Israeli voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of the Netanyahu government and the direction of the country for the next few years.

While no major party is expected to win an outright majority on their own, something that has never happened in the country's history, the primary political blocs are set for a competitive race.

The election marks the first contest since the start of the war in Gaza, which has escalated into a wider conflict that has seen fighting in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, and most of the Gulf States.

Turnout in the first hours of the contest reportedly marked its highest levels in 45 years, according to CNN.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.