Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi voiced his firm opposition to a strike in Iran on Thursday, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

"There is a sense that someone will pull out a suitcase from some shelf tomorrow morning and we'll find ourselves with an Iranian atom bomb. I think we're not at that point yet," he said at conference of the Council for Peace and Security. His statements were carried by Makor Rishon.

The former chief of staff said Israel should handle the situation on three level: A secret campaign, economic sanctions and maintaining a viable military option.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that tensions mount between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres ever since the latter came out against an Israeli strike in Iran without US backing.

In closed talks, the president added that the prime minister and defense minister are behaving irresponsibly.

The prime minister's bureau fiercely slammed the president in response, which served to deepen the crisis.

Peres took particular offence at being accused of the death of more than 1,000 Israelis as a result of the Oslo Accords. Consequently, the two leaders have not met for two weeks and apparently have not spoken on the phone either.