At a time we do not know, the Chief of Staff contacted the Prime Minister (we do not know if this is during the time of Herzi Halevi or during the time of Aviv Kochavi, and therefore we do not know who was the Prime Minister at the time); the Chief of Staff quoted to the Prime Minister a military analysis by the Operations Division, according to which 18 battalions are required To secure the fence and the settlements on the Gaza border. In accordance with this analysis by AGM, the Chief of Staff demanded from the Prime Minister that the Israeli government provide the IDF with a special budget for the mobilization of 18 battalions for the security of the surrounding area and the settlements. We know that it was Prime Minister Netanyahu who responded to the Chief of Staff's request, apparently after Major General Herzi Halevi had already assumed his post and requested an update from Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the handling of the IDF's request. Prime Minister Netanyahu replied to Major General Herzi Halevi that the Intelligence Division (AMN) told him that a broad attack on the Gaza border is not expected, and at most there will be an attempt by a handful of terrorists to infiltrate Israel, and that does not require a large force. Binyamin Netanyahu rejected the Chief of Staff's demand and informed Major General Herzi Halevi that, following the words of the defense minister, the government will not approve a budget for the 18 battalions required by the IDF.
Why did the Prime Minister agree to split the dialogue with the IDF between the Operations Division and the Intelligence Division?
Why does the Intelligence Division have independent communication with the Prime Minister, over the head of Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi?
Did the Prime Minister conduct the IDF in accordance with his well-known political behavior patterns – "divide and rule" – and separate the Operations Division from the Intelligence Division?
Who was the Prime Minister who received from the Chief of Staff the original demand of the Operations Division?
These and other questions will have to be answered by the State Commission of Inquiry, if the Israeli government fails to thwart its establishment.
On the morning of the attack, a conversation took place between Chief of Staff Halevi and Prime Minister Netanyahu. At the heart of this conversation was the shared concern that this was a simultaneous attack from the south and the north. The two apparently decided by agreement that forces should not be immediately sent to the south, so that if Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards attacked in the north, the IDF could thwart the attack. This is the reason why concentrated IDF forces were not sent to the south for many hours, and remained on alert in the central region in case The government and the Chief of Staff will order them to go north. We do not know if any part of these forces even received an order to go up immediately after the said conversation to the north, or if the entire force, including aircraft that did not participate in the "silence" – waited for the order that would come after the lengthy discussions that took place that morning in Kriya.