Israel heads to Oct. 27 election as Netanyahu campaigns on Iran threat

Israel votes on 27 October in its first national election since the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, with Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another term after Donald Trump publicly endorsed him. Polls show neither his bloc nor Gadi Eisenkot's opposition clearly reaching the 61 seats needed, raising the risk of prolonged coalition deadlock, while Iran's nuclear programme and the unfinished wars with Hamas and Hezbollah dominate the campaign. The outcome will shape how Israel and the United States approach Iran, a confrontation central to the region's escalation risk, though an election result alone fulfils no prophecy.