Netanyahu attacks opposition after 5 party leaders unite to unseat him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday attacked five opposition leaders after they agreed to coordinate ahead of next month's Knesset election to replace his government.

In his first response to the agreement, Netanyahu claimed Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot would seek to form a government with Yair Lapid, Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Arab parties.

"Only a strong Likud will stop them," Netanyahu wrote on US social media platform X, referring to his right-wing political party.

He posted an AI-altered version of a group photo from the opposition meeting, adding United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas and Hadash-Ta'al leader Ahmad Tibi.

Israel's Channel 12 said the five opposition leaders met at Lapid's home in Tel Aviv to coordinate their strategy ahead of the Oct. 27 election.

The meeting brought together Lapid of Yesh Atid, Eisenkot of Yashar, Bennett of Together, Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu and Golan of the Democrats.

In a document released after the meeting, the five leaders declared replacing the current government their "shared highest objective" despite ideological differences.

They also pledged not to campaign against one another before a new government is formed, and agreed to work to boost turnout and broaden support for the opposition bloc.

The leaders, however, did not agree on a candidate for prime minister.