Tel Aviv, MINA – Israel will hold national elections on October 27, the Knesset announced on Sunday. The elections are widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the start of the genocide in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
The Knesset is scheduled to hold its final session of the current term on Friday this week, making Netanyahu’s coalition the first Israeli government in decades to complete a full four-year term.
“Since the current Knesset is expected to complete its term and the next elections have been set by law for October 27, with no intention to shorten the legislative body’s term, there is no need to enact a Knesset dissolution law in the usual sense,” the Israeli parliament said in a statement, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, confirmed in June that he would run again in the upcoming elections.
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The 76-year-old has faced intense criticism since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Critics blame Netanyahu for failing to prevent armed groups from Gaza from breaching Israel’s sophisticated border defenses. His opponents also point to his handling of the war as evidence that he is no longer fit for office.
Netanyahu is also on trial for corruption charges and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Netanyahu’s main rival.
According to polls published this week, Eisenkot’s Yashar Party holds a narrow lead over Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
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Eisenkot, who previously served in Netanyahu’s war cabinet, resigned in June 2024 after stating that the government had completely failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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