Toppling the Islamic Republic would be a service to humanity, but making it an objective of war would be wrong, Israeli prime ministerial contender Gadi Eisenkot said Monday.

Axar.az reports, citing Iran International, that Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party, is one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leading challengers in Tuesday's parliamentary election.

In a television interview, Eisenkot said the proper military objectives were destroying Iran's nuclear and missile programs and its regional proxy forces.

"And I know how to do that," he said.

It should be noted that Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.