With 50% of the vote counted, Israeli media report that Netanyahu\u2019s bloc is ahead, with projections he could take 55 seats under the current vote share. The projections put Gadi Eisenkot\u2019s opposition bloc on 49 seats and the Palestinian parties on 16 seats. Sixty-one seats are needed to form a majority to govern in the Knesset, and the final seat projection will probably be updated as more votes are counted.<\/p>\n
Exit polls published by Israel\u2019s major TV networks show Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s governing bloc tied with the opposition grouping led by Gadi Eisenkot on 51 seats each. Earlier exit polls had Eisenkot winning most seats in the Knesset by a slight margin. Israeli exit polls are often revised after publication and are notoriously imprecise, with the final count often swinging by several seats.<\/p>\n
Voter turnout surged to the highest level in more than two decades, underscoring the stakes of an election that has been labelled the most important in the country\u2019s history. More than 77% of eligible voters cast a ballot, according to Israel\u2019s central elections committee, about 7 percentage points higher than in 2022.<\/p>\n
The Palestinian parties are projected to dramatically increase their representation in the Knesset, with exit polls showing they could win as many as 18 seats<\/a>, up from 10. Experts have said that if Eisenkot falls short of a majority, as the exit polls suggest, he would be obliged to sit down to talk to the Palestinian groupings, the Joint List and Ra\u2019am, to try to form a government \u2013 which could take weeks.<\/p>\n Netanyahu took the stage at a post-election rally in Jerusalem just after 3am, telling his supporters official results will show that \u201cLikud is the largest party in Israel\u201d. He told his supporters that the country must \u201cestablish a strong, right-wing national government\u201d \u2013 adding that a government that relies on the support of Palestinian parties must not be formed.<\/p>\n Eisenkot told cheering supporters in Tel Aviv that the \u201cIsraeli public has voted against Netanyahu\u2019s service as Israel\u2019s prime minister \u2026 a worthy leader would have accepted the people\u2019s non-confidence and announced today his retirement from politics.\u201d In his speech, he also warned Netanyahu not to \u201cuse Israel\u2019s security\u201d for political ends, playing on fears that the prime minister could use this period of uncertainty to launch a new attack on Iran.<\/p>\n The exit polls were released after a last-ditch effort by Netanyahu and several other parties to keep polling stations open beyond their 10pm deadline was rejected by the Central Elections Committee. The prime minister suggested publicly that efforts were being made by the \u201cleft and Arabs\u201d to steal the election, a claim rejected by the committee, which said it had seen no evidence of systematic tampering.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.01 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Hours after Israel\u2019s polling stations closed, and with more than half of votes counted, several things are clear.<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s current coalition has lost its mandate, Palestinian citizens of Israel have secured a key bloc of seats on the back of historic turnout, and the main Jewish-Israeli opposition bloc has no clear path to power without their support.<\/p>\n By 8am Israeli time, partial results put the opposition bloc led by former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot on 49 seats, behind Netanyahu\u2019s coalition at 55 seats. Palestinian-led parties are forecast to secure the remaining 16 seats, but several key towns were yet to report their counts.<\/p>\n A more complete picture is expected by late morning. Exit polls had put Eisenkot in a stronger position, and Israeli political analyst Nadav Eyal said around 6am local time that the pollsters were standing behind their samples.<\/p>\n double quotation markThey haven\u2019t corrected further, and apparently validated their exit polls against the true results at the polling stations. In their view, these will be the final results.\u201d<\/p>\n He noted that samples in Israel have historically been very accurate in forecasting the size of potential coalition blocs, but also that Likud\u2019s strength is often underestimated.<\/p>\n Exit polls also do not capture absentee ballots, although these are fairly restricted under Israel\u2019s voting system. Eligible groups include diplomats, serving soldiers and people medically unable to reach polling stations.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Summary<\/p>\n It\u2019s just after 9am in Tel Aviv where Israelis are grappling with the results of yesterday\u2019s elections<\/a>, with no clear victor and uncertainty guaranteed at this point.<\/p>\n With 50% of the vote counted, Israeli media report that Netanyahu\u2019s bloc is ahead, with projections he could take 55 seats under the current vote share. The projections put Gadi Eisenkot\u2019s opposition bloc on 49 seats and the Palestinian parties on 16 seats. Sixty-one seats are needed to form a majority to govern in the Knesset, and the final seat projection will probably be updated as more votes are counted.<\/p>\n Exit polls published by Israel\u2019s major TV networks show Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s governing bloc tied with the opposition grouping led by Gadi Eisenkot on 51 seats each. Earlier exit polls had Eisenkot winning most seats in the Knesset by a slight margin. Israeli exit polls are often revised after publication and are notoriously imprecise, with the final count often swinging by several seats.