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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged on Tuesday that there are signs that "Israel's enemies" will try to attack ahead of the Oct. 27 election, prompting opposition leaders to demand an urgent security briefing.
Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival and leader of the Yashar party, said that if the warning is accurate, opposition leader Yair Lapid "must be briefed immediately" to ensure it is "a genuine threat and not a political maneuver intended to influence the election."
Opposition leaders have accused Netanyahu of seeking to create a security crisis to disrupt the election.
Three weeks ago, he told his Cabinet that Iran was not attacking Israel "and it knows why."
Speaking at the Tel Nof Air Base, Netanyahu said: "There are signs that ahead of the elections our enemies will try to attack us."
"From here, from the Air Force base, from the long arm of the State of Israel, I am giving you a message: Don't mess with us, not now and not ever; our long arm will reach you anywhere and at any time," he said.
Netanyahu said Israel's military had killed more than 100 Hamas members in Gaza in recent weeks, including Izz al-Din al-Baik, commander of Hamas' northern brigade, in a strike Monday night.
Several Palestinians, including children, were wounded in the strike in Gaza City.
"Israel's security must not be mixed with the election campaign under any circumstances, not even the appearance of doing so," Eisenkot said in a statement on X.
Lapid contacted Netanyahu's office demanding an urgent security briefing to determine whether the threats are real and, if so, how Netanyahu is preparing to ensure the election proceeds normally.
"When there are elections, suddenly he takes warnings seriously," Lapid said.
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli media outlet Ynet that he believes Netanyahu might start a war for political reasons to disrupt the election.
Asked whether the prime minister was capable of doing so, he said: "Absolutely."
Democrats leader Yair Golan told Ynet that Netanyahu "is interested in creating a security crisis because of political interests," which he said could serve as a pretext to delay or disrupt the vote.
At a Cabinet meeting about three weeks ago, Netanyahu said: "Israel is stronger than ever, our enemies are weaker than ever."
"They are not attacking us. Iran is refraining from it, and it knows why," he said at the time.
According to the latest opinion polls published in Israel, the number of seats held by Netanyahu's Likud party in parliament has gradually decreased ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
According to a Maariv poll published on Sept. 25, Likud was projected to win 20 seats in a poll conducted on Sept. 8, 19 seats in a poll conducted on Sept. 11, but the latest poll shows it holding only 18 seats.
According to the poll, Netanyahu's bloc has fallen to 49 seats in parliament, while the opposition has increased its number of seats to 55.
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