Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he intends to run in elections scheduled for later this year, as he faces domestic criticism over his wartime leadership.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has led his country through three years of war on multiple interconnected fronts and is currently on trial for corruption.
In recent months, he has come under increasing criticism from opposition leaders who accused him of failing to achieve the war goals he set after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
“I will run for election and I intend to win,” the veteran leader said in a televised press conference, his first statements after Washington and Tehran agreed on an agreement to end the war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
On Monday, Israeli figures from across the political spectrum criticized the US-Iran deal, saying it would not protect their country’s interests.
Naftali Bennett, former prime minister and main contender in the upcoming elections, said this represents a “dangerous turning point for Israel’s security.”
