Netanyahu announces candidacy for 2026 Israeli elections amid legal prosecution.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of the Likud party announced on Saturday night in an interview with Channel 14 television that he intends to run for prime minister again in the upcoming Knesset elections, which are scheduled to be held in November 2026.
In response to the question of whether he intends to run for prime minister in the upcoming elections, he confidently said: “Yes, and I believe that I will win with the support of the people.”
According to a report by Channel 11 (Kan), Netanyahu is trying to move the election date to June 2026, four months earlier than the legal deadline.
According to the report, this move aims to strengthen his political position by signing possible peace agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. However, Israeli sources have considered the possibility of a deal with Indonesia to be weak.
According to IRNA, Netanyahu plans to run for prime minister in the upcoming Knesset (Israeli parliament) elections while facing a wave of domestic criticism, especially over his management of the war in the Gaza Strip. The aggressive policies of the cabinet under his leadership have led to widespread attacks on civilian areas, the destruction of infrastructure, and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
According to official statistics, since the start of the war in October 2023, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been martyred and 170,000 injured, most of them children and women.
Following these crimes, the International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants last November against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. These sentences were issued on charges of committing “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in Gaza and are still valid. Despite political pressure from some countries, a spokesperson for the International Criminal Court has emphasized that these sentences will remain in effect until the judges make a decision.