Amid Prospects of Renewed War: Hot Security Meeting Between Netanyahu and Eisenkot

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and head of the "Yesh Atid" party, Gadi Eisenkot, announced in a joint statement that they will meet today, Thursday, to discuss the latest political and security developments and the prospects of renewed war with Iran.

The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Office, will include Netanyahu's military secretary, Major General Guy Marchisano. It follows Eisenkot's contact yesterday with Government Legal Advisor Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding her intervention to ensure he receives regular and periodic security briefings, given his role as the designated formateur of the government and the absence of an official opposition leader under the law.

According to the Hebrew site "Walla," the meeting will be overshadowed by acute political and security tensions, after the United States intensified negotiations with Iran seeking additional diplomatic channels, while the Israeli defense establishment conducts internal assessments of response scenarios in case negotiations fail or Tehran takes a surprise step leading to a wide-scale conflict.

The defense establishment estimates that any new round may include targeting American interests and bases, including those in Israel where thousands of US troops are stationed. Therefore, emphasis is placed on Tel Aviv's readiness for all possibilities, including a potential preemptive strike, which will be discussed in the Netanyahu-Eisenkot meeting.

A series of talks between the political leadership and heads of the defense establishment regarding these issues were held yesterday, Wednesday, sparking a political storm amid fears that Netanyahu might accelerate decisions related to Iran that could affect the domestic situation.

Head of the "Israel Beiteinu" party, Avigdor Lieberman, warned Netanyahu against making security decisions that could drag Israel into war without parliamentary oversight and without full consent from all security officials, emphasizing that a transitional government lacks sufficient mandate for such steps.

According to "Walla," despite President Isaac Herzog tasking Eisenkot with forming the next government, Netanyahu retains prime ministerial powers as the head of the caretaker government, including supervision of the security establishment and management of Israeli policy towards Iran.

This overlap between the political transition phase and continued executive powers places the decision to resume attacks on Iran within a circle of legal and political complexities, especially since any large-scale military move may transcend the repercussions of a bilateral confrontation and open the door to a new regional escalation.