"I am happy to announce to you that tonight, together with my friend Yair Lapid, I am doing the most Zionist and most patriotic act we have ever done for our country," Bennett said.

Bennett stated that if he returns to office, he will establish a state commission to investigate the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, a step he said the current government has not taken.

“On the first day of a new government led by me, we will establish a state commission of inquiry into the October massacre to bring truth to the families and answers to all the people of Israel." He also said his administration would introduce a limit of eight years for a prime minister’s tenure.

Lapid, who currently leads the opposition, said Bennett would head the new party and described him as capable of leading the country.

He added that a unified opposition could defeat the current government, referencing Peter Magyar's landslide win against Viktor Orban in the recent elections in Hungary.

"After 16 years in power, Orban lost. It happened because people believed change was possible. They united behind a single candidate, fought for their country, and won. That's why Bennett and I are here."

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has faced criticism over his handling of regional conflicts and allegations that he has avoided accountability for failures during his time in office.

Bennett and Lapid previously formed a coalition that removed Netanyahu from power in 2021, ending his 12-year rule. The coalition lasted 18 months before Netanyahu returned to office in November 2022.

Archive footage from before the war reveals a stark contrast: families enjoying Gaza’s beaches, Muslims and Christians attending prayers, and the bustling daily life in the territory’s cities. Now, those images are juxtaposed with collapsed buildings, rubble-strewn streets, and desperate residents searching for food, medicine, and missing loved ones.

The war began on October 7, 2023, following a deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed 1,139 people, including approximately 300 festivalgoers, according to Israeli authorities. Israel responded with widespread airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, initiating one of the region's deadliest and most protracted conflicts in recent history.

In a potential turning point, U.S. President Donald Trump last week unveiled a new peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began this Monday in Egypt, signalling a possible diplomatic breakthrough. Hamas has reportedly accepted parts of the plan, including the release of all remaining hostages held since the initial attack.

Despite ongoing violence and humanitarian collapse, international mediators are cautiously optimistic that the new round of negotiations may lead to a ceasefire and pave the way for longer-term peace in the region.