Digest

On Iran, Israel's Channel 13 reported that the army told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister-designate Gadi Eisenkot that it does not see an urgent need to strike Iran now, but supports Israel joining a US military operation if President Donald Trump decides to carry it out. Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported on Thursday evening that US Central Command told representatives of the Israeli army in the United States to prepare for the possible resumption of military operations against Iran. It quoted an unnamed US official as saying that messages through security channels to Israel and Gulf states indicate the need to prepare for the possibility of renewed war with Iran soon, despite Trump saying he sees no need to resume the campaign and describing the possibility as 'very unlikely'.

This comes amid a dispute in Israel over Netanyahu's powers and parliamentary oversight, as a vote on appointing Avigdor Lieberman as chair of the temporary Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee was postponed, and Eisenkot demanded regular security briefings.

Separately, a report addressed a possible plan by Gadi Eisenkot toward Lebanon and Syria presented to the Americans, amid anticipation of the formation of the Israeli government and the possibility of removing Benjamin Netanyahu. On Lebanon, he is attributed readiness to reduce military operations while maintaining a buffer zone and linking redeployment to the withdrawal of Hezbollah's weapons; on Syria, readiness for a security agreement and withdrawal from some territories while refusing to withdraw from the Mount Hermon observation post.