Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Nearly 56% voter turnout by 4 pm local time, highest on record
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: As Israelis vote today, Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and other opposition leaders.
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voting began across Israel on Tuesday in a high-stakes national election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tough challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and other opposition leaders....Read More
A total of 7,331,981 Israelis are eligible to vote, with polling stations opening at 7am local time (9:30am IST). Voting will continue until 10 pm (1:30 am IST on Wednesday), after which exit polls are expected to offer the first indication of the outcome.
The election comes amid growing scrutiny of Netanyahu's leadership following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the wars that followed.
The 77-year-old incumbent has served as Israel's prime minister for more than 19 years across multiple terms. He is seeking to retain power as his opponents campaign on questions of national security, accountability and the government's handling of the October 7 attack.
Eisenkot invokes Oct 7 attack in last-minute appeal
Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff and one of Netanyahu's principal rivals, invoked the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in a last-minute appeal to voters on Tuesday.
Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, urged Israelis to remember the events of that day as they headed to polling stations, saying the election offered an opportunity to change the country's leadership.
"06:29 Remember this hour when you go to vote. Today we have an opportunity to put a slip in the ballot box, to replace the government of October 7th and the shirking, and to set Israel on a new and better path. To be worthy. I am committed," he posted on X just ahead of the polls.
His campaign has portrayed Netanyahu's continued leadership as a threat to the country's security, arguing that a change in government is necessary.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has sought to turn the focus towards the political composition of a possible opposition government.
The prime minister has portrayed his rivals as a left-leaning bloc that could be forced to depend on Arab parties to secure a parliamentary majority.
How do elections in Israel work?
Israel follows a proportional representation system in which citizens vote for political parties rather than individual candidates for prime minister.
The country's parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats, meaning a party or coalition must secure at least 61 seats to form a majority government.
Parties must win at least 3.25 per cent of the national vote to enter parliament. Seats are then distributed among qualifying parties according to their share of the votes.
Official counting will follow, with the final vote tally expected by October 30. The results are scheduled to be formally published on November 4.
Once the final results are available, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult leaders of the political parties to assess which candidate has the strongest chance of forming a government.
That candidate will have up to 42 days to negotiate with other parties and put together a governing coalition.
- {{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 09:58:13 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Party of Netanyahu challenger opposes bid to extend voting hours
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: The party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main election challenger said it "firmly opposes" a call from the premier's party to extend voting hours on Tuesday.
"No exceptional incident has occurred that would justify granting this request, which is intended to lay the groundwork for allegations challenging the integrity of the election, continuing the lies Netanyahu has been spreading since this morning," ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party said.
(via AFP)
- 27 Oct 2026, 09:13:23 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voter turnout continues to be high
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Nearly 56% of voters had cast ballots by 4 pm local time, the highest turnout by that point since at least 1973, AP reported, citing the Central Elections Committee.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 08:01:41 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Polls may lead to deadlock, minority or unity government: Report
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel faces three possible scenarios, including formation of a national unity government, if neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot gets a majority in the polls, according to experts.
A political party or coalition of parties must secure the support of 61 lawmakers needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament, news agency PTI reported.
Senior Israeli journalist and political commentator Yaron Deckel outlined three possible scenarios, saying the outcome would depend on the final seat tally and the ability of rival camps to secure support from smaller parties, including Arab-led groups.
With 34 parties contesting the election, Deckel says the result may hinge not only on the seats secured by the main blocs but also on post-poll negotiations.
Deckel said neither the opposition camp nor Netanyahu's bloc appeared positioned to reach the 61-seat threshold on its own.
The figures leave both sides dependent on smaller parties and potential coalition partners.
Arab parties could play an important role in determining whether an opposition candidate can secure the parliamentary backing needed to form a government, Deckel told reporters in Jerusalem.
The first possible outcome is a political deadlock in which neither side can assemble a viable coalition.
A second possibility is a minority government. Arab parties could recommend a candidate to the president without formally joining the government, helping the candidate receive the mandate to attempt coalition formation, according to Deckel.
The third scenario is a national unity government bringing together major rival parties.
The final tally of the polls is expected by October 30, with official results scheduled for publication on November 4.
(via PTI)
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 07:08:11 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voter turnout in first half highest on record
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Turnout in Israel's crucial election was at the highest level on record at the midway point, AFP reported, citing the central elections commission.
