With Hamas scheduled to begin surrendering its weapons in approximately three weeks under the implementation timeline presented by Jared Kushner, and set against an Israeli ultimatum demanding an immediate halt to cross-border violations, sharp tensions erupted during Monday’s Security Cabinet meeting over the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip and the scope of military retaliation.
2+National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for a drastic escalation in military response thresholds: “For every explosive kite, we should be counting terrorist bodies. Enough with proportional responses—both in Gaza and against the ‘Palestinian Authority,’ which needs to be wiped out entirely.” Minister Orit Strock urged a strategic pivot regarding international oversight bodies, insisting on blocking third-party deployments into the Strip: “We must withdraw our backing from the Peace Council and ensure no outside force enters Gaza.” Concurrently, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich questioned the post-war governance reality, asking during deliberations: “How can it be that Hamas still exists in Gaza at all?”
2+Defense Minister Israel Katz pushed back on allegations of restraint, affirming that the defense establishment will not tolerate ongoing provocations from the terrorist group: “There is no containment in Gaza. We must not allow them a single kite or a single balloon.” Amid ministerial pressure, the Peace Council also addressed the recent surge in violations, confirming it delivered a direct warning that all hostile cross-border activity emerging from the Strip must cease immediately, explicitly including the launch of kites and airborne incendiary devices.
2+The internal cabinet friction comes as the clock runs down on Jared Kushner’s regional framework, which mandates that Hamas commence the structured handover of its arsenal within three weeks, alongside Israel’s strict ultimatum demanding an immediate cessation of hostile probes. Israeli political and defense echelons are closely tracking Hamas’s conduct on the ground as the deadline approaches for the next critical test of the Gaza agreements.