Tomorrow, the cabinet appears likely to vote to expand IDF operations in Gaza, even if it places the hostages at greater risk. While on paper, it’s the cabinet that will make the decision, public opinion is set to play a large role in the vote.
While Israelis are well aware that military operations in the strip aren’t without dangers to the hostages (IDF troops accidentally shot and killed three hostages in December 2023), actively moving into areas in which hostages are being held carries another level of risk.
Unsurprisingly, there’s currently a division between those in favor of such an expansion, those who want to exhaust all the possibilities for reaching a deal, and those who are currently undecided.
And so, the question for Benjamin Netanyahu is not simply whether the move is smart militarily, but how much support it will receive from ordinary Israelis, who are already reeling from the new propaganda videos of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski.