Israel turnout surpasses entire 2022 election total with two hours left to vote...

Voter turnout in Israel's election reached 74.3 percent by 8 p.m., surpassing the full turnout recorded in the 2022 general election. This figure compares with 66.3 percent at the same point in the previous election.

Payment-card spending rose 41.2 percent to NIS 1.14 billion, and the shekel strengthened against both the dollar and the euro.