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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in the country’s next national election, his Likud party said Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether the 76-year-old leader intended to seek another term.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the next elections and, God willing, he will win,” Likud said in a statement on Telegram.
The election is scheduled to take place by late October.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has previously said he planned to stand for reelection. He has served as prime minister for nearly two decades across several terms.
The announcement came as Netanyahu leads Israel through wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran while also standing trial on corruption charges.
Trump raised uncertainty over Netanyahu’s political future during an interview with ABC News.
“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career. Does he want to continue?” Trump said. “Because, you know, he’s a wartime prime minister.”
His comments followed a tense exchange between the two leaders days earlier, during which Trump criticized Netanyahu in a profanity-filled outburst.
Netanyahu later played down the exchange during an appearance on CNBC.
Despite the tensions with Washington, Likud said Netanyahu would remain its candidate and seek another term in office.
Questions about Netanyahu’s political plans have also come amid a series of health issues.
Netanyahu recently said surgeons had successfully removed what he described as a “small, early-stage malignant tumor” from his prostate.
He has been hospitalized several times since returning to office in December 2022, according to his office.
Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery in March 2024 and had surgery for an enlarged prostate in December of the same year.
In July 2023, he had a pacemaker implanted after a brief hospitalization prompted by complaints of dizziness.
Netanyahu is currently overseeing military campaigns on three connected fronts.
In Gaza, Israel is continuing operations against Hamas despite a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
In Lebanon, Israel is pursuing a campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement despite a separate ceasefire.
Israel also joined the U.S. in launching attacks against Iran that killed much of the country’s leadership and triggered a wider regional war.
Likud’s announcement confirms that Netanyahu intends to seek another term while those conflicts continue and his corruption trial remains underway.
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