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Akbar Novruz

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Hamas could attempt an attack ahead of Israel's October 27 parliamentary election in an effort to influence the vote, saying Israeli forces are prepared for such a scenario.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, on the eve of the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

“Because Hamas is so weak, it will try to challenge us with the remnants of its forces ahead of the election in an attempt to influence it,” Netanyahu said.

“We are prepared for this. First and foremost, we will thwart such attempts, and in any event, we will respond with overwhelming force if they make that mistake,” he added.

Netanyahu argued that Israel had dramatically weakened Hamas and other adversaries during the conflicts that followed the October 7 attack.

He also warned Israel's adversaries against attempting to exploit the election period, pointing to Israeli military operations across what he has described as a multi-front regional war.

The warning comes as Israeli security officials assess the possibility of Hamas attempting an attack or localized kidnapping operation close to the election.

According to Israeli media reports, Shin Bet chief David Zini told ministers that Hamas could seek to carry out an attack or kidnapping around election day or shortly afterwards. Officials have also reported indications that Hamas has been recruiting personnel and replenishing weapons, although its capabilities remain significantly reduced compared with the period before October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu had issued a broader warning a week earlier, saying Israel had “indications” that its enemies could attempt an attack ahead of the election.

That statement immediately became politically contentious.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid requested a security briefing following Netanyahu's remarks and subsequently said there was “no reason to put the public in a panic.”

Other opposition politicians questioned whether Netanyahu was using security concerns as part of the election campaign and demanded that any intelligence concerning a potential attack be shared with the relevant political and electoral authorities.

Netanyahu's office said warnings concerning possible attacks on several fronts ahead of the election had been presented to Lapid during the briefing.

The latest warning comes as Israel marks three years since the October 7 attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

The attack triggered Israel's military campaign in Gaza and a broader series of regional conflicts. More than 74,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to health authorities in the territory, while fighting has expanded beyond Gaza to involve Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran.

The October 27 election will be Israel's first national vote since the October 7 attack.