Former general emerges as leading challenger to Netanyahu

Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as one of the strongest challengers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's next general election, with recent opinion polls showing the two leaders running nearly neck and neck.

Israel is expected to hold parliamentary elections by the end of October, with surveys indicating growing public support for Eisenkot, a retired general whose personal losses during the war in Gaza have resonated with many voters, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to a recent poll conducted by Israel's public broadcaster, Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party and Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party are each projected to win 23 seats in the 120-member Knesset, leaving neither side with a clear majority.

The same survey found former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, another leading opposition figure seeking to head the anti-Netanyahu bloc, projected to secure 16 seats.

When respondents were asked who would be more suitable to serve as prime minister, Eisenkot received 41% support, narrowly ahead of Netanyahu at 40%.

Eisenkot's growing popularity has been attributed in part to his military background and the personal sacrifices his family made during the Gaza conflict.

His youngest son, Gal Eisenkot, was killed while serving in Gaza during the early months of the war, when Eisenkot was a member of the Israeli government. Two of his nephews were also killed in the conflict.

The losses have struck a chord with many Israelis, particularly families whose children are completing compulsory military service, serving in the reserves, or currently deployed in the armed forces.

By Sabina Mammadli