Israel election panel votes to disqualify Arab party, two candidates

Israel's Central Elections Committee voted on Wednesday to disqualify an Arab party and two left-wing lawmakers from running in the October 27 election, amid mounting tensions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The committee voted to bar Ra'am, an Arab party led by Mansour Abbas that has pursued a pragmatic approach to political integration and previously joined an Israeli governing coalition. The decision followed several petitions, including one filed by the far-right Jewish Power party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The committee also voted to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh, head of the Arab party Balad, which advocates transforming Israel into a "state of all its citizens." The move followed a petition filed by Jewish Power.

In a separate vote, the committee moved to disqualify Ofer Cassif, a Jewish lawmaker from the Hadash party, which advocates Jewish-Arab equality and an end to the occupation. The petition, filed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, argued that Cassif rejects Israel's definition as a "Jewish and democratic state."

The decision came amid continued divisions among Israeli political parties over the Gaza conflict and the broader Israeli-Palestinian issue. Both Abu Shehadeh and Cassif have criticized Israel's Gaza policy and opposed its occupation policies in the West Bank, while advocating for Palestinian rights.

Despite a first-phase ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas in October 2025, clashes and attacks have continued in Gaza, causing further casualties. Violence across the West Bank has also intensified since the Gaza war began in October 2023, with frequent Israeli military raids, Palestinian attacks and settler violence.

On Wednesday, Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian who had carried out a car-ramming attack in the West Bank, according to Israeli sources. The attack seriously wounded an Israeli military reservist.

The Israeli military identified the wounded officer as Neria Leiter, 30, the son of Israel's ambassador to the United States. He was taken to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center in serious condition.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the cumulative death toll in the enclave since October 7, 2023, had reached 73,922 as of September 23, 2026.

According to UN figures, about 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced, with many families forced to flee multiple times. Overcrowded displacement sites remain plagued by severe shortages of food, drinking water, shelter and sanitation.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Wednesday called for urgent additional funding for fuel to prevent a dangerous slowdown of health care, water provision, rescue operations, debris removal and other critical services.

(With input from Xinhua)