[Anchor]

Israel is holding a general election for the first time since the Gaza war broke out three years ago. The outcome is expected to significantly shake not only Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political survival, but also the future direction of the Middle East conflict.

Reporter Kim Young-a has the story.

[Reporter]

Voting for the general election began at 7:00 a.m. local time on the 27th across approximately 12,000 polling stations throughout Israel.

Voter turnout has been high, with some 67,000 overseas voters returning home to cast their ballots.

Two days before the election, Prime Minister Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image on social media showing a nuclear bomb hitting Tel Aviv, and plastered large billboards featuring himself standing side by side with his wartime partner, Trump, across the country.

He sought to rally support by stoking fears of an Iranian nuclear attack and highlighting security issues.

[Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli Prime Minister : I warn you, do not try to test us. You will suffer a blow much greater than you think.]

However, the final opinion polls by Israel's three major broadcasters projected that out of the 120 total seats, the right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu would win only 50 to 51 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu opposition led by former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot is expected to secure 52 to 56 seats.

[Gadi Eisenkot / Former Israeli Chief of Staff : We will surely win and bring about a massive change in Israel.]

With neither side likely to secure a majority, the fate of the government will depend on coalition-building efforts.

If Netanyahu fails to retain power, his ongoing corruption trials are expected to accelerate, and he could face political ruin over accusations that he ignored signs of the Hamas attack three years ago.

[Evan / Jerusalem Resident : Because of the man who claimed to be responsible for security, we are in a worse situation than before. He failed to prove himself, and he is not moving forward.]

On the other hand, if Netanyahu overcomes the crisis and succeeds in regaining power—having vowed to launch another strike against Iran—the Middle East war is likely to escalate further.

(Video Editing: Jung Yong-hwa, Design: Seohyun Jung)