Israel's election: Netanyahu faces security test after Oct. 7

Israelis vote on Oct. 27 in their first election since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu campaigning on security while facing blame for the deadliest assault in the country's history. Netanyahu, 77, argues he has weakened Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran since the attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. His main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, 66, leads a centrist alliance and has vowed to establish an inquiry into the security failures. Neither bloc is forecast to win a 61-seat majority, potentially forcing weeks of coalition talks or another vote. The election also weighs on Netanyahu's corruption trial, judicial overhaul plans, and the future of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.