Israelis vote in first election since Oct. 7 attack as Netanyahu faces Eisenkot challenge

Israelis began voting on Tuesday in what the BBC and NPR describe as one of the most consequential elections in the country's history, the first since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023 and the regional wars that followed. Polls published before the vote showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, level with or trailing former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the new center-right Yashar party.

Voters choose parties, not a prime minister, for the 120-seat Knesset, and a government needs the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. The BBC reported that neither bloc was projected to reach that number, and NPR said it could take weeks or months to know who will form a government. The campaign has centered on security failures before Oct. 7, military service for ultra-Orthodox men and Netanyahu's corruption trial, in which he denies the charges.

Why it matters: The outcome will shape Israel's policy on Gaza, Iran and the wider region, and coalition talks after the vote will decide who governs.