Polls open as Netanyahu fights to retain power

Israelis began voting on Tuesday in the first parliamentary elections since the 7 October 2023 attacks, with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tough challenge from opposition rival Gadi Eisenkot. Polling stations opened at 7am local time (5am GMT) and are due to close at 10pm (8pm GMT). A total of 36 electoral lists are contesting 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a bid to form the country’s 38th government. Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties became the first Israeli government since 1988 to complete a full four-year term, after taking office in December 2022. But polls suggest his bloc could fall short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, with projections putting it at around 50. Read more: Polls open as Netanyahu fights to retain power