Israel votes three years after October 7 as Netanyahu faces Eisenkot challenge

Israel holds elections three years after the October 7 Hamas attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a critical challenge while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot leads in polls. Netanyahu faces accusations of moral and practical responsibility for the attack, an ongoing corruption trial, and opposition from a broad "Zionist bloc" promising a state inquiry into the October 7 failures. Eisenkot's new party has surpassed Likud in recent surveys. The election follows years of multi-front wars, social polarization, and hostage crises. Trump has endorsed Netanyahu, praising him as a "warrior prime minister" despite recent tensions between the two leaders.