Israel Elections 2026, live | Voter turnout in the elections up to 2:00 p.m. rises to 45%, the highest since 1973
Netanyahu tries to stir fear of Arab parties | Gadi Eisenkot, opposition leader: “There are winds of change” | Around 7.3 million people are called to vote in the first elections after the attacks on October 7, 2023
Israel's election participation rose to 45% by 14:00 local time, according to the Central Electoral Committee. This is the highest percentage since 1973, and six points higher than the previous elections in 2022. A total of 7.3 million people are eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections, which are the first since the October 7, 2023 attacks that killed around 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken hostage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is seeking to form a government with right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
