Voters in Israel went to the polls for the general elections.
While the country's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is trying to maintain his power with his coalition consisting of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, the opposition led by former Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot is aiming for a change of government.
Public opinion polls show that there will be a close race between the two parties and that the process of forming a government after the elections may be difficult.
Voting in Israel started at 07:00 local time. The polls are expected to close at 22:00.
According to the data announced by the Central Election Committee, 16.7 percent of registered voters went to the polls in the first three hours of voting.
This rate was the highest level of participation recorded in the first hours of the elections since 1981.
The intense interest of the voters is considered as a reflection of the deepening political and social division in the country after the war on the ballot box.
Netanyahu's strongest rival is Gadi Eisenkot, the former Chief of Staff of the Israeli army.
Eisenkot, known for his tough stance on security policies, aims to remove Netanyahu from power by gaining the support of right-wing and center parties, as well as left-wing parties whose political influence is gradually decreasing.
Eisenkot joined Netanyahu's war cabinet after the October 7 attacks, but left his post eight months later, criticizing the prime minister's management.
In his statement on election day, the opposition leader stated that he believed that there would be political change in Israel.
Gadi Eisenkot said, "I believe that at the end of today, a new spirit, a new change will emerge for the State of Israel. This change will serve to heal the wounds of the last three years and that terrible day."
One of the most important discussion topics of the elections is the security and intelligence failures experienced during the attacks of October 7, 2023.
According to information provided by Israel, approximately 1200 people lost their lives in the attacks led by Hamas.
According to Palestinian health officials, more than 74 thousand Palestinians lost their lives in the attack launched by Israel in Gaza after the attacks.
Netanyahu's opponents want a national commission of inquiry to be established to investigate security flaws in the October 7 attacks. The Netanyahu government opposes initiatives in this direction.
Eisenkot also criticizes Israel's attacks in Gaza and describes Hamas's ability to maintain its governing power in the region as a failure of the conflict.
The opposition leader states that he aims to eliminate Hamas's military and political power in Gaza within 18 months if he forms a government.
In his election campaign, Netanyahu highlighted his wartime leadership and close relations with US President Donald Trump.
Trump, who is Netanyahu's ally in the war against Iran, declared his support for the Israeli Prime Minister and said that the two countries "must finish the job."
In his post on the social media platform
Addressing Likud voters, Netanyahu called for them to go to the polls en masse against attempts to undermine the credibility of the elections.
Far-right Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of Netanyahu's coalition partners, voted in the Kiryat Arba settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Ben-Gvir argued that Netanyahu will become prime minister again and said that his party will be one of the main elements of the right wing in the government to be formed.
Due to Israel's fragmented political structure, it is considered difficult for the party that received the most votes in the elections to form a government on its own.
In order to achieve a majority in the 120-seat parliament, the support of at least 61 MPs is required.
One of the important factors that may affect the outcome of the elections is the participation of Palestinian Israeli citizens in the ballot box.
Palestinian politician Ahmed Tibi said Arab voters showed "unprecedented" participation in the elections.
Eisenkot had announced that he would not form a coalition with Arab parties on the grounds that they did not share common values.
However, some political experts evaluate that Arab parties may support a minority government led by Eisenkot from outside in order to remove Netanyahu from power.
Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot, like the majority of Jewish parties in Israel, opposes the two-state solution proposal with the Palestinians.
But Eisenkot criticizes Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and opposes Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners.
After the elections in Israel, political uncertainty is expected to continue if Netanyahu or Eisenkot cannot gain a majority in the parliament.
If no leader can form a government, Netanyahu can continue his duty as interim prime minister until new elections are held.
Netanyahu's opponents have been able to remove him from the prime minister's seat only once since 2009.
During this period, four inconclusive elections were held in two years, and Netanyahu became prime minister again approximately 18 months after losing power.
The high turnout in the last elections and the neck-and-neck race seen in the polls indicate that difficult coalition talks may once again take place in Israel.
