Israeli cabinet to meet Sunday amid opposition fears of strike on Iran

Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet Sunday amid opposition concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch a military strike on Iran to remain in power, Anadolu reports.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Thursday that the security cabinet was expected to convene for the first time since Oct. 5.

The meeting comes after reports emerged Wednesday evening that the cabinet had instructed the military to step up preparations for a possible attack on Iran and a potential military confrontation, the broadcaster said.

The reported directive came after Gadi Eisenkot, the lawmaker tasked with forming Israel’s next government, urged Netanyahu in a letter to refrain from unnecessary military operations until a new government is formed, according to KAN.

“You currently head a transitional government that no longer enjoys the confidence of the Knesset; only 46 lawmakers still support your continuation as prime minister,” Eisenkot told Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s office responded in a statement that Eisenkot’s letter was “an irresponsible move and an overt attempt to politicize security issues.”

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In a counterstatement, Eisenkot questioned why his request for an operational briefing, as was customary, had been rejected and why the government was seeking to postpone a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee until next week.

“I will not allow a vacuum in oversight of a government that has lost the confidence of the Knesset,” he said.

Opposition circles in Israel fear Netanyahu could launch a military strike on Iran to place the country under a state of emergency, potentially paving the way for a unity government involving both Netanyahu and Eisenkot. The latter opposes such an arrangement.

The concerns were reinforced by Netanyahu’s remarks to reporters in the Knesset on Wednesday that “forming a unity government is possible, because the people know how to unite in times of hardship.”

Netanyahu heads a caretaker government, and Israeli law does not impose specific restrictions on such a government launching military attacks. However, any such action would require approval from the security cabinet, which is headed by Netanyahu and includes ministers from his government.

Since June 2025, Israel has waged two wars against Iran, which responded by attacking Israel with ballistic missiles and drones.

Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear and missile programs that threaten Israel and US-allied countries in the region. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons or threaten other countries.

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