{
  "id": 14726361,
  "title": "Netanyahu’s rival vows to end Hamas rule within 18 months if elected",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/netanyahus-rival-vows-to-end-hamas-rule-within-18-months-if-elected-14726361",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T14:41:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/15/netanyahu-s-rival-vows-to-end-hamas-rule-within-18-months-if-elected"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, poised to challenge incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, pledged Thursday to dismantle Hamas rule in Gaza within 18 months if elected. Speaking at a press conference near the war-torn Palestinian territory, Eisenkot, leader of the centre-right Yesh Atid party, vowed to either implement US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan or launch \"creative operations\" by Israel's military to destroy Hamas' military wing, or both.\n\nHamas announced in July its intention to transfer authority to a technocratic Palestinian committee called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), but Israel remains skeptical, demanding verifiable disarmament before withdrawing troops. Currently, Israel controls about 70% of Gaza under the ceasefire agreement, with the NCAG not operating within the territory.\n\nEisenkot accused Netanyahu of strategic failure, stating that Hamas is still sovereign, arming itself, and militarily active after three years of conflict. He also pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry to identify those responsible for security lapses leading up to the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, a demand the government has thus far resisted.\n\nThe upcoming election, the first since Hamas' Oct 7 attack, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths, will determine whether either Netanyahu's bloc or Eisenkot's party can secure the 61 seats required to form a governing coalition in the 120-seat parliament.",
  "summary": "Gadi Eisenkot says he will seek to disarm Hamas through US president Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan or Israeli military operations if he wins the Oct 27 election.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Arutz Sheva - Israel National News",
        "title": "IDF destroys Hamas tunnel crossing Gaza's Yellow Line",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/idf-destroys-hamas-tunnel-crossing-gazas-yellow-line",
        "published": "2026-10-15T10:10:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Netanyahu’s rival vows to end Hamas rule within 18 months if elected",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/netanyahus-rival-vows-to-end-hamas-rule-within-18-months-if-elected",
        "published": "2026-10-15T14:41:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}