As of 2 pm (1200 GMT), 44.9 per cent of eligible voters had cast a ballot, the highest turnout since the commission started recording such statistics in 1973, the report added.
- 27 Oct 2026, 06:49:34 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voter turnout at 31.5% as of noon
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Over 31 per cent of voters cast their ballots by noon in Israel's general elections on Tuesday, the highest since the 1973 polls, according to news agency PTI.
According to the Central Elections Committee, 31.5 per cent of eligible voters had voted by noon, compared with 28.4 per cent at the same time during the previous polls.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 06:12:19 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israelis vote to decide Netanyahu's political future - Key points
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Here are some of the key points from the high-stakes polls:
- Israel is holding its first election since the October 2023 Hamas attack.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 77, is seeking reelection on Tuesday.
- Voting began at 7 am local time and will close at 10 pm, according to Bloomberg.
- Turnout stood at 16.7 per cent as of 10 am, according to the central election committee.
- 27 Oct 2026, 05:23:53 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Knife-carrying assailant arrested after threatening left leader, claims party
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Police arrested a man carrying a knife on Tuesday after he allegedly approached Yair Golan, leader of Israel's main left-wing party, in a threatening manner.
The incident took place in Tel Aviv as Golan was mobilising voters on election day, his party said.
“Incitement and violence will not intimidate us,” Golan said in a statement, blaming the incident on what he called the “poison machine” of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has sharply criticised the left during his election campaign.
(via AFP)
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 05:15:30 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Netanyahu calls election day ‘emergency’
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an urgent appeal to voters, describing election day as an “emergency call” and alleging that the left was attempting to “steal the election” from his Likud party. In a video message posted on X, Netanyahu urged supporters to turn out in large numbers, warning that the future of Israel's government was at stake. He called on voters not to remain at home and encouraged them to bring family members, friends and neighbours to polling stations.
- 27 Oct 2026, 05:04:02 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu voted in Jerusalem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu voted at a Jerusalem polling station: "Go out and vote!" https://t.co/rB0UofkG32
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: The official X handle of Israel's prime minister posted a picture on X with the caption, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu voted at a Jerusalem polling station. Go out and vote!" Netanyahu reportedly voted around midday.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 04:59:54 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: More than 31% Israelis voted by noon
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: More than 31% of Israelis voted by noon, the highest voter turnout by midday since 1977, according to figures by the central elections committee.
(via AP)
- 27 Oct 2026, 04:47:29 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Netanyahu urges Israelis to ‘vote correctly’ after casting ballot
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast his ballot shortly after midday as he faced a crowded field of political rivals seeking to end his long tenure in power. Describing the moment as “moving and fateful”, Netanyahu said he and his wife were “truly overwhelmed” and urged voters to “vote correctly.”
(via AP)
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 04:44:16 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voters in Jerusalem line outside polling stations | Watch
#WATCH | Jerusalem, Israel: Voters in Israel have started casting ballots as polling stations opened across Israel at 7 am local time. 7.3 million people are eligible to cast their ballots for the 26th Knesset. (Outside visuals from a polling station) https://t.co/g7S9PMcvVh
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voters across Israel began casting their ballots as polling stations opened at 7 AM local time. Around 7.3 million people are eligible to vote in the elections to the 26th Knesset. As of 10 AM, around 1.2 million votes had been cast, the highest early turnout since 1981.
- 27 Oct 2026, 04:22:19 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: ‘We have to save our country from dictatorship’, says voter
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Speaking to ANI in Jerusalem, a voter said that most Israelis do not support Netanyahu's radicalism. He expressed concern over the possibility of him winning another term, saying, “We have to save our country from dictatorship.” The voter accused Netanyahu of dividing Israelis into “real Jews and not real Jews” and said they had come to cast their ballot against him in support of their own values.
(via ANI)
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 04:03:17 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: President Herzog calls polling a 'holiday of democracy'
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: President Isaac Herzog visited the central elections committee headquarters and urged Israelis to recognise the importance of their vote, saying the nation's future was in voters' hands. “It is a real holiday of democracy, and no one can be allowed to ruin it,” Herzog said, according to The Times of Israel. He described the election as an opportunity for citizens to influence the future of the country and coming generations, emphasising the importance of democratic participation amid a politically charged contest.
