Israel is heading to the polls for the first time since the 7 October massacre, in an atmosphere of extreme tension following three years of wars on multiple fronts and the looming conflict with Iran. These are decisive elections for the political survival of Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, who has consistently refused to set up a committee of inquiry into the disaster of three years ago
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Israel: turnout exceeds 16 per cent at 10 am – up on 2022
In Israel, where voters are heading to the polls for the Knesset elections, voter turnout at 10.00 local time stood at 16.68 per cent, compared with 15.9 per cent in the previous elections in 2022. This was announced by the Electoral Commission, as reported by the Israeli
media
Eisenkot votes in Ashdod
Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot voted in Ashdod. A video posted on the former general’s social media accounts showed him being greeted by a crowd of supporters
Media: “Shortage of ballot papers at polling stations in Arab communities”
The chairmen of local councils and party representatives in Arab communities have reported a shortage of Arabic-language ballot papers at several polling stations. Haaretz reported this. The Central Electoral Commission said that it was aware of the problem and was working to resolve it
Israel, Ben Gvir at the polling station: “With God’s help, I will be Defence Minister”
Elezioni Israele, Ben Gvir al seggio: "Con l'aiuto di Dio sarò ministro della Difesa"
Houthis: ‘Egypt’s support for Riyadh is a declaration of war’
The Egyptian Parliament’s decision to authorise military support for Saudi Arabia, for defensive purposes against Houthi attacks, constitutes a declaration of war. This was said by a spokesperson for the pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels. “Egypt and its Parliament have said they support what is described as the defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In doing so, they are declaring war on the Republic of Yemen,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said in a post on Telegram
Netanyahu posts video filmed in West Bank: ‘Either the right, or Palestine’
In a video filmed in the Peduel settlement in the West Bank and released this morning, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his election slogan that “the real issue in these elections is either the Right or Palestine”. Netanyahu, boasting that he had “fought against three American presidents” to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, stated that his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, will need the support of “Mansour Abbas and the Arab parties in his coalition, Yair Golan, who supports the need to create a Palestinian state, and Lieberman, who said that the Jordanian army must be allowed to enter the country”
Eisenkot with former hostage at kibbutz attacked on 7 October
The leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, began his election campaign at the kibbutz Nir Oz – one of the communities hardest hit by the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 – alongside former hostage Gadi Mozes, who spent nearly 500 days in Gaza. “I am proud and moved to begin this day with Gadi Mozes, a symbol of Israel’s spirit and strength, of Israelis’ commitment to one another and of their dedication to the State,” stated the former Chief of the General Staff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main challenger. “I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure that we are worthy of the price you have paid, the price paid by the kibbutz and by all of us, and to bring healing and recovery to all the citizens of Israel,” he added. Eisenkot then criticised the government, saying: “If anyone in the government had even a shred of a sense of responsibility, they would have started their day here, in the communities on the border with Gaza. Three years on from that failure, they continue to shirk their responsibilities.”
Israel: President Herzog votes in Jerusalem
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal voted in the Knesset elections in the Rehavia neighbourhood of Jerusalem
Israel launches operation near Nablus
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the Border Police and the Shin Bet launched an overnight operation in the Nablus area “to combat terrorism, as part of a large-scale operation set to take place in the region over the coming days”. The operation involves the destruction of monuments that incite terrorism, the arrest of individuals wanted for arms trafficking and terrorism, the interrogation of suspects, and the search of buildings where there is information indicating the presence of weapons. According to Palestinian sources, the IDF has begun demolishing the ‘martyrs’ monument’ in the village of Rujeib, east of Nablus, which commemorates the names of terrorists.
Polling stations open for Knesset elections. How the vote is taking place
Polling stations opened at 7.00am local time (6.00am in Italy) for the election of the 26th Knesset. This is the first election since the massacre on 7 October. A total of 7,331,000 Israelis are eligible to vote today until 10.00pm local time (9.00pm in Italy). There are 36 parties in the running, of which only 13 are included in the polls as they exceed the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold. Exit polls will be announced immediately after the polls close, but the final results will only be officially confirmed eight days after the vote, on 4 November. The counting of ‘double envelopes’ – that is, votes cast away from one’s place of residence, such as by soldiers, diplomats and hospitalised patients – takes longer and has, in the past, overturned the results suggested by the initial exit polls. In a pure proportional representation system with a single constituency, voter turnout is decisive for the allocation of the Knesset’s 120 seats; this year, in the first election following three years of war, turnout is expected to be particularly high. In the last election in 2022, turnout stood at 70 per cent. The frontrunners on the eve of the election are Likud, led by the incumbent prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (the longest-serving in the country’s history), and Yashar! (‘Straight’, ‘Honest’) led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
Saudi Arabia intercepts three Houthi ballistic missiles
The Saudi-led coalition has announced that it has intercepted and shot down three Houthi ballistic missiles fired from Yemen towards the eastern part of the kingdom.
UN: over 3,000 Palestinians evacuated from their homes
Over 3,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Hebron following the attack on Israeli soldiers. The UN reported this, commenting on the situation in the West Bank. The measure was taken following last week’s shooting attack on Israeli soldiers, in which two soldiers were killed. A UN spokeswoman reported that most of those displaced have found temporary accommodation with relatives. Restrictions on movement between towns in the area remain strict.
UN: more than 2,000 attacks by settlers in the West Bank
Since the start of 2026, more than 2,000 attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank have resulted in casualties or property damage, the highest number ever recorded in a single year. This was reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
UN: New fires in Gaza’s refugee camps
New fires in the tents of displaced people and gunfire in the Gaza Strip
. The UN reported this after visiting the Ash Shujàiyyeh neighbourhood in Gaza
City, where a fire destroyed the shelters of nine families. The previous week, another fire at the same site had forced around 200 families to flee their homes.
Humanitarian organisations have distributed new tents, tarpaulins, blankets and hygiene kits. According to the UN’s humanitarian partners, there continue to be reports of arson attacks, shootings and the placement of new yellow concrete blocks by Israeli forces in areas near the so-called Yellow Line; these blocks are used to mark areas deemed unsafe.
Today marks the first elections in Israel since the massacre of 7 October 2023. The voting rules
Polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm (9pm here in Italy). In the country’s smaller communities, hospitals and prisons, polling hours will be from 8am to 8pm. There are 7.3 million eligible voters out of a population of around 10 million.
