War of words between top Israeli officials as divide widens
8 Min Read
A war of words has erupted within the Israeli cabinet, reflecting internal discord and differing perspectives on the strategies and decisions made during the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
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Israeli occupation forces walk ahead of a drill at a training center in southern “Israel”. (AFP via Getty Images)
As "Israel" grapples with significant casualties among its soldiers in Gaza, the existing deep-seated divisions among its top officials are widening further. A war of words has erupted within the Israeli cabinet, reflecting internal discord and differing perspectives on the strategies and decisions made during its ongoing aggression on Gaza.
The intensifying tensions among the leadership have introduced an additional layer of complexity to an already worsening situation. This has raised concerns about the unity and cohesion of the Israeli government, particularly in the face of global condemnation and the looming threat of losing US support due to the IOF's atrocities in Gaza.
In a related development, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Economy Minister Nir Barkat for expressing dissatisfaction that insufficient measures were being taken to safeguard the lives of IOF soldiers in the ongoing confrontations with Resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip.
Barkat's public accusations, voiced in both public statements and during the weekly cabinet meeting, faced criticism from various ministers. War cabinet member Benny Gantz joined in, urging ministers to refrain from making “baseless declarations".
Israeli occupation's President Isaac Herzog, in his address, expressed concern about the resurgence of old political disputes, eroding the "unity" established in the aftermath of the October 7. He lamented that these internal divisions are providing support and encouragement to Hamas.
Barkat told ministers as quoted by several Israeli media outlets, “The number of air force bombardments has fallen dramatically. Soldiers are being sent to booby-trapped buildings like [sitting] ducks.”
An internal rift enflamed by a war of words
Barkat asserted that as a consequence, strategies that are “unnecessarily endangering soldiers" were being employed. In response, Netanyahu stated, “The fact that you keep saying this doesn’t make it true. There are operational considerations.”
“No consideration can justify endangering the lives of our soldiers for some imaginary morality,” Barkat asserted.
“Leadership is tested by the ability to withstand pressure and, unfortunately, this cabinet does not withstand pressure,” Barkat acknowledged.
Netanyahu, evading the blame, said, “There are countries [whose positions] we have to take into account. If we don’t do that, eventually there’ll be a UN decision to impose a blockade on us. The whole world will be against us.”
When questioned about Barkat's critique, IOF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated later on Sunday that any IOF ground force "requiring air support for any mission receives the essential protection."
Upon arriving for the cabinet meeting earlier, Barkat conveyed to the media, "Surrendering to any external pressure, even if it is from our best friends, is a grave mistake." This statement appears to reference US concerns regarding the rising civilian casualties, which have now exceeded 20,400 Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.
“It is unacceptable that we would endanger our soldiers, and send them exposed into buildings that haven’t been bombed,” he said. “We are too nice, and we are too considerate", in reference to the Israeli claim that IOF is "the most moral army in the world."
It is essential to highlight that Israeli occupation forces are currently under significant international scrutiny, being labeled as "the most immoral army in the world." This characterization stems from human rights groups' documentation of war crimes, including the reported killing of over 8,000 children and the targeted bombing of hospitals, UN schools-turned-shelters, mosques, churches graveyards, and various structures throughout Gaza. The ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians has drawn attention to the IOF's endless list of crimes, atrocities, and bloodbaths., sparking widespread condemnation and international calls for accountability.
Gantz, though absent from the meeting, later expressed his support for IOF soldiers in a tweet that was seen as a response to Barkat's criticism. In the tweet, he commended IOF soldiers, stating that they are equipped with all the essential tools. He further emphasized that ground forces are receiving extensive and precise aerial cover with unprecedented strength.
Read next: Golani's 13th Battalion withdraws from Gaza after al-Shujaiya defeat
MK Aryeh Deri, the leader of the Shas party within the coalition, endorsed Gantz's post by retweeting it and adding the comment, "I back every word."
In response to Gantz, Barkat tweeted that the war cabinet minister is "still bound by the misunderstanding" of jeopardizing the lives of soldiers.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch, a member of the Likud party, rebuked Barkat and suggested that the economy minister delivered the cabinet remarks intentionally and subsequently leaked them to the press for publicity.
Kisch said in a post on X that there had been a “flood of reports that Barkat fought on behalf of the soldiers in the government. So just to make it clear, we are all concerned only about the soldiers and about achieving the goal of victory in the war and bringing back the hostages. That is how the prime minister is acting, Gantz, and the whole cabinet.”
In a televised address on Sunday evening, Herzog called on politicians to persist in steering clear of the discord and division that marked political discourse before October 7. He urged them to “show responsibility, restrain yourselves, and wait a little longer with the political campaigns and messages.”
“The enemy is waiting to see chasms among us, for us to start fighting with one another. It sees the confrontations, the ego battles, and the political headbutting,” Herzog said. “It celebrates every time disagreement drives us apart.”
This is happening as the Israeli occupation military confirmed that an officer and a soldier were killed, while another soldier was critically injured, in ongoing ground battles with Palestinian Resistance fighters in the northern Gaza Strip.
The occupation army identified the killed troops as Master Sgt. (res.) Nitai Meisels, 30, of the 14th Armored Brigade, and Sgt. Rani Tamir, 20, of the 50th Battalion of the Nahal Brigade.
The Israeli occupation military announced that with the killing of Meisels and Tamir, the number of soldiers killed since the start of the ground invasion into the Gaza Strip has risen to 156, while the number of those killed since October 7 stood at 489.
Status of injured soldiers
- Currently undergoing treatment:
Minor injuries: 126 soldiers
Moderate injuries: 258 soldiers
Severe injuries: 52 soldiers
- Wounded since the beginning of the aggression
Minor injuries: 1,099 soldiers
Moderate injuries: 564 soldiers
Severe injuries: 325 soldiers
Total: 1,998 soldiers
- Wounded since the beginning of the ground invasion of Gaza
Minor injuries: 308 soldiers
Moderate injuries: 316 soldiers
Severe injuries: 193 soldiers
Total: 817 soldiers
On Sunday, the Israeli occupation military confirmed that one reserve armored officer was killed in battles in northern Gaza. Prior to that, it confirmed that another Israeli soldier was killed during battles in the Gaza Strip, raising the number of soldiers killed in battles with the Palestinian Resistance over the weekend to 15.
Israeli media described the death toll of its army during the past 24 hours as "the biggest tragedy since the Israeli ground incursion" into the Gaza Strip.
The military spokesperson for al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced on Sunday evening that al-Qassam fighters had achieved several military achievements in the past four days.
Abu Obeida announced that 35 Israeli military vehicles were completely or partially destroyed and 48 Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded.
Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that the Gaza Strip is exacting a "very heavy price" as the death toll of Israeli soldiers killed by the resistance is mounting.
"This is a difficult morning, after a very difficult day of fighting in Gaza," Netanyahu said, adding that "the war is exacting a very heavy price... but we have no choice but to keep fighting."
In a related context, Israeli media reported that 27% of the Israeli military casualties in the war were officers. In detail, the media highlighted that three brigade commanders, four battalion commanders, and other senior officers have been killed in the war so far.
In addition, the media revealed that a patrol from the Nahal Brigade lost nearly all of its leadership, while Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade also dealt a severe blow.
In this regard, former Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan was cited as saying that Israeli soldiers are being killed in Gaza without accomplishments or even clear war objectives.
Read more: Gaza Resistance escalates operations, blows up tunnels in IOF soldiers
