Likud Party Declares Netanyahu Will Run for Re-Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will seek another term in office, his Likud party announced on Wednesday, ending speculation about his political future after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly questioned his intentions. The national election must be held by late October.

The party issued a statement declaring that Netanyahu would run in the next elections and, "God Willing, he will win." The announcement came hours after Trump, in an interview with ABC News, expressed uncertainty about whether the 76-year-old leader wanted to continue in politics. "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 was quoted as saying.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, returned to power in December 2022 leading the most right-wing coalition in the country's history. His current term has been dominated by multiple regional conflicts, including wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and against Iran, as well as domestic political unrest and ongoing corruption charges, which he denies. The upcoming vote will be Israel's first national election since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, an event that reshaped the...