Jerusalem, Oct. 27 -- Israeli voters are turning out in historic numbers for the parliamentary elections, with voter turnout reaching 31.5 per cent by 12:00 PM (local time), according to the Central Elections Committee.

The Times of Israel reported that this participation figure marks the highest voter turnout recorded at midday since 1973, in the first election held after the Yom Kippur War, highlighting exceptionally high voter engagement across the country.

The strong surge at the polls follows heavy morning participation, reflecting intense interest from the electorate as citizens cast their ballots across more than 12,000 polling stations nationwide.

The first voter turnout figures for Israel's election to the Knesset stood at 16....