Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Thursday that he repeatedly considered conquering the Gaza Strip in the years leading up to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, only to be blocked time and again by Israel’s security establishment, which warned the move would trigger a long, costly war with little international backing and no viable alternative government to replace Hamas.
In newly released responses to State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, Netanyahu lays out a sweeping account of internal cabinet and security debates stretching back nearly a decade. The documents paint a portrait of a prime minister who says he consistently pushed for aggressive action against Hamas, and a defense establishment that repeatedly urged restraint.
The material, curated by Netanyahu’s office, includes selected transcripts and quotes showing him advocating for the assassination of Hamas leaders and, at times, for a full military takeover of Gaza. Again and again, senior military and intelligence officials are shown warning that such moves would backfire.
One of the most striking excerpts comes from a July 2014 cabinet meeting during Operation Protective Edge. According to the protocols cited by Netanyahu, he argued that demilitarizing Gaza would require full military conquest.
At the meeting, then-economy minister Naftali Bennett rejected that approach, saying, “I never talked about ‘conquering Gaza.’” Netanyahu responded that conquest was the only viable option.
The exchange carries political weight today. Bennett is now Netanyahu’s leading rival ahead of national elections, and critics say the prime minister has a clear incentive to portray him as having opposed decisive action against Hamas.
Netanyahu’s submission also highlights opposition from figures who later became some of his harshest critics.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz is quoted calling the idea of conquering Gaza “a strategic mistake.” Then-deputy chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot reportedly warned it would be “a severe mistake.”
Former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon and former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman are also cited as opposing a ground invasion.
“I am not recommending conquering or a ground invasion,” Liberman said at the time, according to the records.
A recurring theme in Netanyahu’s account is his long-running push to assassinate Hamas leaders — particularly Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif — and the resistance he faced from security officials.
In a 2016 discussion, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman reportedly told Netanyahu that killing Sinwar and Deif would not cause Hamas to collapse.
During the same debate, Eisenkot dismissed concerns that Israeli intelligence might miss a major Hamas attack, arguing that the group’s main surprise capability lay in cross-border tunnels.
Netanyahu again pushed for assassinations after the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls. But then-IDF chief Aviv Kochavi strongly opposed the strategy, according to the documents.
Meetings in 2023, just months before the Oct. 7 attack, show Netanyahu once more raising the idea of killing Hamas leadership, and once more being rebuffed by the IDF and Shin Bet.
The records also include a 2022 Shin Bet document that favored easing economic pressure on Gaza rather than trying to dismantle Hamas, suggesting that parts of the security establishment viewed containment as preferable to confrontation.
Taken together, the material reinforces Netanyahu’s claim that Israel’s top defense officials consistently warned that eliminating Hamas or conquering Gaza would lead to chaos, international backlash, and prolonged occupation.
Netanyahu has faced intense criticism since Oct. 7 for failing to prevent the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. His critics argue that years of cautious policy and reliance on deterrence allowed Hamas to grow stronger.
By releasing these documents, Netanyahu appears to be building a defense: that he pushed for tougher measures, but was restrained by professional advice and political realities.
Supporters say the material shows he was more hawkish than his rivals. Opponents counter that the selective quotes are designed to deflect blame and rewrite history.
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One Response
It’s never Bibi’s fault. Everyone else is to blame. Only Bibi will guarantee that Never Again TM will Jews be slaughtered like sheep. Yada yada blah blah blah…
פני הדור כפני הכלב ואין לנו על מי להישען אלא על אבינו שבשמים