Israel's election will be held on Oct 27, coalition head says

Surveys say Netanyahu's coalition of nationalist and religious parties would lose

Israel is set to hold a national election on Oct 27, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, its first since Hamas' 2023 attack and the wars that ensued in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

The precise ballot date had been unclear since the Israeli parliament voted in May to disband, raising the possibility the election could be held early.

However, coalition head Ofir Katz told a parliamentary committee on Sunday that the original Oct 27 date set by law would be kept.

Successive surveys have suggested Netanyahu's coalition of nationalist and religious parties would lose the ballot, though his political rivals still have no clear path to power and the political landscape may still shift.

Less than a year after a 2022 political comeback at the head of Israel's most right-wing government to date, Netanyahu's security credentials were left in tatters by Hamas' surprise attack on Oct 7, 2023. Polls show many are unhappy with Netanyahu over the outcome of the Iran war.

It is rare for governments in Israel to complete a full four-year term. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving leader and has proven himself an unmatched political survivor.