Israel votes in first parliamentary election since 2023 Hamas attack

More than 7.3 million people are eligible to vote, according to Tagesschau, which also reported that about 70,000 Israeli citizens from around the world flew to Israel to cast ballots. France 24 reported that turnout had reached 16.7% four hours after polling stations opened.

The vote places Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, at the center of a contest that also features Gadi Eisenkot as an opposition figure, according to the supplied election coverage. Voters are choosing a new Knesset while deciding the direction of a country described by France 24 and Tagesschau as deeply divided and facing a significant political choice.

The election follows the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The Guardian reported that the attack killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Both The Guardian and France 24 identify the current vote as Israel’s first election since the attack.

The Guardian reported that most polling it cited showed Netanyahu’s coalition could lose its majority, but that projection is not an election result. Handelsblatt reported that forming a government after the vote could be difficult, making the distribution of seats and coalition negotiations central to what follows.

Exit polls are expected soon after voting closes, according to Al Jazeera, although the news organization reported that a final verdict could take days. The immediate post-election picture will therefore depend on the count and the subsequent process of determining whether a governing coalition can be formed.