The Central Elections Committee stated that approximately 1.2 million people had cast their ballots during that timeframe, out of a total of 7.3 million citizens eligible to vote.

This rate is 0,7 percentage points higher than that recorded during the first three hours of the 2022 elections, when turnout was approximately 15,9%.

Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, attributed the increase to high participation among Palestinian citizens and left-wing voters.

According to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics cited in the report, Palestinian citizens make up 18% of the electorate, while Jews account for 77%, and the remaining five percent consists of individuals classified as non-religious.

In a post on the social media platform X, Smotrich noted that turnout was particularly high in Arab localities and left-wing strongholds.

He also urged right-wing voters to support only those parties with a realistic chance of clearing the electoral threshold, to ensure their votes would not be left without parliamentary representation.

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