(via ANI)
- 27 Oct 2026, 03:49:03 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: ‘Netanyahu is like Hitler’ says UBT leader Arvind Sawant | Watch
VIDEO | Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant on Israel and India’s ties with Iran, says, "Netanyahu should go. He is also like Hitler. The attack on schoolchildren in Iran was extremely condemnable. What is the Indian government's policy? Iran supplies oil, accepts payment in rupees and provides it on credit. Why did we spoil our relations with Iran?....Naturally, it will have a political impact. If Netanyahu falls, 'Lotus' here will be shaken too. Today, even anyone can troll the Prime Minister. Where is his respect now? His conduct has contradicted his statements." (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Speaking to PTI, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attack on schoolchildren in Iran, calling the incident “extremely condemnable” and saying, “Netanyahu should go. He is also like Hitler.” Referring to BJP, he further commented that if Netanyahu loses, the lotus will be shaken up.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 03:39:33 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: 1.2 million votes cast after 3 hours of voting
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel's central elections committee reported a voter turnout of 16.7% by 10 AM local time in the parliamentary elections, up from 15.9% at the same point during the 2022 polls. According to The Times of Israel, around 1.2 million votes had been cast, marking the highest turnout recorded at that hour since at least 1996, when Benjamin Netanyahu first became prime minister. The early figures indicate strong voter participation as Israelis head to the polls to elect the 120-member Knesset.
(via ANI) - 27 Oct 2026, 03:18:20 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: 'Early turnout in Israel vote highest since 1981,' says elections committee
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Early turnout in Israel vote highest since 1981, news agency AFP reported, citing the elections committee.
Voter turnout stood at 16.7 per cent as of 10 am, according to the Central Elections Committee, the Times of Israel reported.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 02:49:59 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Herzog votes
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said citizens would determine the country's future through their votes, describing Israel as a “true, proud and dignified democracy” as polling got underway.
- 27 Oct 2026, 02:24:05 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Naftali Bennett votes
#WATCH | Former Israeli prime minister and leader of the Beyachad party Naftali Bennett votes in Raanana (Video credit: TPS-IL) https://t.co/VN2tHaHr4E
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Former Israeli prime minister and leader of the Beyachad party Naftali Bennett votes in Raanana
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 02:21:05 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Expect a tight race to Knesset
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israelis vote for parties, which then form alliances to create a majority coalition. No single party has ever won a 61-seat majority in the 120-member parliament, or Knesset.
Opinion polls suggest a tight race, with no clear winner expected, setting the stage for weeks or even months of negotiations among around a dozen parties expected to win seats in the Knesset.
- 27 Oct 2026, 02:00:13 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: 15,000 CCTV cameras keep close eye on polling
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: More than 15,000 cameras have been set up at polling stations to document possible irregularities, along with thousands of volunteer monitors and those associated with the major parties, says AP report.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 01:52:28 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: High voter participation expected
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: After voting ends at 10pm (local time), exit polls will show where things are headed. According to Bloomberg, voter participation is forecast to be unusually high, with tens of thousands of Israeli expatriates flying in to cast their votes, with many expected to be supporting the opposition.
- 27 Oct 2026, 01:41:33 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: ‘Our vote will change the government’, claims Mansour Abbas
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: “Our vote will change the government,” Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party, said after casting his ballot. He also expressed hope that voter turnout in Arab communities would exceed 70%.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that “it will be Mansour Abbas’ government” if prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies fail to win. Ben-Gvir has drawn criticism for taunting Palestinian detainees and saying that some Palestinians in Gaza are “not even people.”
(via AP)
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 01:26:17 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: ‘Go out and vote’ urges Avigdor Liberman
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Sharing a picture on X, Avigdor Liberman said he had cast his vote in Nokdim alongside his wife, Ella, and urged Israelis to turn out to vote. Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former minister, emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel. A hardline right-wing politician, he lives in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim. His positions on security and Palestinian broadly align with those of far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
According to The Times of Israel, Lieberman has said he intends to attract right-wing lawmakers away from Likud to strengthen his party's position in the Knesset. He claimed that several lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party believe the Israeli leader has made them subservient to the ultra-Orthodox parties.
