Israelis turned out to vote in unusually high numbers on Tuesday, October 27, in what observers described as the highest election turnout in decades, as the country held its first general election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.

By mid-afternoon, almost 45 percent of eligible voters had cast a ballot, according to Israel's Central Elections Committee. The figure represented the highest turnout recorded by 2pm local time in 50 years and was six percent higher than at the same point during the 2022 elections.

The election is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the October 7 attacks and the wars that followed, described as the most intense period of combat for Israel since the 1973 war.

Mitchell Barak, a pollster and former aide to Netanyahu, said voter turnout "is really high and that's good." He added: "I think it will probably pass its historic peak in '73 - when Israel was also involved in a huge war - so draw what conclusion from that you will."

Barak also noted that high turnout would benefit incumbent parties. "Those numbers are going to help the incumbent parties," he said, "as the 3.25 percent threshold a party needs to get into the Knesset remains, the number of votes you need to meet that threshold increases dramatically."

Israeli officials reported exceptionally long lines at several polling stations. The delays were attributed to the high volume of voters, despite rainy and blustery weather in parts of the country and flood warnings in some areas.

More than five hours after polls opened, Netanyahu urged his supporters to vote, warning that turnout was high among his opponents on the left and among Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up approximately one fifth of the population.

"We need it to be high too. You all need to stream to the polls," he said. "This is a fateful moment."

Netanyahu had repeatedly warned supporters ahead of the vote about the prospect of high turnout among Palestinian citizens, seeking to mobilise his base under the slogan "the right or Palestine."

Palestinian candidate Ahmed Tibi said those voters were casting ballots in "unprecedented" numbers.

Netanyahu and his main rival Gadi Eisenkot have both ruled out partnering with Arab parties, citing a lack of shared values, though some scenarios envision Arab parties supporting a minority government in order to ensure Netanyahu is removed from office.

An Israeli rights group filed a complaint with the country's election commission, warning that widespread delays at polling stations could be suppressing the vote among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said delays had been reported in at least 18 communities and called on the Central Elections Committee to investigate "whether these delays are deliberate." The group acknowledged that delays could be a result of high overall turnout.

The association also reported "a large presence" of police and National Guard officers at a polling station in the Negev Desert, raising concerns that officers were using crowd control as a pretext to prevent people from entering to vote.