Israel Seeks U.S. 'Operational Freedom' Against Iran as Gaza Ceasefire Collapses in Real Time
"I succeeded in preventing nuclear wars from breaking out in the world between Pakistan and India, between Iran and Israel, and between Russia and Ukraine," President Trump declared this week, according to Liveuamap. Within 48 hours of that claim, Israel formally requested operational freedom from the United States to carry out unilateral military action against Iran, Liveuamap reported. The request arrived as 18 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn on February 7, 2026, during what both parties continue to call a ceasefire.
The gap between diplomatic rhetoric and operational reality has rarely been this stark. Israeli officials are pressing not only on halting Iran's nuclear program but on stopping its ballistic missile production entirely, Liveuamap reported. Iran, meanwhile, told mediators it is ready to discuss the nuclear issue and willing to consider compromises, per Liveuamap. Tehran has even indicated willingness to discuss ballistic missiles and proxies after nuclear issue resolution, according to Liveuamap. Yet the request for "operational freedom" suggests Israel is preparing for a scenario where diplomacy fails, or perhaps ensuring it does.
What 'Operational Freedom' Actually Means
The Israeli request to Washington represents a fundamental shift in how military decisions against Iran would be made. Currently, major Israeli strikes require coordination with the United States, a system that gives Washington leverage over escalation decisions and, crucially, makes America a partner in any consequences. Operational freedom would transform that relationship: Israel could strike Iranian nuclear or missile sites and notify Washington afterward rather than seek approval beforehand. The request comes as Iran believes any nuclear achievement will probably cause President Trump to give a "red light" regarding an Israeli strike, Liveuamap reported. Tehran's calculation appears to be that progress on nuclear talks would remove the political cover Israel needs for military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi offered a pointed interpretation of what such freedom would enable. An expansionist project is pursued in the region under the banner of security, Araghchi stated, according to Liveuamap. The framing captures how the same military actions can be described as defensive necessity by one party and regional aggression by another. Iran believes achievement on the nuclear issue will cause Trump to halt the war idea entirely, Liveuamap reported, suggesting Tehran sees diplomatic progress as its primary shield against Israeli strikes.
The Ceasefire That Isn't
While diplomats debate Iran's nuclear future, the present reality in Gaza contradicts the language of peace. Hamas condemned Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as disruption to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Liveuamap reported. The condemnation arrived alongside a body count: 12 dead from gunfire, including 9 in the Al-Tuffah and Al-Zaytoun neighborhoods of Gaza City, according to Liveuamap. Several people were killed and others injured in an airstrike targeting tents of displaced people in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, Liveuamap reported. Tanks targeted tents of displaced people south of Khan Yunis, with injuries reported, per Liveuamap.
The Israeli military framed its operations differently. The Israeli army announced an attack on a building in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City containing alleged terrorist infrastructure, Liveuamap reported. An Israeli airstrike targeted a building in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood after an evacuation warning, according to Liveuamap. Israel bombed a three-story building at the Asqoula intersection in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, Liveuamap reported. The pattern reveals a fundamental ambiguity in ceasefire terms: what constitutes legitimate counterterrorism operations versus violations of a peace agreement? The question has no neutral arbiter, and both sides claim the other is acting in bad faith.
The geographic spread of operations suggests this is not isolated enforcement but systematic military activity. Aircraft launched a raid near Salah al-Din Street, north of Khan Yunis, Liveuamap reported. Warplanes launched an airstrike on western Rafah, according to Liveuamap. Israeli military targeted a building in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, per Liveuamap. A person was shot by forces near the yellow line in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, Liveuamap reported. Israeli forces shot a Gaza City resident dead, and a child succumbed to injuries in Khan Younis, according to Liveuamap. The casualties span the entire strip, from Beit Lahia in the north to Rafah in the south.
Regional Escalation Beyond Gaza
The military operations extend well beyond Gaza's borders. Israeli army announced attacking Hezbollah targets in several areas inside Lebanon, Liveuamap reported. Israeli aircraft launched a series of raids on the Al-Mahmoudiya area in southern Lebanon, according to Liveuamap. Two airstrikes targeted the Al-Mahmoudiya neighborhood between the districts of Jezzine and West Bekaa, per Liveuamap. Two airstrikes targeted Wadi Barghaz in the Hasbaya district, Liveuamap reported. An air raid occurred on Wadi Barghaz in southern Lebanon, and an Israeli airstrike targeted the outskirts of the Barghaz area in southern Lebanon, according to Liveuamap. Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over southern Lebanon, per Liveuamap.
The multi-front operations complicate any narrative of de-escalation. While Trump claims credit for preventing an Iran-Israel war, Israeli forces are actively engaged in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank simultaneously. Israeli forces raided towns across the West Bank, Liveuamap reported. Israeli forces raided the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, according to Liveuamap. Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian man in Silwan, per Liveuamap. The breadth of operations raises questions about what "preventing war" means when military action continues across multiple territories.
The Egypt Dimension
A revealing statement from Israeli leadership suggests the security calculus extends beyond immediate adversaries. Netanyahu stated the Egyptian Army is growing stronger and Israel must prevent excessive buildup, Liveuamap reported. The comment is striking: Egypt has maintained a peace treaty with Israel since 1979, yet Israeli leadership publicly frames Egyptian military development as a threat requiring prevention. The statement aligns with Araghchi's characterization of an expansionist project pursued under the banner of security, suggesting Israel's security concerns extend to countries not currently in conflict with it.
Separately, Maariv reported Israel will cut off water and electricity to a UNRWA branch east of Jerusalem, according to Liveuamap. The action against the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees represents another pressure point in the broader conflict, targeting humanitarian infrastructure rather than military targets. The decision comes as displaced families in Gaza face ongoing airstrikes on their tent encampments.
The Diplomatic Disconnect
Iran's diplomatic signals and Israel's military requests appear to be moving in opposite directions. Tehran told mediators it is ready to discuss the nuclear issue and willing to consider compromises, Liveuamap reported. Iran indicated willingness to discuss ballistic missiles and proxies after nuclear issue resolution, according to Liveuamap. These are significant concessions from a country that has historically refused to link its missile program to nuclear negotiations. Yet Israel's simultaneous request for operational freedom suggests skepticism that diplomacy will succeed, or perhaps a preference for military options regardless of diplomatic progress.
The timing creates a peculiar dynamic. Iran believes nuclear achievement will probably cause President Trump to give a "red light" regarding an Israeli strike, Liveuamap reported. If Tehran is correct, Israel's window for military action narrows with each diplomatic success. The request for operational freedom could be interpreted as preparation for that closing window, an attempt to secure permission before diplomatic progress makes such permission politically impossible.
What Comes Next
The decisions facing Washington in the coming days will shape the region's trajectory. Granting Israel operational freedom would fundamentally alter the U.S. role from partner to bystander in any strike against Iran. Denying it would strain the alliance at a moment when Israel is conducting multi-front operations. The choice cannot be deferred indefinitely; military planning requires clarity on authorization.
In Gaza, the ceasefire's second phase continues in name while operations continue in practice. No airstrikes targeted the town of Al-Shahabiya, contrary to circulating reports, Liveuamap noted, a rare correction that highlights how difficult it is to verify claims in real time. The families in Khan Yunis tent camps, targeted by tanks and airstrikes, made decisions based on the word "ceasefire." They discovered that word means different things to different parties, and the difference is measured in casualties. The 18 dead since dawn are not an abstraction; they are the human cost of a peace that exists in diplomatic language but not in lived reality.