Israel's Security Cabinet Set to Meet as Eisenkot Challenges Iran Strike Preparations

Israel's Security Cabinet is due to meet on Sunday after going more than a month without convening, Israeli media reported on Thursday, November 12. The planned session comes during a political transition and amid discussions about the possibility of renewed Israeli strikes against Iran.

According to the reports, the cabinet instructed the Israel Defense Forces to raise its readiness for a potential attack on Iran, although the cabinet has not met since October 5. The reported instructions involve measures that could result in military activity carrying the risk of a wider war.

Gadi Eisenkot, the Yashar chairman and Knesset member tasked by President Isaac Herzog with forming Israel's next government, has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid unnecessary military operations before a new administration is established. He also asked the attorney-general to ensure that he is given security briefings on a regular basis.

In a letter to Netanyahu, Eisenkot warned that using security forces in the absence of a direct, immediate threat requiring action that could not be delayed could severely damage Israeli democracy and public confidence in state institutions. His demand focused on military decisions taken while the formation of the next government remains pending.

Netanyahu rejected the criticism and accused Eisenkot of irresponsibly bringing sensitive security issues into public discussion. Defending the government's conduct, he said its decisions rested entirely on security considerations and had been made in full coordination with the defense establishment.

Eisenkot challenged that response by asking why Netanyahu had refused his request for an operational briefing through customary official channels. He also accused Netanyahu of trying to delay a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee until the following week. Eisenkot said he would not accept a gap in oversight of a government that, he said, had lost the Knesset's confidence.

The dispute comes as US President Donald Trump has indicated that he does not see an immediate need for further attacks on Iran. Senior Israeli security officials nevertheless told KAN that the military continues to prepare for a possible resumption of operations under instructions from the political leadership.

Those officials warned that leaving the situation unresolved carries its own risks. They said that the longer there is neither military action nor an agreement, the greater the danger that gains previously achieved against Iran will diminish.