Hezbollah is readying to renew war with Israel with funds from Iran, Lebanese sources say

As Israelis prepare to vote in a pivotal election on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded his campaign by claiming the nation faces potential annihilation by Iran if his rivals win. Netanyahu has campaigned on his security credentials, asserting that only he can finish the job against Tehran. His main challenger, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, has accused him of playing up the Iranian threat for political purposes, according to France 24.

Meanwhile, Israel's defense minister denied reports of a rift between the Prime Minister and the army regarding Iran.

The election is described by CBS News as an incredibly tight race with no guarantee of a quick outcome, as most polls suggest neither side is likely to win a decisive majority of the 120 Knesset seats. While right-leaning pollsters show an advantage for Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc, left-leaning pollsters favor the change bloc.

This closely contested vote follows the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The Jerusalem Post reported that the government has escalated attacks on opposition voices and dissent ahead of the vote.

Regarding the West Bank, PBS NewsHour noted that Netanyahu's 17-year rule has been marked by massive settlement expansion and the empowerment of armed settler extremists who sometimes defy the military. While Netanyahu's opponents have vowed to remove contentious outposts and crack down on settler violence, they are mostly opposed to a two-state solution. Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group suggested a new government might only be able to slow the acceleration of aggression seen in the last four years.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, PBS NewsHour, France 24, CBS News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.