Israel Votes as Netanyahu's Political Survival Hangs in the Balance

Voting is under way in Israel's national election on Tuesday (October 27). It is the country's first election since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political survival is on the line.

A deeply divided Israel headed to the polls, with voters delivering their verdict on the veteran prime minister's leadership, weighing it against the 2023 Hamas-led attacks and the wars that followed.

Voter turnout reached 16.7 percent four hours after polls opened.

Polling published on Friday suggests Netanyahu is in a near neck-and-neck race with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to become prime minister.

Many view this as one of the most pivotal elections in Israel's history. Its outcome could also shape the country's foreign policy on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where the two rivals' positions differ.

Reporting from Jerusalem, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale noted that as ballots are cast, attention is focused on what the election means for Gaza and the wider world, and it could take time for a new Israeli government to form.