben Gvir demanding daily Israeli operations in Gaza and Netanyahu responding with a pointed political jab.

The tension-filled cabinet session took place against the backdrop of Trump's Peace Council roadmap for Gaza and mounting Israeli casualties in Lebanon, where two reserve soldiers from the 55th Paratroopers Brigade were killed clearing a booby-trapped building.

Ben Gvir demanded that the Israeli military conduct daily strikes and operational eliminations in Gaza, claiming Netanyahu had agreed to restrict operations only to cases involving immediate threats to civilian lives or military forces. "We can't have a day go by without operations in Gaza," Ben Gvir said. "This is not tactical—this is strategic."

Netanyahu responded with what appeared to be an election-focused barb. "In the next 90 days, nothing will be tactical," the prime minister said, directly alluding to Israel's election timeline and implying that Ben Gvir's demands for operations were tied to campaign considerations rather than genuine security policy.

Ben Gvir rejected the insinuation. "For four years I've been demanding operations, not just these 90 days," he countered. "There are those who really only talk before elections, but I've been demanding this every week for four years."

IDf soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The exchange reflects broader tensions within Netanyahu's coalition and sharply different approaches to military operations in Gaza. According to reporting by Kikar, Netanyahu received a request from Nikolai Maldanov, chief of Trump's Peace Council, to reduce military operations in Gaza to create diplomatic space for the roadmap to advance.

Details reaching Israeli media suggest the Peace Council plans to demand additional days without Israeli strikes after an initial nine-day period, before Hamas has even surrendered a single weapon. Other cabinet ministers reportedly urged Netanyahu to reject the plan, arguing it poses risks to Israeli security.

The cabinet meeting also focused on responding to Thursday's death of Major Harel Birenstock and Sergeant Major Tamir Vaknin, classified as a ceasefire violation. Multiple ministers arrived emotionally charged and demanded a forceful, non-proportional response to establish a clear red line against Hezbollah. To date, Israel has not launched a significant strike in response to their deaths, possibly due to ongoing mediation efforts between Israel and Lebanon.

The Netanyahu-Ben Gvir clash also reflects deeper coalition fractures. Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party had prepared an aggressive campaign against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party but shelved it after Netanyahu began exploring party unification talks.

Additionally, Ben Gvir is engaged in a political confrontation with Democrats party chairman Yair Golan, who suggested it is impossible to draft all haredim and referred to them as "people without education and physical ability." Ben Gvir announced Thursday that Otzma Yehudit will petition to disqualify Golan from running in the upcoming elections.