The president told Israel of his decision earlier in April, according to the report, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Washington visit.

US President Donald Trump blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites in favor of negotiating a deal with Iran to limit its nuclear program, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing administration officials and others with information on the matter.

Trump’s decision came after discussions on whether to provide support to the Jewish state or follow a diplomatic course, with some in Washington favoring a more hawkish approach. In contrast, others were dubious that a strike could destroy the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities.

However, an agreement was ultimately obtained, deciding against military action as Iran consented to talks.
The president told Israel of his decision earlier in April, according to the report, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Washington visit.

Israel had made plans, according to the report, to attack Iranian nuclear sites next month, with the IDF prepared to carry them out with US endorsement.

This endorsement would be key to the success of Israel’s plan which would require US help, rendering Israel’s ally a key agent in the attack.

What was Israel’s alleged plan?

The NYT report said that multiple officials briefed on Israel’s plans and confidential discussions inside the Trump administration who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that Israel long planned to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, including “rehearsing bombing runs and calculating how much damage it could do with or without American help.”

This was escalated as support within the Israeli cabinet for a strike grew after Iran suffered a “string of setbacks” in 2024 such as the April 14 ballistic missile attack on Israel when most of their missiles were unable to penetrate American and Israeli defenses, as well as the attacks on Hezbollah, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule over Syria cutting off a prime weapons smuggling route for Iran, the destruction of air defense systems in Iran and Syria, and that of facilities that Iran uses to make fuel for its ballistic missiles.

Senior Israeli officials reportedly updated American counterparts of a plan that would have combined a commando raid on underground nuclear sites with a bombing campaign, with Israel hoping that American aircraft would aid in the bombing.

However, Israeli military officials stated that the commando operation would not be carried out until October, with Netanyahu needing it carried out more quickly, NYT added.

Due to this, Israeli officials began shifting their proposal to an extended bombing campaign that would have required increased US assistance, according to officials briefed on the plan cited by the NYT.

The report mentioned the US officials more inclined to Israel’s plans to attack as US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s Commanding Officer Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, and Mike Waltz, the White House’s National Security Adviser.

The US relocated six B-2 bombers, capable of carrying 30,000-pound bombs which are essential to destroying Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, to Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, with the administration considering moving additional fighter aircraft to the Middle East, potentially to the US Air Force base in Israel, the report added.

Earlier in April, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard presented a new intelligence assessment that a buildup of American weaponry in the Middle East could “potentially spark a wider conflict with Iran that the US did not want.”

Doubts were also echoed by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others, the NYT added.
Reuters contributed to this report.

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said such orders were in stark contrast with the female soldiers’ protection report published in November 2022.

A worrying 38% of female prison guards say they’ve been sexually assaulted by Palestinian security prisoners, a report of Israel Prison Service’s operations published in November 2022 revealed.

As such, Israel’s State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, criticized on Tuesday the IDF for reportedly ordering female Cadets in Officers’ Course to guard Nukhba terrorists.

Englman said such orders were in stark contrast with the 2022 female soldiers’ protection report.

Engleman: ‘The writing is on the wall’

“It is not possible to accept the fact that after the State of Israel was hurt in the past by imprisoned terrorists who sexually harassed female prison guards, female cadets in the IDF will be tasked with guarding terrorists who were complicit in sexual crimes on October 7.

“If we add recent evidence that the hostages experienced sexual harassment – the writing is on the wall,” Engelman added.
The comptroller also called on the Defense Minister and Chief of Staff to forgo the decision and avoid unnecessary risk to female soldiers.

In 2021, following renewed complaints, the police reopened its investigation into the Gilboa prison affair regarding events that occured in 2014-2017 in which Gilboa prison wardens stated they had been pimped out by an intelligence officer to Fatah prisoner Muhammad Atallah.

In 2023, State Attorney Amit Aisman submitted an indictment pending a hearing for former Gilboa Prison commander Bassem Kashkosh and former intelligence officer Rani Basha for failing duties and breach of trust.

