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Polling opened across Israel at 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. Turkish time) for a general election to choose the 120 members of the next parliament. More than 7.3 million eligible voters can cast ballots at 12,018 polling stations and 18,000 ballot boxes, which stay open until 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Turkish time).

The vote is the first on-schedule general election since 1988 and comes after four years of attacks carried out by the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is also the first election since the Israeli military's campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has caused massive destruction and is the subject of a genocide case, its occupation of southern Lebanon and the war launched against Iran alongside the United States.

Results expected

Exit polls are due to be published once voting ends. After any objections are reviewed, final results must be announced within eight days at the latest.

Turnout in the previous election in 2022 was recorded at 70.63 percent.

Key takeaways

• Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and close at 10 p.m., with 7.3 million voters eligible at 12,018 stations.
• More than 30 parties and lists compete for 120 seats under a 3.25 percent threshold; 11 to 12 are expected to pass it.
• Netanyahu and former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot are expected to be in a close race.
• About 6 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza cannot vote.