Tel Aviv (TDI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports of a confrontation with Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over a proposed military operation linked to Iran, as Israel prepares for parliamentary elections on Tuesday.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday that Zamir had sought detailed consultations and formal, signed legal authorization from the political leadership before carrying out an unspecified military directive.
The broadcaster did not disclose the nature or intended target of the proposed operation. However, it cited concerns among military officials that the action could trigger a rapid confrontation with Iran and risk a dangerous miscalculation at a sensitive political moment.
According to the report, some military officials were concerned that the political leadership could use tensions with Iran for electoral advantage.
Read More: Macron Accuses Trump, Netanyahu of Exploiting France’s Unrest for Political Gain
Netanyahu rejected the reports during an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, saying there had been no confrontation with Zamir.
“There is no confrontation,” the prime minister said, dismissing the reported dispute. Political officials also rejected allegations that the Iran issue was being used for electoral purposes, Channel 12 reported.
During the same interview, Netanyahu said he had instructed Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and the military to work towards toppling Iran’s government. However, Channel 12 did not establish whether the undisclosed military directive was connected to those instructions.
Netanyahu also claimed that Iran had resumed its nuclear program and presented the election as a matter of Israel’s survival.
Earlier on Sunday, he shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv alongside a warning about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Opposition figures Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan accused him of spreading fear and panic ahead of the vote.
Read More: Netanyahu, UAE President Hold Expanded Talks with Officials from 10 Countries: Report
On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also rejected reports of a rift between the political leadership and the military, describing them as baseless and false. He said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the election, while warning that any Iranian attack would prompt a forceful response.
The reported disagreement has drawn attention to the risks of military escalation during the final stages of Israel’s election campaign. However, the details of the proposed operation remain undisclosed, and no independent confirmation has established that the reported dispute occurred as described.
