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Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could intensify attacks on Lebanon in a way that could lead to a broader war with Iran if he concludes he will lose Israel's next general election.
Speaking to Israel's Channel 12, Barak argued that Netanyahu could use military tensions with Lebanon and Iran for political gain during the election process.
Israel's next general election is scheduled for October 2026.
Barak said Netanyahu could activate different scenarios if he realizes that he cannot win the election.
"If Netanyahu understands a few days before the election that he is going to lose, it is likely that he will order strikes on targets in Nabatieh," Barak said, referring to a city in southern Lebanon.
Barak said Hezbollah could respond with drone attacks on Israel, after which the Israeli army could target the Dahiyeh area in southern Beirut.
"In this way, the clashes would not remain limited to Hezbollah and would turn into a war with Iran," Barak said.
Barak also claimed Netanyahu could take steps aimed at disrupting the election process if he believes he will lose.
"The moment Netanyahu realizes he will lose, he will not hesitate to take extremely dangerous steps to sabotage the elections," Barak said.
"We may witness provocative raid attempts targeting vote-counting centers on election day," he added.
Israel Beytenu Party leader Avigdor Liberman issued similar warnings on May 14, drawing attention to the possibility that Netanyahu could take a military step for electoral purposes.
Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel also wrote in an April 24 assessment that Netanyahu's government was seeking to launch a new attack on Gaza in line with election calculations.
Harel said some officials in the government were waiting for Hamas to make "a major mistake" by firing rockets at Israel.
Barak's remarks add to warnings by Israeli political and media figures that military escalation could become part of the election process as Netanyahu faces the next general vote.
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