Netanyahu Seeks Re-election in Israel's October 27 Vote

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election in Israel's national vote scheduled for late October. His Likud party announced the decision on Wednesday. "Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the next elections and, God Willing, he will win," the party said on Telegram.

Netanyahu, 76, is Israel's longest-serving prime minister and has held the office for nearly two decades across multiple terms. He returned to office in December 2022. Since then he has been admitted to hospital several times, according to his office.

In July 2023 he received a pacemaker. He underwent hernia surgery in March 2024 and prostate surgery in December 2024, when surgeons removed a small, early-stage malignant tumour. Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption.

He has led Israel through three years of war that began after Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel in October 2023. Israel continues military operations against Hamas in Gaza despite a ceasefire, pursues a campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon despite another ceasefire, and joined the United States in launching attacks on Iran that killed much of that country's leadership. S.

President Donald Trump questioned Netanyahu's intentions in an interview with ABC News. "I don't know, he's had an amazing career. Does he want to continue? Because, you know he's a wartime prime minister," Trump said.

Netanyahu had previously indicated he would stand again. In recent months opposition leaders have criticised him for failing to achieve the war aims set after the October 2023 attack. Trump's comments came after a tense exchange between the two leaders days earlier.

Netanyahu downplayed that exchange in an appearance on CNBC.