- 27 Oct 2026, 01:17:03 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Naftali Bennett at Ra'anana polling station
מצביעים עכשיו בקלפי ברעננה🗳️ בוחרים ׳רק׳🇮🇱 https://t.co/g0Rf1Pfgad
— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Taking to X, Naftali Bennett shared a picture of himself at a polling station in Ra'anana. Former prime ministers Naftali Bennett (2021-22) and Yair Lapid (July-December 2022) announced a joint ticket in April this year, which was later named B'Yachad (“Together”). Bennett, 54, is poised to be prime minister if the party wins.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 12:56:51 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: President Herzog calls for a large turnout while casting his vote
Israel President Herzog and his wife cast their votes, call for large turnout Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/3cIy1kCweq #IsaacHerzog #IsraelElections #CastingVote https://t.co/YsJEAGoD9M
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel President Isaac Herzog has cast his ballot in the ongoing elections to the 120-member Knesset.
Sharing a photograph of himself and his wife at the polling station, Herzog urged citizens to participate in the democratic process, saying, “We've already voted — and you? Go out and vote.”
Herzog will have a key role in the government formation process. Once the votes are counted, he will consult the leaders of elected parties before nominating the lawmaker he believes is best positioned to form a government. The nominee will have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
(via ANI) - 27 Oct 2026, 12:42:42 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voting for parliamentary elections underway in Jerusalem | Watch
VIDEO | Jerusalem: Voting underway for Israel's parliamentary elections. A total of 7,336,553 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with 6,209 accessible polling stations set up across Israel. (Only for Use in India) (Source: AFP/PTI) (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 27, 2026Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Polling is in progress for Israel’s parliamentary elections, with total 7,336,553 people eligible to vote. Authorities have established 6,209 polling stations accessible to voters across the country.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 12:25:02 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: 15,000 cameras monitor voting
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel has deployed around 15,000 cameras to help electoral integrity inspectors monitor polling stations and document voting and counting procedures. The safeguards aim to protect ballot secrecy and ensure voters can exercise their choices freely, without intimidation or undue influence. Voting screens and sealed, opaque envelopes prevent others from seeing how individuals vote. The central elections committee has allocated 690 million shekels, approximately USD 223 million, for the election operation, including 12 million voting envelopes and 250 tonnes of paper for ballot materials.
(Inputs from PTI) - 27 Oct 2026, 12:10:47 PM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Families of October 7 victims observe silence in Tel Aviv
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Families of those killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and former hostages observed a moment of silence in Tel Aviv as Israelis voted in the national election on Tuesday.
“Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam was killed in the attack, reported AP.
Meanwhile, voters at a polling station in a Jerusalem school expressed divided opinions, with some calling for a change in leadership and others backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over security concerns.
“He’s not responsible for Oct. 7,” said Nisim Cohen, a reservist who wants Netanyahu to win and continue the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and with Iran until Israelis can sleep peacefully.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 11:59:54 AM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Defence minister Katz urges voters to back ‘offensive approach’ to security
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Tuesday urged voters to support the government's security policies, saying the election presented a choice between an offensive approach and a return to "containment and appeasement".
Katz claimed that Israel had strengthened its security by striking Iran twice, expanding its security boundaries in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, and fortifying its eastern border and the Jordan Valley.
"Erdogan and Israel's enemies are concerned about this power and determination—Israeli citizens must support it to complete the job," he said, adding, "Give us the power to continue and do it!"
- 27 Oct 2026, 11:47:45 AM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Arab parties may emerge as kingmakers
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel could face weeks of coalition negotiations after Tuesday's election if neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious and ultranationalist alliance nor the opposition bloc secures a parliamentary majority.
No single party has ever won an outright majority in Israel's parliament, making coalition-building crucial to forming a government.
Arab-led parties, which are pushing for a high voter turnout, could emerge as kingmakers if they agree to back either side and other parties are willing to join an alliance with them, reported AP.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 27 Oct 2026, 11:30:12 AM IST
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: When will Israel election results be announced?
Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Voting will conclude at 10 pm local time on Tuesday, or 12:30 am IST on Wednesday, October 28.
Israeli television channels are expected to release exit polls immediately after voting ends, offering an early indication of how the parties have performed.
Official counting will follow, with the final vote tally expected by October 30. The results are scheduled to be formally published on November 4.