IDF Brass Rejects 'Turning Guns' Talk, Cites No Intelligence Threat

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are pushing back against discussions of a scenario involving "turning guns" in the West Bank, with top military officials stating there is no intelligence to support such a threat. Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that "there is no intelligence information warning of turning guns in the West Bank," according to Channel 13 News. Major General Avi Blott, commander of the Central Command, also addressed the scenario, warning that "the discourse on turning guns is inflammatory."

The IDF leadership's stance comes after Netanyahu and Katz announced earlier this month, following a stabbing attack in Samaria that left a 19-year-old seriously injured, that they had "instructed the IDF to launch an all-out war against the Palestinian Authority." This announcement drew criticism from senior IDF officials, with one senior officer calling the minister's statement "dangerous and could fuel the flames in the territories." The officer added that the statement was unnecessary, as the "turning guns" scenario has been practiced since the end of the Second Intifada.

Meanwhile, Ynet reported on another security assessment presented by Kochavi to the political leadership. During a visit to the Gaza Division earlier this month, the Chief of Staff told Netanyahu and Katz that "Hamas has been defeated" and that the terrorist organization "has been overcome." Kochavi explained his assessment, stating, "It is not firing, we are eliminating its warehouses, we are eliminating its senior officials and those who carried out October 7th. It is not responding, and therefore one can say that Hamas has been defeated."