Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot revealed that after an Israeli F-16 was shot down over Syria in 2018, he ordered a broad strike on Syrian and Iranian targets because then-Prime Minister Netanyahu was asleep and could not be reached. Eisenkot added that when Netanyahu finally arrived three hours later, he halted further operations.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot confirmed at the Yediot Ahronot conference that he ordered a broad strike on Syrian and Iranian targets on February 10, 2018, after an Israeli F-16 was shot down over Syria. According to Eisenkot, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asleep and unreachable during the early morning hours, forcing him to give the order independently. The account, first reported by The Zioneer at 12:46 Jerusalem on Wednesday, has now been directly confirmed by Eisenkot himself, who added that when Netanyahu arrived three hours later, he halted further planned strikes before what Eisenkot described as a very important operation could be carried out.
Initial reports of the incident emerged earlier in the day from the Yediot Ahronot conference, where Eisenkot made the remarks. The story thread shows that by 12:46 Jerusalem, The Zioneer had published two updates: the first reported Eisenkot's allegation that he ordered the strike, and the second added the detail that Netanyahu halted further operations upon arrival. This development follows an earlier report by journalist Ben Caspit in Maariv, first covered by The Zioneer on August 1, 2026, which revealed that Eisenkot was unable to reach Netanyahu between 5:00 and 8:00 AM on the morning of the F-16 downing and gave the order without the prime minister's response. Eisenkot's public confirmation now places his own account directly on the record.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the ongoing public clash between Eisenkot and Netanyahu over security decision-making. In July, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of 'inventing reality' regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, and in a separate instance, challenged Netanyahu's version of events surrounding the Rafah operation. Netanyahu has himself claimed that defense officials deliberately kept him uninformed on the morning of October 7, 2023, a claim that mirrors some of the themes in Eisenkot's latest remarks regarding the chain of command and timely updates.
As of Wednesday 17:26 Jerusalem, Netanyahu's office has not issued a response to Eisenkot's specific allegations. The account remains Eisenkot's version, and no on-record rebuttal or confirmation from the prime minister or his staff has been published. The incident remains a point of contention in Israeli political discourse.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu called Trump after helicopter downing, asked him not to respond — Barak Ravid reports
- DevelopingFormer minister Gadi Eisenkot slams Netanyahu's statement as offering no real answers
- DevelopingEisenkot on Oct 7 commemoration: Netanyahu must reveal cabinet protocols, expose the truth
- DevelopingSenior official: Netanyahu did not watch Aizenkott video, not dealing with death threats against family
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