Bereaved Families Urge Israeli Cabinet to Keep Security Solely Under Israeli Control

Following the decision to allow international forces into the Gaza Strip, bereaved families from Israel's Gaza envelope and southern communities, who lost loved ones in the recent war, have sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet. The families, members of the Valor Forum, warned that this move risks returning Israel to failed security concepts and called on the government to maintain full Israeli security control. They emphasized that Israel’s security responsibility must remain exclusively with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the State of Israel, rejecting any transfer of security duties to foreign entities.

The letter highlighted the painful lessons of the October 7 attacks, stating that civilian security cannot be entrusted to any foreign force or mechanism. They argued that where the IDF lacks full control, enemies gain strength and harm Israeli civilians, a mistake that cost many lives. The families also expressed concern about Hamas’s ongoing military and political strengthening, warning against political moves that could grant Hamas space or achievements, which would undermine the war’s goals of dismantling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

Concluding their letter, the families urged the Prime Minister and Security Cabinet ministers to honor their wartime commitments to keep security responsibility from the sea to the Jordan River solely in Israeli hands. They stressed that this commitment is crucial to ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens and preventing a repeat of the October 7 disaster. The families called on the government not to revert to failed security policies or entrust Israel’s security to foreign forces, underscoring their duty to the fallen and future generations to keep Israel’s security firmly Israeli.