Amid fiery debate with IDF chief, Israeli cabinet votes to expand aid to Gaza

In a contentious vote, the ministers agreed to expand distribution of aid throughout the Strip.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israel’s political-security Cabinet met for over five hours Saturday night with IDF Chief of Staff Lieut. Gen. Eyal Zamir on the next stage of plans for Gaza, in discussions that became contentious at times.

The two most prickly subjects were the entry of humanitarian aid and whether the IDF is properly fulfilling its latest mandate from the political echelon in the coastal enclave.

Regarding aid, the Cabinet approved the establishment of additional Hamas-free, aid dispersal zones, in order to remove one of the terror organization’s most powerful mechanisms of control over the civilian population.

This is the model now being used in the four distribution centers run by the private Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, three of which are in the Tel al-Sultan refugee camp near the Morag Corridor that separates Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south, and one on the Netzarim Corridor in the center of the Gaza Strip.

Both nationalist-religious leaders, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voted against the proposal.

As he stated in Thursday night’s Cabinet meeting, Smotrich wants to implement the so-called Generals’ Plan and have the army lay a full siege of northern Gaza, including the withholding of all aid deliveries after evacuating all civilians in the area to the southern portion of the Strip.

The finance minister fired off at Zamir, saying, “The army is not ready to manage the humanitarian aid, you’ve failed miserably on this issue.”

Zamir responded, “You criticize everything…. You are weakening the reservists, weakening the fighters’ spirit. You’re against the IDF, against everything, and always say that we’re not doing [what we should].”

“Your problem,” Smotrich said, “is that you don’t know how to accept criticism. I praise successes but with the humanitarian issue you failed, hugely.”

At this point, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu banged his gavel on the table at said, “You’re both talking inappropriately. I ask you to calm down.”

Still, Walla sources said that Netanyahu also confronted Zamir over the slow progress in establishing new humanitarian zones.

In Thursday’s meeting, he had demanded that the IDF present him with an orderly plan on the zones upon his return from meeting U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.

Ben-Gvir repeated his oft-stated opinion that no aid at all should enter the Gaza Strip until Hamas surrenders and frees all the hostages, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.

After the long meeting, he said, “The only way to resolve the issue and safely return our hostages is through the full occupation of the Strip, a complete cessation of ‘humanitarian’ aid, and encouragement of [the Gazans’] emigration.”

According to Walla sources familiar with the meeting, Smotrich also accused Zamir of not implementing recent government orders to seize three-quarters of the Strip, as well as to evacuate all Gazans south of the Morag Corridor that lies between Khan Yunis and Rafah, to humanitarian zones fully under IDF control where aid can be distributed.

Zamir said nine days ago that the stepped-up military operation in Gaza, which began in mid-May, will reach the goal of having the IDF control 75% of Gaza “in the near future.”

Benjamin NetanyahuBezalel SmotrichEyal ZamirGaza humanitarian aidIsrael-Hamas warItamar Ben-Gvir