An official Hamas document recovered by IDF soldiers proves that many Gazan casualties are the direct result of failed rocket launches by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

IDF spokesperson in Arabic exposed close cooperation between terror groups in concealing information and choosing launch areas far from houses of Hamas leadership, not Gazan citizens.

Avichai Adraee, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic, revealed on Saturday an official Hamas document recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, which openly refers to Gazan casualties as a result of failed rocket launches, hiding this information from their constituency and blaming the deaths on Israel instead.

The revealed documents date back to 2020 and Operation Breaking Dawn (2022), and they were issued by Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades and signed by high-ranking members of the militia. The findings showcase Hamas attempting to persuade members of other militias in the Gaza Strip, namely the al-Quds Brigades belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), to take responsibility for the disastrous outcomes of failed rocket launches (referred to euphemistically as ‘local rockets’). The PIJ responded by requesting to conceal these failed launches and their repercussions to “support the image of the resistance.”

Another document showed a recommendation by Hamas to deny PIJ launching rockets specifically in the vicinity of houses belonging to the Hamas leadership fearing repetition of such events, yet no mention of preventing firing rockets near other Gazan residents’ houses was mentioned.

Lastly, Hamas reports were exposed featuring names of Gazan casualties as a result of failed launches, which were then recycled by Hamas in their outward reports of casualties, alleging they stemmed from Israeli airstrikes. In other words, Hamas counted casualties from PIJ failed rockets as casualties from Israeli attacks, proving yet again the lack of accuracy of their propaganda reporting.

These documents attest to the extent of Hamas’s control over and coordination with other militias in the Gaza Strip, dismissing the perception of some thought to be “unruly factions” acting from Gaza against Israel “on their own will,” and proving yet again that Hamas was, in fact, in control of these factions.

‘11% of launches towards Israel since October 7 fell inside Gaza’

“These documents clearly show that terrorist organizations in Gaza are cooperating to hide the extent of the destruction and killing caused by failed launches that fall on the residents, while making an effort to protect Hamas terrorists, overlooking the danger to civilians,” said Adraee in his statement.

“These documents prove that the terrorist organizations in Gaza are lying and concealing failed missile launches that resulted in the deaths of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Hamas was aware of the high rate of failed launches carried out by the Islamic Jihad and the danger it poses to the homes in the vicinity of which the launches took place, and even directed it to them, demanding that they not set up launch pads in the vicinity to their members to avoid putting them in risk,” Adraee continued.

“Among other things, the names of the seven casualties appear as a result of a local rocket shell hitting near the Imad ‘Aql Mosque in Jabalia. Although Hamas reports indicated that they were killed as a result of failed launches, the report issued by the [Hamas] Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip claimed that they were killed as a result of an Israeli raid.

“The IDF seized many other documents indicating that terrorist organizations knew about the tragic consequences of the failed launches, but the method of action is clear: to hide the information and accuse Israel,” continued Adraee.

Adraee added that during the current war, high rates of failed launches carried out by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were recorded – with 11% of launches towards Israel since October 7 falling in the territory of the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, Adraee revealed a document showing Hamas was worried about PIJ’s propaganda plans on their media outlets, also fearing that the organization would steal credit for Hamas’s “resistance” efforts.

Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are designated as terror organizations by many countries in the West, both operating mainly in the Gaza Strip with a certain presence in the West Bank as well. Both groups garner support from Iran and its proxies; however, while Hamas is deeply rooted in political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, the PIJ aligns more closely with Iran’s revolutionary ideology and the “Axis of Resistance.”

Additionally, Hamas is intricately woven into Palestinian society, functioning akin to a semi-state entity, whereas PIJ operates with greater independence. Recent efforts to project solidarity between the two factions obscure underlying tensions, exemplified by Hamas’s hesitance to engage with Israel during Operation Breaking Dawn, causing discontent among PIJ members.