Israel’s political and security landscape is facing a rare moment of simultaneous turbulence, as media reports highlight widening rifts within the governing establishment and an increasingly strained military apparatus, developments unfolding shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Following Trump’s message to Herzog requesting clemency for the embattled prime minister, who remains entangled in an ongoing criminal trial, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that Netanyahu’s office privately instructed Likud lawmakers and cabinet ministers to issue public statements demanding that Herzog grant the pardon.
Yet Israel Hayom, citing sources close to the president, reported that no discussions are underway about circumventing the conventional legal standards for granting a pardon. Under Israeli law, a pardon typically requires a formal request, an acknowledgment of guilt, and can only be considered after legal proceedings conclude with a conviction.
Parallel to the political sparring, reports suggest growing unrest within the Israeli military.
According to Maariv, the army is experiencing a “severe crisis” after thousands of permanent-service officers and soldiers requested early discharge due to exhaustion linked to the Gaza war and deteriorating service conditions.
Channel 12 added that the requests span multiple branches and include officers from captain to lieutenant colonel, ranks considered essential to the IDF’s future leadership structure.
The pressure has intensified amid another unexpected development: Mossad Chief David Barnea has reportedly asked to end his tenure in June, completing five years in office with no extension planned.
The internal strains are emerging just as Israeli media circulates reports about a potential alternative plan for Gaza, should Trump’s primary proposal falter.
Israel Hayom reported that Washington and Tel Aviv are jointly considering this fallback scenario. Meanwhile, Channel 12, quoting an informed source, said mediator pressure on Hamas has lessened after the return of the body of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin, describing the development as a breach of existing understandings.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the U.S. administration believes Goldin’s repatriation could give Netanyahu “greater political and public maneuvering room” to approve the American initiative.
In a parallel thread, Israel Hayom cited reports that the U.S. may provide support to certain Gaza militias to maintain order in designated humanitarian zones.
Channel 13, however, reported that Israel is examining a proposal to evacuate several Hamas fighters trapped in Rafah to Turkey. The same report noted ongoing communication between Israeli security officials in Kiryat Gat and tribal or militia leaders inside Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid distribution and stabilize emerging zones.
Despite the coordination on Gaza, frictions persist.
Haaretz revealed that Israeli authorities barred a team of American doctors from entering the West Bank, where they intended to treat Palestinian patients.
The decision coincided with a large-scale IDF exercise in the territory involving the Judea and Samaria Division and the newly established 96th “Giladi” Division, tasked with securing the Jordanian border.
Political pressure intensified inside the Knesset, where opposition lawmakers demanded answers regarding the government’s failures during the October 7, 2023, attack.
Netanyahu sidestepped calls for an official commission of inquiry, repeating familiar talking points about his government’s achievements and what he described as the United Nations’ bias against Israel. He insisted that the Gaza campaign “is not yet over.”
Media outlets reported the emergence of a classified security document suggesting that three months before the attack, Netanyahu ignored a recommendation from the Shin Bet chief to launch a pre-emptive strike against Hamas.
When pressed about forming an investigative committee, Netanyahu argued it must be established “with full consensus,” a remark commentators interpreted as a signal that such a committee may never materialize.
Lieberman Launches Stinging Rebuke
Amid the mounting criticism, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Israel Beiteinu party, delivered one of the sharpest attacks, accusing Netanyahu of evading responsibility. “I hear a lot from your circle about the ‘deep state’,” Lieberman said mockingly. “Is this a deep state, or a deep fraud?”
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