Israeli voter turnout has surged by 15% compared with previous polls, with 1.2 million ballots cast by 10am local time, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fights for his political future against rival Gadi Eisenkot.
The wartime election, held against the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza and looming tensions with Iran and Hezbollah, is expected to record the highest turnout since 1981. As many as 70,000 Israelis are believed to have flown home to take part, amid tightened security and escalating tensions across the West Bank.
Military vote and fraud claims
By 10am, 30% of Israel's serving soldiers had cast their vote, according to reports. There were also allegations of election fraud at 115 of the 12,018 polling stations.
Netanyahu is thought to be slightly behind Eisenkot, although their parties, Likud and Yashar, are extremely unlikely to win the 61-seat majority required to form a government. To reach a majority, they will need to form coalitions with smaller parties, with horse-trading over positions that could last weeks before a new prime minister is declared.
Coalition negotiations loom
Polling opened at 7am and closes at 10pm local time, with exit polls expected shortly afterwards. Polls by companies, TV stations and press across Israel appear to put Eisenkot's Yashar ahead with more than 50 seats, with Likud trailing by several seats.
There is a possibility that neither Netanyahu's religious and ultranationalist coalition nor the opposition bloc seeking to unseat him has enough support to win a parliamentary majority. That could trigger weeks of negotiations before a leader is declared, as both sides are forced to compromise to build a coalition sufficient to form a government.
War and security backdrop
The vote hinges on whether Israelis want to end Netanyahu's grip on regional politics after years of leadership and at least three years of warfare. Newspaper allegations have claimed Netanyahu was warned by Arab neighbours that Hamas was preparing a major operation before the October 7 attacks.
Netanyahu denies this and has highlighted the conflict victories his government achieved after the attacks by Gaza-based Hamas, which killed 1,200 people. The ensuing war in Gaza has killed at least 70,000 Palestinians. Growing tension in the West Bank has led to a major security clampdown and operations by Israeli Defence Force troops, focusing on the flashpoint city of Hebron. Under Netanyahu's leadership, settler violence has increased.
