TEL AVIV, July 13. /Dunyo IA/. Israel will hold parliamentary elections on October 27 this year – the latest date permitted by law, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing “The Jerusalem Post”.

The current Knesset (parliament) is expected to complete its full four-year term, which would be the first such case in nearly half a century. The parliament noted that there is no need to pass a law on early dissolution, as the election date has already been set by legislation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in June that he intends to run for the premiership again. The upcoming elections will be the first since the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the war with Iran.

According to recent opinion polls, the prime minister’s coalition, which includes the “Likud” party, ultra-Orthodox factions, and far-right political forces, may fail to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. At the same time, the opposition does not yet have a guaranteed path to forming a government.

One of his main challengers is former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the “Yashar” party. According to recent polls, his political bloc is slightly ahead of “Likud.”

Gadi Eisenkot was a member of Israel’s war cabinet but resigned in June 2024, saying that the government had failed to achieve its objectives in the Gaza Strip, where more than 70,000 people have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign.

Before the end of the current parliamentary session, the government plans to pass several bills, including judicial reform legislation and an initiative to suspend the detention of Jewish citizens avoiding mandatory military service.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is also facing a corruption trial and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The prime minister has denied the allegations against him.