A new political dispute has erupted in Israel following reports of a ceasefire in Lebanon. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own governing coalition, along with opposition parties, are strongly opposing the decision to halt attacks in areas such as Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiya. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have publicly called for continued military action in Lebanon.

Analysts cited in the report suggest that the growing distance between Netanyahu and other politicians is driven by the upcoming general election. Netanyahu had promised the Israeli public certain strategic goals that remain unfulfilled, and his rivals are portraying the ceasefire as a “strategic failure.” Even coalition partners are now claiming that Netanyahu has become politically weak and less accepted by the U.S. administration. All sides are reportedly seeking to exploit this situation ahead of the October election.

Some political analysts believe Netanyahu might resort to his old tactics, possibly delaying the election by escalating military actions or creating new tensions to regain political leverage.