How do Israel's elections work and who are the main contenders?

How do Israel's elections work and who are the main contenders?

Current polling indicates that Gadi Eisenkot (left) is locked in a close contest with incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu (right) to become Israel's prime minister.

Israel's general election is set for Tuesday 27 October.

It is the first election since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, and the wars that followed in Gaza and with Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Many see it as one of the most consequential elections in Israel's history, with implications far beyond the country.

Polling currently shows Netanyahu in a tight race with Gadi Eisenkot, a former head of the Israel Defense Forces, for the premiership.

Eisenkot's appeal comes in part from his military background and his relative newcomer status in politics, after founding his Yashar Party only last year.

He lost his son, a soldier, in the opening months of the Gaza war, and he served in Israel's war cabinet under Netanyahu until stepping down in 2024 over disagreements about the conflict. His campaign has focused on demands for accountability over the security failures that led to 7 October.

Other opposition figures include former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman - both right-wing politicians who take hardline security stances and back permanent Israeli control over much of the occupied West Bank - as well as Yair Golan, a left-wing politician who supports Israel's withdrawal from large parts of the territory. Despite their differences, they could join with Eisenkot to form a government.

Netanyahu's present government is the most right-wing in Israel's history. To stay in office, he will probably need the backing of some of his current far-right coalition allies. Some of them hold ultra-nationalist views, including calls for Israel to annex the West Bank and for the "migration" of Palestinians from Gaza - which could amount to the forced displacement of civilians. Some members of Netanyahu's own Likud party have also called for Palestinian "migration" from the territory.

Two Arab party blocs are also in the race, and since roughly one-fifth of Israel's population is Arab - many of whom identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel - they could in theory hold the balance of power. But all except one of the leading Jewish parties have said they will not work with them.

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats, so a government needs 61 seats to secure a majority.

Israel uses proportional representation, which means governments have always been coalitions made up of several parties.

As a result, after election day it may take weeks or even months before a new government is formed, as parties negotiate concessions and strike deals.

If no bloc can reach a majority, a minority government could take power.

Security has been the dominant issue, with Netanyahu's challengers strongly criticising the security failures that led to the 7 October attacks, when nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages. Even so, Netanyahu has again cast himself as "Mr Security", pointing to strategic gains in Israel's wars since 2023.

Conscription is another major issue. Traditionally, ultra-Orthodox Jewish men engaged in full-time religious study have been exempt from military service, but since the war began this has become an increasingly divisive policy.

Judicial reform has also been central to the campaign. Netanyahu's government is still pushing controversial changes to the judicial system, which sparked mass protests before 7 October. Critics argue the proposals would weaken judicial independence and endanger democracy.

As in many countries, the cost of living is another key concern. Food and housing prices have risen steadily in recent years.

A year after the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel continues to carry out near-daily strikes on the territory - saying it is targeting Hamas operatives - and still controls more than half of it.

More than 74,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry - whose figures are regarded as reliable by the UN.

In the West Bank, attacks by Jewish settlers are at a record high, according to UN records, while Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law, are expanding rapidly.

For Palestinians, then, the composition of Israel's government is a major factor in their lives.

On Gaza, the two leading camps - led by Netanyahu and Eisenkot - hold similar positions, with both backing Donald Trump's peace plan, under which Hamas would surrender its weapons in return for a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from the territory. Eisenkot recently promised to end Hamas rule in the territory within 18 months, by military means if needed.

In the West Bank, Netanyahu's camp largely wants to continue its policy of settlement expansion.

Eisenkot supports Israeli settlements in general, but opposes moving ahead with the controversial E1 settlement project, which would effectively divide the West Bank in two. He also wants to shut down some unauthorised settler outposts built on Palestinian land, create the conditions for a final peace settlement with the Palestinians, and crack down on extremist Jewish settlers.

For decades, many mainstream Israeli politicians supported a two-state solution - the creation of an independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel - although Netanyahu has long opposed it. But backing for the idea has been falling for years. In this election, none of the leading Jewish parties is campaigning on it, and many have rejected it outright.

At 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on election day, Israeli broadcasters will release exit polls. These will offer some indication of the voting direction, but they can differ sharply and current polling suggests there is unlikely to be a clear projected winner.

Preliminary results are expected the following day, with official results due on 4 November.

After consulting party leaders, President Isaac Herzog will then ask whichever leader he believes has the best chance of forming a government to do so.

That process can take more than a month, and if it fails the president may turn to another leader. If that also fails, Knesset members can ask the president to let a third leader try. If that too fails, new elections will be called.

Between 2019 and 2022, Israel held five separate elections as parties repeatedly struggled to cooperate.