Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Barak has announced he is returning to politics and is forming a new party that will aim to unseat prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections.

Speaking at a Tel Aviv press conference on Wednesday, Mr Barak called for an end to “Netanyahu’s rule with the radicals, racists and corrupt, with the Messianists and his corrupt leadership”.

The 77-year-old Mr Barak, who was once Mr Netanyahu’s army commander, served as military chief and then prime minister from 1999-2000.

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Sebastian Scheiner/AP)

Most recently, he served as Mr Netanyahu’s defence minister.

He retired from politics in 2013, but has been an outspoken critic of Mr Netanyahu since.

Israel will hold a second parliamentary election in September after Mr Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition following April’s vote.