Report: Netanyahu sought to strike Gaza before today’s attack on IDF troops, but US objected

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially hesitated to authorize a military response in Gaza today over Hamas’s ceasefire violations due to resistance from the US, but chose to do so after the attack on troops in Rafah, Channel 12 reports, citing Israeli and American officials.

Discussions took place between the Prime Minister’s Office and the White House throughout the day over how to respond to Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of deceased hostages still held in Gaza, according to the report.

Hours before the Rafah attack, Netanyahu had been seeking a green light from US President Donald Trump for a military response to Hamas, but had not received one before the incident occurred, the report continues.

Earlier in the day, Israel shared with Washington and the CIA the IDF-released drone video showing Hamas terror operatives staging the recovery of a hostage’s body returned the previous night, arguing it constituted a ceasefire violation.

Senior Trump administration officials, however, told their Israeli counterparts they did not view the footage as a clear breach and urged Israel not to take “radical measures” that could risk collapsing the truce, according to the report. Instead, they suggested issuing a tougher ultimatum to Hamas to return the bodies within 72 hours, after which Israel would receive a US green light to act or to expand the IDF’s “Yellow Line” of control inside Gaza.

In his initial meeting with defense officials today, no response was approved by Netanyahu, and he emphasized that Israel should engage with Washington before proceeding.

Following the Rafah attack, however, Netanyahu held a smaller security cabinet session, during which he decided to renew airstrikes in Gaza and advance plans to expand the yellow line — moves which are now at the center of ongoing talks with the Trump administration on how far Israel should go, according to Channel 12.