Ex-IDF chief says Netanyahu 'knows he is responsible' for Oct. 7, has broken Israel’s security principles and 'will lose,' casting himself as the prime minister’s main challengerSince launching his independent Yashar party, former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has experienced both highs and lows. Now, with favorable polls positioning him as one of the leading challengers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition less than six months before the next election, Eisenkot says he sees reasons for cautious optimism — at least electorally.In an interview with “120 and One,” ynet’s Hebrew-language political podcast, Eisenkot spoke about what he described as a strategic and security failure that has led Israel to its current position, as well as what he called a "odious" campaign directed at him by Netanyahu's camp.7 View gallery Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Yarov Katz)Eisenkot viewed this week's 24-hour confrontation with Iran in bleak terms. "The link that now exists between Iran and Hezbollah — where Beirut is treated the same as Tehran — is something very serious that has never existed before," he said. "It's something I never imagined. We failed to capitalize on our military achievements and woke up to a security reality that must not be allowed. Even the fact that Israel needs approval from Washington in order to carry out a strike in Lebanon is inconceivable."That's the price we pay for the extraordinary assistance we received. There are no free lunches.