Ahead of the October 27 vote, polls show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc neck and neck with that of his main centre-right rival, Gadi Eisenkot, according to The Hindu.

The campaign has turned to AI-generated images: on Wednesday (October 21), Eisenkot posted on X a video wishing Netanyahu a happy 77th birthday featuring AI-generated characters, including a Hamas member speaking from a tunnel. A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute indicates that 37% of Jewish Israelis and 46% of Arab Israelis prefer new elections to forming a minority government or a unity government with rotation.