Israel is set to hold parliamentary elections on October 27, several local outlets reported on Sunday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks another term following a volatile few years marked by the war in Gaza.
The next election is to be held by October 27 under the law but earlier dates had also been under discussion.
Opinion polls suggest it could prove difficult for both Netanyahu’s camp and the opposition to secure a majority. Israeli coalitions are usually composed of several parties.
Former Israeli defence chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the main rival to the incumbent months ahead of the vote.
Eisenkot’s new centrist party, Yashar! (Hebrew for “Straight!”), is rapidly gaining popularity and even took first place from Netanyahu’s right-wing nationalist Likud party in a recent opinion poll.
Eisenkot, 66, served as defence chief from 2015 to 2019, then entered politics. He studied political science in Haifa and is seen as an expert on the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
