Israel elections to be held on October 27

JERUSALEM:

Israel will hold national elections on October 27, the last date allowed by law, its parliament said on Sunday, with the vote widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership since the Gaza war erupted.

The Knesset, as parliament is known, is set to end its current term on July 17, allowing the ruling coalition to complete a full four-year term for the first time in decades.

"Since the current Knesset is expected to serve its full term and the next general election is already set by law for October 27, with no intention of shortening the legislature's tenure, there is no need to enact a Knesset Dissolution Law in the usual sense," parliament said in a statement.

Netanyahu, 76, is already the country's longest-serving prime minister across multiple terms, and has declared his intention to run again.

In recent days, his government -- one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's history -- has been racing to pass a series of bills in a bid to shore up his alliance and enter the election from a position of strength.