According to a report from The Times of Israel, citing Israel’s Channel 12 news on August 9, sources revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially agreed to a limited withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops from three zones near Rafah in Gaza — but changed his mind later that very day.
The report added that the IDF and the country’s security agencies only learned about this reversal through the media.
Channel 12, quoting insider sources, said discussions between Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir over the past week had focused on the Rafah pullout plan, which had already received three-way approval from the IDF, Netanyahu himself, and the United States.
Those consultations reportedly outlined specific withdrawal points, redeployment positions, and coordination efforts with the incoming International Stabilization Force (ISF).
On August 9, however, Netanyahu told his cabinet: “I want to make one thing clear — Israel rejects this 15-point document. The IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons, and all weapons.”
This declaration reportedly left Israel’s security establishment utterly taken aback.
One anonymous security official said, “The prime minister’s position shifted within the past day. We found out about it today (August 9) from the news. In earlier discussions, the prime minister personally approved the plan and agreed to pull troops from these specific Rafah positions.”