Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that there are “signs” Israel’s “enemies” will try to attack the country in the run-up to next month’s elections.
The Israeli prime minister, speaking in a video address on Tuesday during a visit to the Tel Nof Airbase, said: “There are signs that, leading up to the elections, our enemies will try to attack us.”
He then issued a warning to the unspecified “enemies”, saying: “Don’t mess with us. Our long arm will reach you anywhere, anytime.”
Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main political rival who is currently ahead of the prime minister in the latest poll, said in response: “If Netanyahu’s statements regarding the security threats are accurate, opposition leader Yair Lapid must be briefed immediately.”
He added that such a meeting is needed “to ensure that this is indeed a genuine threat and not a political manoeuvre intended to harm the election”.
Lapid, meanwhile, said on X: “When there’s an election, suddenly [Netanyahu] takes the warnings seriously.”
He added: “I recently contacted Prime Minister Netanyahu's office with a request to coordinate an urgent security update in light of his statements. I am seeking to understand whether the threats are real, and if so, how the Prime Minister is preparing this time to ensure that the elections will take place without disruptions.”
אל תתעסקו איתנו pic.twitter.com/Wbt6xMF9s8
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 29, 2026
Netanyahu’s comments come as Israel has, in recent weeks, killed more than 100 militants in Gaza affiliated with Hamas.
Shadi Abu Hatzira, involved with the terrorist group’s finances, was killed on Monday .
During his address, Netanyahu mentioned the killing also on Monday night of Izz al-Din al-Baik, the commander of Hamas’ northern brigade. According to the military, Bikh had held the position since his predecessor, Ahmed Randour, was killed in November 2023.
פניתי לפני זמן קצר ללשכת ראש הממשלה נתניהו בדרישה לתיאום עדכון בטחוני דחוף לאור דבריו. אני מבקש להבין האם האיומים הם אמיתיים, ואם כן, כיצד נערך הפעם ראש הממשלה כדי לוודא שהבחירות ייערכו ללא הפרעות
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) September 29, 2026
In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said al-Baik “was involved in terror plots against our forces and worked to recruit terror operatives for the organisation”.
The IDF also announced on Sunday they had assassinated an operative who was documented kidnapping hostage survivor Noa Argamani on October 7, Saher Nidal Latfi Saqr, who was also responsible for funnelling weapons to Hamas throughout the war. The same day, the military and Shin bet announced they had killed Muhammad Hamad Muhammad Gabain the previous week, describing him as a commander of Hamas’ military wing and involved in the captivity of multiple Israeli former hostages.
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