Netanyahu Urges Israelis to Vote as Polls Near Closing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged his supporters to vote, warning that only four hours remained to “save Israel.” The Likud party leader made the statement in a post published on X at 6:03pm local time.

Netanyahu’s message came as voting continued, with polling stations scheduled to close at 10pm. The Central Election Commission said voters still waiting in line when polling stations close would be allowed to cast their ballots.

The prime minister has faced accusations of fearmongering and incitement following earlier comments about Palestinian citizens. He had warned that Palestinian citizens were “racing to the ballots,” drawing criticism over his remarks.

His latest appeal continued his push to mobilise supporters before voting ended. The statement framed the remaining hours as critical, although Netanyahu did not provide further details in the reported post.

Polling stations were scheduled to close at 10pm local time, equivalent to 8pm GMT. However, election officials confirmed that anyone already waiting in line at closing time would still be permitted to vote.

The arrangement allows eligible voters in queues to complete the process after the official closing time. The final voting figures and outcome were not provided in the report.