Netanyahu weighs early election bid as Gaza deal boosts political fortunes

Netanyahu is reportedly exploring advancing national elections, holding quiet talks within Likud to fast-track party primaries.

By World Israel News Staff

Barely days after securing a landmark cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be testing the political winds and the prospect of turning renewed public support into an early election victory.

According to reports in Maariv, Netanyahu has begun quiet consultations within Likud on the possibility of advancing national elections, asking senior party figures to explore how quickly internal primaries and broader electoral preparations could be organized.

Likud sources told the paper that Netanyahu recently approached Haim Katz, chairman of the party’s Central Committee, to consider convening the body for a decision on rapid leadership primaries, possibly within weeks.

The move, if confirmed, would allow Netanyahu to reassert control of the party and secure a fresh leadership mandate ahead of any national vote.

Officials familiar with the discussions said one option under review is to combine the Likud primaries with the upcoming party conference elections scheduled for November 24, creating a streamlined process that would showcase unity and limit opportunities for internal dissent.

Senior Likud members described the effort as part of a larger strategy to capitalize on Netanyahu’s political rebound following the Gaza cease-fire and the U.S.-brokered peace framework announced by President Donald Trump.

“Preparing for rapid primaries is a direct signal of intent to advance national elections,” one senior party official told Maariv. Netanyahu, they added, is keen to ride “the public momentum surrounding the hostage deal” and Trump’s broader regional peace plan, billed as “a first step toward comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”

Political observers say Netanyahu’s current standing marks a dramatic turnaround after months of criticism over his handling of the Gaza war. The successful return of Israeli hostages — coupled with Trump’s involvement — has given him a burst of domestic legitimacy.

“If he could make the next election happen in a week, he would take it,” one analyst told The New York Times, describing Netanyahu’s swift change in fortunes.

Meanwhile, the opposition is also mobilizing. The Times of Israel reported that Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman, Benny Gantz, and Yair Golan have been in talks to coordinate a joint strategy against Netanyahu.

While no formal alliance has been announced, opposition insiders say the bloc is “far more coordinated than people realize.”

For now, Netanyahu has not publicly committed to an early vote. But within Likud circles, few doubt his intentions. With the cease-fire celebrated as both a diplomatic and political win, Israel’s longest-serving leader may be preparing to test whether the same momentum can carry him through one more election.