Netanyahu weighs Iran strikes to boost election odds

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering new military strikes against Iran before the October 27 legislative elections to bolster his political survival, according to the New York Times and analysts. The Israeli army has prepared new attack plans, though Israel has refrained from striking Iranian territory since the April ceasefire. Meanwhile, the military launched a large operation in the occupied West Bank, displacing 2,000 Palestinians following the deaths of two Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu, in power nearly continuously since 2009, faces his first election since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. He opposed the US-Iran Islamabad agreement and remains committed to confronting Tehran, with any post-election offensive likely to impact coalition negotiations.