Netanyahu Clashes With Eyal Zamir Over Iran-Linked Operation Ahead Of Israel Election

Clash Over Iran Operation

Benjamin Netanyahu and Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir clashed over a proposed Iran-linked military operation ahead of Israel’s election, Channel 12 reported, with Zamir seeking a detailed discussion and signed legal authorization before carrying out instructions. Netanyahu denied any dispute with Zamir in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, saying, “There is no confrontation,” and he also told viewers he had instructed the Mossad intelligence agency and the military to work toward toppling Iran’s government.

Directive dispute claim3 of 11 outlets reported it · not in DW and 7 more▾

A security official warned that the operation could rapidly escalate into a confrontation with Iran and lead to a miscalculation at a particularly sensitive time, while Channel 12 said it did not disclose the nature of the operation. Netanyahu also posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv alongside a warning about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, and opposition party leaders Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan accused him of spreading fear and panic before the vote.

Reporting for this sectionAnadolu Ajansı

Warnings and Denials

Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and its allies against disrupting Tuesday’s elections, threatening “disproportionate blows,” and he said, “We have intelligence signs that our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections.”

Election warning5 of 12 outlets reported it · not in France 24 and 6 more▾

Netanyahu dismissed Channel 12’s report of a confrontation with Eyal Zamir as “nothing but rubbish,” while opposition leader Yair Lapid accused him of seeking to put off the vote.

Zamir clash denied4 of 12 outlets reported it · not in DW and 7 more▾

Netanyahu also reiterated the threat in a video recorded at one of the batteries of the Arrow long-range anti-missile system, saying, “Do not test us. You will receive disproportionate blows, much stronger than you imagine.”

The DW account said Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Israeli army raised its state of alert ahead of the parliamentary elections, with tens of thousands of soldiers deployed across the country, and it said the army reinforced its air defenses.

Reporting for this sectionCNBC TV18Clarin

Hebron Offensive and Stakes

Israeli forces demolished a dwelling and five commercial and industrial facilities in Hebron on the third day of a military operation launched in the city after the death of two Israeli soldiers, according to the local government. The municipality said it had increased to 2,674 the number of Palestinians displaced from their homes by the Israeli Army, and it said that among the displaced were 180 children under two years old and 115 pregnant or nursing women.

The Israeli Army announced the operation would last several days and said it was carrying out “thorough, precise, and targeted searches” to “locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructures and weapons,” while Wafa said Israeli troops kept the entrances to Hebron closed and Palestinians could only exit on foot through three designated points after undergoing questioning. France 24 said Netanyahu’s election campaign also included a proposal to rely on cryptocurrencies to bypass possible international sanctions, and it quoted Netanyahu warning, “There could be sanctions, even sanctions on banks, so it is necessary to create a parallel economy,” as rivals including Gadi Eisenkot called the initiative a “crazy idea.”

Reporting for this sectionLa Voz de GaliciaFrance 24