Netanyahu uses political rivals in campaign poster amid Gaza disarmament talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has utilized a campaign poster featuring several of his political adversaries to bolster his election messaging. The poster, displayed on the Israel state television building, depicts Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The campaign material carries the message, “They want Netanyahu to lose, don’t let them win.”

The inclusion of Mayor Mamdani follows recent tensions after the Mayor suggested he would seek to arrest Netanyahu upon his arrival in New York, citing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.

In a separate development regarding the conflict in Gaza, Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas disarms. According to an Israeli official, Netanyahu reached an agreement with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner regarding a process where an American general would oversee the disarmament of Hamas. This proposal suggests that the first step toward demilitarizing the Gaza Strip would involve Hamas surrendering its weapons to be rendered ineffective under American supervision, though U.S. officials have not yet confirmed this agreement.