Israel will elect a new Knesset on October 27. This is the first election since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Hamas may try an attack ahead of the vote. He said Israel is ready to respond with force. Opposition leader Yair Lapid asked for a security briefing and urged calm.

Polls show a tight race. Most surveys put Netanyahu’s Likud at 20 to 22 seats. His right-wing camp is at 50 to 54 seats, below the 61 needed for a majority.

Gadi Eisenkot’s new centrist party Yashar leads the field with 23 seats in one poll. Eisenkot has promised an inquiry into the October 7 security failures.

Arab parties could play kingmaker. The Supreme Court overturned a ban on them contesting the polls. The ban was pushed by Netanyahu’s allies.

The third anniversary of the attack was marked this week. Over 74,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, as per its health ministry.