Israel has granted the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad unprecedented authority to carry out targeted killings without prior approval from the political leadership. A senior official described the directive as a dramatic departure from past practice, when operations against high-level targets required authorization from government officials.

According to the official, the change reflects the rapid pace of incoming intelligence and the need for immediate action. 'This has never happened before,' the official said, emphasizing that decisions must sometimes be made within minutes of receiving information.

Under the new framework, operations have standing pre-approval if they are deemed urgent. The objective, officials said, is to deepen operational achievements by eliminating delays that could prevent forces from acting swiftly when critical intelligence is obtained.