Israel govt to be dissolved, country to head to new elections

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office announced Monday that his weakened coalition will be disbanded and the country will head to new elections.

Bennett has struggled to keep his unruly coalition of eight parties together, and defections have left the crumbling alliance without a majority in parliament for over two months.

Bennett and his main coalition partner, Yair Lapid, decided to present a vote to dissolve parliament in the coming days, Bennett's office said. Lapid is then to serve as caretakever prime minister.

The election, expected in the fall, would be Israel's fifth in three years.