❗️Latest developments in Israeli elections: As voting continues, the Central Elections Committee reported that national turnout reached 55.7 percent by 4:00 PM local time, marking an 8.2 percentage-point jump compared to the same hour during the 2022 elections. Political figures across the spectrum have urged their bases to head to the ballot boxes before polls close at 10:00 PM, amid widespread reports of heavy congestion and procedural hurdles. Seeking to leverage the frantic final hours of voting, Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party officially petitioned the Central Elections Committee to extend legal voting hours beyond the standard 10:00 PM closing time, a move joined by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party under the pretext of accommodating long lines. The high participation rates have been accompanied by sharp political friction. Ta'al party leader Ahmad Tibi asserted that settlers were intentionally slowing down the voting process in Palestinian communities, while the legal rights organization Adalah noted it had received “numerous reports” regarding obstacles faced by Palestinians with Israeli citizenship at polling stations. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cast his ballot in occupied West Jerusalem and urged his supporters to rush to the polls, claiming that Palestinian citizens were “racing to the ballots.” Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen accused Netanyahu of continuing “to incite against Arab citizens and question our legitimacy to vote and influence the political map.” Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot similarly criticized the incumbent leader, blasting the Likud campaign for relying on “tricks, lies and fearmongering” to mobilize right-wing voters.