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The briefing at the military headquarters in Beersheva was also attended by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, IDF Chief of Staff-Designate Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar and other senior Israeli officials.
The security assessment at the Southern Command base lasted some four hours and focused on “the IDF’s operational plans for various scenarios,” a political source in Jerusalem told Hebrew media.
As the meeting got underway, Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward Israel, the IDF said. The projectile fell short inside the Strip, killing a 14-year-old Palestinian, according to initial reports.
The military shared surveillance footage apparently showing a rocket falling inside a densely populated area shortly after being launched.
“The rocket fell inside Gaza. The IDF is committed to fully implementing the conditions of the agreement for the return of the hostages,” it added.
In response to the attempted strike, IDF forces attacked the launch pad from where the attack originated, the IDF stated. Netanyahu and Katz reportedly green-lighted the army’s response at Southern Command.
‘A harsh and disproportionate response’
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose Religious Zionist Party has demanded that the Israeli government commit to resuming the war to dismantle Hamas following the first phase of the hostage deal, on Thursday night urged a “disproportionate response” to the attack.
“A rocket was launched from Gaza towards the State of Israel. Mr. Prime Minister, this is a testing moment,” Smotrich wrote in a statement on X.
“A moment for a harsh and disproportionate response that will make it clear that we are not returning to the [security] concept of October 6th,” he continued, referring to the notion that persisted in believing that the terrorist group was deterred before the massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.
“And to those of you who are calling for an end to the war—wake up! Our duty to the citizens of Israel and the residents of the Gaza Envelope [border area] is to completely destroy Hamas,” he concluded.
The Israeli military is preparing to possibly resume fighting in Gaza following Hamas’s announcement on Monday that it would postpone releasing hostages in breach of its commitments under the truce deal.
Unless Hamas returns Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will expire and the IDF will resume fighting until total victory over Hamas, Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday.
His ultimatum followed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who also named Saturday at noon as the time after which “all hell will break loose” unless the terror group releases all the hostages.
On Thursday, Hamas reportedly confirmed to Egypt its commitment to the terms of the deal, vowing to release three captives on Saturday. The release is reportedly contingent on Israel supplying caravans, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicines and hospital renovation materials to Gaza.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Israel asked mediators Qatar and Egypt to expedite the release of the remaining six live captives who are included in the 33 slated to be released during the first phase but are not expected to be among those three set to be freed Saturday.
According to the Journal report, which cited sources in Doha and Cairo, Jerusalem also told mediators it wants to expand the list of those set to be freed in the first phase beyond the 33 captives already agreed upon.
