news.today
Hello · Register today | LoginHello · My Account[—] [32]
World

Israeli opposition leader pledges to end Hamas rule in 18 months

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 15:34 · Archive

Gadi Eisenkot, Benjamin Netanyahu's main election rival, has promised to end Hamas rule in Gaza within 18 months if elected.

Gadi Eisenkot, Israel's former army chief of staff, has promised to end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip within 18 months if he becomes prime minister, challenging long-time leader Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections scheduled for 27 October.

Eisenkot, the 66-year-old leader of the centrist Yashar party, accused Netanyahu of failing to achieve Israel's war aims three years after Hamas's October 7 massacre. He said he would achieve his goal either through a US peace plan, which Netanyahu's government has accepted, or through military and operational capabilities that would lead to the destruction of Hamas's military wing. Eisenkot, who served as Israel's military chief from 2015 to 2019, argued that as long as Netanyahu remained in power, Hamas would also remain in power.

Netanyahu's conservative Likud party responded by questioning how Eisenkot could topple Hamas without support from Arab MPs Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi. Opinion polls suggest neither Netanyahu's camp nor the opposition can expect an absolute majority in the election, meaning Arab parties could play a key role in determining the next government's composition. Several Jewish parties, including some in the opposition, have ruled out forming a coalition with Arab parties.

Israeli opposition leader pledges to end Hamas rule in 18 months
Image: The West Australian

Comments (0)

How it is being reported

In this story: Gadi Eisenkot · Benjamin Netanyahu · Hamas · Gaza Strip · Israel

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem