Israeli election: Netanyahu faces tight race against divided challengers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tight race in Tuesday's election, with his challengers lacking a clear path to victory after a period where he appeared likely to lose power. The vote follows the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered regional conflict. Netanyahu, in power since 2009, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza and faces domestic corruption charges, all of which he denies. His Likud party's popularity has declined since the Hamas attack, though he has proven political resilience. Key challengers include former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, ex-premier Naftali Bennett, former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, and general Yair Golan. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir support settlement expansion and Palestinian expulsion, while ultra-Orthodox parties back Netanyahu.