Israel's Parliamentary Election Sees Highest Turnout Since 1999
Turnout in Israel's Knesset election reached 77.7%, the highest since 1999. First exit polls show a narrow edge for the opposition bloc, but neither side is near an outright majority.
Voter turnout in Israel's parliamentary election reached 77.7% by the time polling stations closed, the highest figure since 1999, according to The Guardian and The Times of Israel. More than 5.69 million Israelis cast ballots. At the same point in the previous election in 2022, turnout stood at 70.6%.
Polls closed at 22:00 and vote counting began. The first exit polls indicate that neither bloc has so far secured an absolute majority.
Opposition holds a slight lead
The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, has a narrow lead over the coalition of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the polls. Eisenkot's party, Yashar, and its allies could win 52 to 53 seats in the Knesset, while Netanyahu's bloc is projected at about 50. Forming a government requires at least 61 seats. If neither bloc can build a coalition, the country faces another election.
First vote since October 7
This is Israel's first nationwide election since the attack by the militant group Hamas on 7 October 2023, when gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, triggering a prolonged war in the Gaza Strip. Security failures ahead of the attack drew sharp criticism of Netanyahu's government, and many Israelis demanded a state commission to investigate the circumstances.
Eisenkot lost a son and two nephews in fighting in Gaza in 2024. Before the election he founded the new party Yashar (meaning "Honesty"), stressing the need for fundamental change in the country's leadership. On election morning he visited communities hit hardest by the Hamas attack. "If anyone in the government had a shred of responsibility, they would start their morning here," the politician said.
President Isaac Herzog urged citizens during voting to do their duty: "This is our day to go out, make an impact and vote."
