JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet on Thursday to address Israel’s ongoing military planning regarding Hezbollah in Lebanon. During the session, the Prime Minister clarified that no formal agreement is currently on the table, noting that he has withheld any proposal from the cabinet because Hezbollah has opposed such terms.
“If Hezbollah agrees [to a deal], I will bring it for your approval,” Netanyahu told the officials.
The meeting highlighted deep divisions among government ministers regarding the path forward. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) urged the Prime Minister to present the “reality in the North” directly to US President Donald Trump. Ben-Gvir advocated for an intensification of military operations, suggesting that Israel should target “the weak points of Hezbollah terrorists in Dahiyeh.” He further argued that “there needs to be a military maneuver” and that the government should prioritize the needs of its soldiers over potential friction with the US.
Other officials expressed varying levels of support for continued or expanded military action. Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen (Likud) stated that “a normal country would have smashed” Hezbollah, while MK Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope-United Right) asserted that the group “does not want a ceasefire.” National Missions Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionism Party) suggested that Israel should move to “change the border,” and Development of the Negev and Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf (Otzma Yehudit) remarked, “During a lunch break, you eat – during a ceasefire, you shoot,” adding that “time is not on our side.”
A contrasting view was offered by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who argued that securing a ceasefire under the current constraints would represent a “huge achievement.”
Providing a military assessment on Friday, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the Israel Defense Forces intend to clear the entire area south of the Litani River of Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel. Zamir emphasized that while Hezbollah has not been destroyed, it has been “defeated” and weakened. He confirmed that the IDF has no immediate plans to withdraw from captured territories, intending instead to maintain a long-term security buffer.
“We have created a new security reality,” Zamir said. “We are on the front lines of the communities, and we will not move from there. Hezbollah must not be allowed to recover after we have dealt it a severe blow.”
Implications and Potential Developments
The divide within the Security Cabinet underscores the complex challenge facing the Israeli leadership as they balance international pressure against domestic demands for increased security. Given the stated goal of maintaining a long-term buffer zone south of the Litani River, military operations could remain active for an extended period. Analysts may expect that if the government fails to reach a diplomatic consensus, it could lead to further unilateral military maneuvers. Conversely, should the administration shift its stance in response to external or internal pressure, a ceasefire remains a possible next step, though the military’s current commitment to a “new security reality” suggests that any such agreement would likely be contingent on strict, long-term security guarantees.
