Israel's Netanyahu faces stern test in battle for fifth term

Netanyahu, who could be on course for a record fifth term in office, called the snap ballot after failing to form a governing coalition following the previous vote in April.

Opinion polls placed the Prime Minister's centre-right Likud party neck-and-neck with the centrist Blue and White Party, which was led by former armed forces chief Benny Gantz, but neither party was expected to come through as the outright winners.

In the spring election, both parties won 35 seats out of the Knesset's 120.

The impact of smaller parties is therefore expected to be pivotal, with polls indicating that far-right party Yisrael Beiteinu could double the number of seats it holds in Israel's parliament from five to ten and thus hold major sway in coalition negotiations with each of the largest parties.

While Gantz has focused his campaign on ongoing corruption investigations into Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister has attempted to appeal to right wing voters, pledging to expand Israeli sovereignty into the Jordan Valley and annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

This plan was likely to inflame tensions in the region and add to the challenge faced by US President Donald Trump, whose proposed peace deal for Israel and Palestine was reportedly to be released in the coming months.

Voting will end at 10PM local time (2000 BST), after which exit polls will be published and new coalition negotiations will begin.