Israel's participation in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest has drawn protests but its competitor Yuval Raphael -- who escaped the Hamas attack on her country -- is hotly tipped to qualify from Thursday's semifinal.

Raphael survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath dead bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds.

The 24-year-old, with her song "New Day Will Rise", is one of 16 contenders bidding for 10 remaining spots in Saturday's grand final, when 160 million to 200 million people are expected to watch the world's biggest live television music event.

Viewers across Europe and beyond will decide who goes through at the St Jakobshalle arena in Basel.

Bookmakers have Israel, Austria and Finland's entrants as their favourites to progress from the second semifinal, with the contestants from Malta, Australia and Lithuania also thought likely to go through.

Montenegro, Georgia, Denmark, Armenia and Latvia could struggle to make it, according to the........

© International Business Times