A stormy debate erupted during Sunday night’s security cabinet meeting over the Trump administration’s ultimatum to Israel to reopen the Rafah Crossing. 

No vote was held on the issue, as the ministers were informed that Israel had already accepted the plan. Despite the strong opposition of the ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Israel’s compliance with the plan at the conclusion of the meeting, saying that the crossing will be opened after the completion of Operation Brave Heart to locate and recover the body of the last fallen hostage, Ran Gvili, H’yd.

According to the statement, the return of the body is not a prerequisite for the opening of the crossing, but rather the crossing will be reopened after all efforts to recover the body have been exhausted.

Several ministers sharply opposed any move that could shift control of Gaza to Palestinian entities. Minister Orit Strock cautioned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: “We cannot bring the Palestinian Authority into Gaza. What looks like a duck and quacks like a duck—is a duck.”

“We are handing Gaza to the Palestinian Authority at the cost of our children’s blood,” Strock cried out. “This cabinet will eventually send our soldiers to fight Hamas because no one else will do it—and what will we tell them then?!”

Minister Avi Dichter echoed her concerns with his own animal parable: “Years ago, they wanted to open a safari in Gaza but lacked a zebra. So they painted stripes on a white donkey. When winter came, the paint washed off—and they realized it wasn’t a zebra.”

“What looks like a donkey is a donkey,” he concluded.

Minister Betzalel Smotrich warned, “If we don’t maintain military rule over Gaza, we’ll end up with a Palestinian state.” Minister Miri Regev backed him: “Exactly. We need to ensure that Gaza is ruled by neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.”

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed opening the crossing altogether: “We achieved major successes, including killing tens of thousands of terrorists, but Hamas has not yet been fully destroyed, and we must dismantle and demilitarize it—enough with the naivety of Kushner and Witkoff!” Opening the Rafah Crossing now would be a grave mistake and send a very dangerous message.”

The cabinet also addressed a separate sensitive issue involving suspected espionage within the IDF’s Southern Command. Minister Regev pressed Shin Bet chief David Zini for answers. Zini responded briefly: “It did not occur on my watch. I’ll examine the matter and report back with answers at the next meeting.” 

 (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)