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Israel Postpones Local Elections as Hundreds of Soldiers Serving in Gaza War Unable to Run
Israeli soldiers operate at the Shajaiya district of Gaza city amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, Dec. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Yossi Zeliger
The Israeli government has approved a plan to postpone local elections until Feb. 27, following uncertainty over some 4,000 reservists in the military seeking office — including 688 who would be unable to run — as well as many more soldiers who would be unable to vote in a time of war.
“I congratulate the members of the Israeli government for the decision to postpone the elections,” tweeted Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has been outspoken about the need to postpone voting. “When our soldiers are at the front they cannot participate in the vote, and the last thing the citizens of Israel need is debates of an election campaign. We led this rejection in the name of tens of thousands of soldiers who are not willing to give up the right to choose and choose.”
Israel called up some 350,000 reservists in a massive military mobilization following the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel. Beyond waging a campaign of air strikes and ground operations against Hamas in Gaza to the south, the Jewish state has also been clashing with the Hezbollah terror group on its northern border, where fighting has escalated in recent weeks.
The reservists running for office, covering 144 municipalities throughout the country, were told by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that they could not leave due to the nature of their service.
A group of four soldiers seeking office had filed a petition with the Supreme Court, asking it to intervene and postpone the elections until the war in Gaza has mostly subsided.
Smotrich had tweeted earlier on Sunday, telling members of the government that they will “have to decide whether to disconnect from the people and turn your back on the hundreds of thousands of reservists and their millions of family members, or to be attentive and connected to them.” He urged the government “to make the right decision.”
Israeli’s parliament, known as the Knesset, approved the government’s decision on Monday. The measure to postpone the elections was supported by all but two lawmakers — members of Arab parties — with one opposing the delay and one abstaining. They argued that pushing the elections to the end of February could mean that runoff votes would be scheduled during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The chairman of the Interior Committee, the panel of the Knesset that approved the decision, said in response: “We will find a solution for this with the Interior Ministry. Maybe we will advance the date of the second round before the beginning of the holiday.”
The elections were supposed to be held on Oct. 31, until they were initially postponed due to the war until January.
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Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A member of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran alongside a member of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters and the Iraqi group said on Saturday.
The source identified the Hezbollah member as Abu Ali Khalil, who had served as a bodyguard for Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. The source said Khalil had been on a religious pilgrimage to Iraq when he met up with a member of the Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada group.
They traveled together to Tehran and were both killed in an Israeli strike there, along with Khalil’s son, the senior security source said. Hezbollah has not joined in Iran’s air strikes against Israel from Lebanon.
Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada published a statement confirming that both the head of its security unit and Khalil had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September.
Israel and Iran have been trading strikes for nine consecutive days since Israel launched attacks on Iran, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it does not seek nuclear weapons.
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Hamas Financial Officer and Commander Eliminated by IDF in the Gaza Strip
Israeli soldiers operate during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), announced on Friday the killing of Ibrahim Abu Shamala, a senior financial official in Hamas’ military wing.
The operation took place on June 17th in the central Gaza Strip.
Abu Shamala held several key positions, including financial officer for Hamas’ military wing and assistant to Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing until his elimination in March 2024.
He was responsible for managing all the financial resources of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, overseeing the planning and execution of the group’s war budget. This involved handling and smuggling millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip to fund Hamas’ military operations.
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Report: Wary of Assassination by Israel, Khamenei Names 3 Potential Successors
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday citing unnamed Iranian officials. It is understood the Ayatollah fears he could be assassinated in the coming days.
Khamenei reportedly mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications.
Khamenei has designated three senior religious figures as candidates to replace him as well as choosing successors in the military chain of command in the likely event that additional senior officials be eliminated.
Earlier on Saturday Israel confirmed the elimination of Saeed Izadi and Bhanam Shahriari.
Shahriari, head of Iran’s Quds Force Weapons Transfer Unit, responsible for arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, was killed in an Israeli airstrike over 1,000 km from Israel in western Iran.
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