Israel's election outcome seen as consequential for the region

■ Steady

Israel's election is days away amid protests and a close race

Thousands marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Netanyahu's government, demanding accountability for the failure to prevent the October 7, 2023 attack, three days before the general election. It is the first legislative election since that attack. Neither Netanyahu's Likud nor Eisenkot's Yashar party is likely to win a majority, so Arab parties could influence the outcome.

• Al Jazeera says a new Israeli government would not end the occupation but could rein in the far right and ease regional tensions.
• Al Jazeera also reports that Netanyahu has floated using cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions.