Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot vowed Wednesday to resign "within an hour" rather than serve under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ruling out even a power-sharing arrangement between the two.
Israel is set to hold general elections on Oct. 27, while opinion polls indicate that neither Netanyahu's bloc nor Eisenkot's opposition camp is expected to secure a majority to form a government.
"I categorically pledge that I will not serve under Netanyahu, not even under a rotation arrangement, and if that happens, I will resign after one hour," Eisenkot told local radio station 103 FM.
Eisenkot's remarks come amid assessments that a national unity government could be formed if neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the Jewish opposition secures the 61 seats out of 120 needed to form a government.
Under these scenarios, Netanyahu and Eisenkot could take turns serving as prime minister in a government that excludes the far-right Jewish Power party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In theory, either bloc could form a government by allying with Palestinian parties expected to enter the Knesset, but both have so far rejected this possibility.
Palestinians account for more than 20% of Israel's population of over 10 million.
Separately, Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israeli army, declined to answer whether he intended to declare Qatar an enemy state, as requested by opposition Together party leader and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
"It would not be serious to simply say in a media interview that I would declare Qatar a hostile state. We will hold a serious discussion on this matter," he said.
Israeli ministers and opposition leaders accuse Qatar of supporting the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Doha denies the allegations, saying its humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the enclave was delivered through Tel Aviv and the UN.
Netanyahu has headed the current government since late December 2022, leading a coalition widely described as the most right-wing in Israel's history.
Netanyahu also faces charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust in three cases.
In addition to the domestic corruption trial, Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip, where more than 74,000 people have been killed in a genocidal war since October 2023.
