Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with forming Israel’s next government after the October 27 election, urged outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 11 to avoid “dangerous steps” and make security decisions responsibly, amid reports of a possible renewed Israeli attack on Iran.

Israeli television reported that Eyal Zamir had again cautioned against unspecified actions Netanyahu wanted to take against Iran, reportedly viewing them as ill-advised amid Israel’s political uncertainty and waning US appetite for war.

Eisenkot said he needed regular, comprehensive security briefings because there was no formal opposition leader and President Isaac Herzog had tasked him with forming a government; he also insisted that military action be properly discussed and approved by the cabinet and government.

According to the Times of Israel, Eisenkot asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to intervene after attempts to arrange regular briefings with Netanyahu’s staff failed.

In a public letter on X, Eisenkot warned that drawing security officials into a major conflict without clear expectations—or using security forces without a direct and immediate threat—could harm Israeli democracy and public trust in state institutions.

Netanyahu’s office said government decisions were based solely on security considerations and coordinated with the security establishment, while accusing Eisenkot of politicizing national security and discussing sensitive matters irresponsibly.

The Prime Minister’s Office separately dismissed the latest report as “biased fake news” and said it does not comment on closed security deliberations; the IDF did not comment, according to the article.

The dispute has raised concerns among Netanyahu’s opponents that a new conflict could disrupt coalition talks; Eisenkot has until December 6 to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.

Those concerns follow Netanyahu’s repeated bellicose statements toward Tehran in recent weeks and his warning that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear threat, while Iran regularly denies seeking nuclear weapons.

Earlier, unnamed sources told Israeli media that Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman pursued an unspecified operation shortly before the election, but the report was unconfirmed and said it was thwarted after an Israeli operative alerted the United States.

Israel and the United States launched an offensive against Iran on February 28, saying one aim was to eliminate what Israel describes as an existential threat from Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Trump recently called a new offensive highly unlikely if nuclear talks and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz progress, later saying the war was effectively over while warning that Iran remained a threat and must never obtain a nuclear weapon.