Israel elections 2026: Did Netanyahu clash with IDF chief over Iran attack plans?

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing resistance from military chief General Eyal Zamir over plans for a possible military operation involving Iran, according to Israeli media reports published a day before the country's election.

Citing anonymous sources, Israel's Channel 12 reported that Zamir had sought further deliberations on the proposed action and written documentation from the prime minister confirming its legal authorisation. The report did not disclose the details of the military instructions, although it has led to speculation about preparations for another attack on Iran.

A military source quoted by the channel said, “This relates to an action that could lead to a flare-up with Iran, at a sensitive and dramatic moment, creating this potential miscalculation.”

It also cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter who said military leaders feared that the political leadership could seek “to utilize the Iranian issue for political benefit”.

Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as “nonsense” in an interview with Israel's Channel 14, according to The Times of Israel.

Iran plans and election campaign

The reported disagreement emerged just a day before election in the country that is scheduled to be held on Tuesday (October 26). Opinion polls projected a close contest between Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot.

In an earlier television appearance, the prime minister said that he had instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the Mossad to work towards toppling the Iranian regime.

He has also made Iran's nuclear programme a major part of his election campaign. On Sunday (October 25), he shared an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv and warned that a vote against him could expose Israelis to the threat of a “second Holocaust”.

The post quoted right-wing activist Yuval Blumberg, who described Iran's potential acquisition of nuclear weapons as an existential danger to Israel.

“The State of Israel is in real and tangible existential danger. If the Iranians acquire nuclear weapons, nothing will ever be the same again. Everything is so trivial compared to the existential threat of Iran and the Shiite axis,” the post read.

It also argued that Israel had a limited period to complete its efforts against Iran while US President Donald Trump was in office.

“We have another two years of Trump to finish the work in Iran, and there is no telling what will come after that – whether it's Kamala Harris or some other mediocre. This is the window of time we have left to complete the necessary work to ensure our physical existence for the coming years,” the post said.

It further argued that Israel needed a prime minister who could maintain close communication with Trump to carry out the task.

Trump extends support for Netanyahu

The US president has publicly endorsed Netanyahu again on Sunday, sharing an earlier endorsement on his Truth Social and urging Israeli voters to return the prime minister to office.

He cited US military operations against Iran, including Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, while claiming that Iran had lost its navy and air force and that its military and economy were in disarray. He also referred to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and claimed that Iran's inflation rate had reached 301%.

“Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started,” Trump wrote.

The US president described Netanyahu as “an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister” and said their cooperation had helped prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Final election projections published on October 23 showed that neither Netanyahu's governing coalition nor the Opposition bloc was expected to win enough seats to form a government after Tuesday's vote.

(With ANI inputs)