<\/p>\n Voter turnout surged to the highest level in more than two decades, underscoring the stakes of an election that has been labelled the most important in the country\u2019s history. More than 77% of eligible voters cast a ballot, according to Israel\u2019s central elections committee, about 7 percentage points higher than in 2022.<\/p>\n The Palestinian parties are projected to dramatically increase their representation in the Knesset, with exit polls showing they could win as many as 18 seats<\/a>, up from 10. Experts have said that if Eisenkot falls short of a majority, as the exit polls suggest, he would be obliged to sit down to talk to the Palestinian groupings, the Joint List and Ra\u2019am, to try to form a government \u2013 which could take weeks.<\/p>\n Netanyahu took the stage at a post-election rally in Jerusalem just after 3am, telling his supporters official results will show that \u201cLikud is the largest party in Israel\u201d. He told his supporters that the country must \u201cestablish a strong, right-wing national government\u201d \u2013 adding that a government that relies on the support of Palestinian parties must not be formed.<\/p>\n Eisenkot told cheering supporters in Tel Aviv that the \u201cIsraeli public has voted against Netanyahu\u2019s service as Israel\u2019s prime minister \u2026 a worthy leader would have accepted the people\u2019s non-confidence and announced today his retirement from politics.\u201d In his speech, he also warned Netanyahu not to \u201cuse Israel\u2019s security\u201d for political ends, playing on fears that the prime minister could use this period of uncertainty to launch a new attack on Iran.<\/p>\n The exit polls were released after a last-ditch effort by Netanyahu and several other parties to keep polling stations open beyond their 10pm deadline was rejected by the Central Elections Committee. The prime minister suggested publicly that efforts were being made by the \u201cleft and Arabs\u201d to steal the election, a claim rejected by the committee, which said it had seen no evidence of systematic tampering.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.01 EDT<\/p>\n Turnout among Israeli army personnel was 79.9%, an increase of 6.2% from the 2022 elections, according to the IDF.<\/p>\n In its statement, the IDF said that 809 polling stations were deployed throughout the country\u2019s bases and in combat zones.<\/p>\n Israeli election material is packed in a central logistics centre. Photograph: Jim Hollander\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Under Israeli electoral law each voter is assigned to a specific polling station and can only vote at that station. However in exceptional circumstances, some voters are allowed to cast their ballot at special polling stations they are not registered at; among those afforded this exception are IDF personnel.<\/p>\n Ballot boxes from these special polling stations are transported directly to the Knesset where they undergo a series of checks before they are counted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n One apparent loser from Tuesday\u2019s election was far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was expected to better his party\u2019s result of six seats from the 2022 elections.<\/p>\n But instead there was stunned silence at the watch party for Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) in central Israel<\/a> as results from the exit polls flashed across the screen, with most channels suggesting the party would remain on just six seats.<\/p>\n Supporters of Itamar Ben-Gvir react to the exit polls. Photograph: Rami Shlush\/Reuters<\/p>\n Speaking earlier in the evening, Ben-Gvir attempted to revive his supporters spirits by reminding them of all he had achieved in the past four years to further their agenda, including passing a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis and worsening conditions for Palestinian prisoners.<\/p>\n Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party, speaks to supporters. Photograph: Rami Shlush\/Reuters<\/p>\n He also denounced other members of Netanyahu\u2019s coalition who had suggested a unity government with his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, which the audience booed loudly.<\/p>\n double quotation markThis is precisely the scenario we warned against \u2013 it is a terrible mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.31 EDT<\/p>\n Analysis: Rise of Palestinian parties in Knesset will redraw Israel\u2019s political landscape<\/p>\n The big gains made by Palestinian parties in Israel\u2019s general election pose an urgent and fundamental challenge to the country\u2019s mainstream opposition: either cooperate with Arab Israelis or hand Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> a roadmap to political survival.<\/p>\n In the wake of Tuesday\u2019s exit polls<\/a>, the leader of the opposition bloc, Gadi Eisenkot, declared them a victory for \u201cIsrael\u2019s Zionist national majority\u201d but the real outcome looks as if it will be far more complex than that.<\/p>\n The greatest change between the new Knesset and the old will be the dramatically increased representation of Palestinian parties, currently projected to win 17 to 18 seats, up from 10. That redraws the battle lines on Israel\u2019s political landscape. Arab Israelis will not so easily be sidelined and ignored.<\/p>\n Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, waves to supporters. Photograph: Ariel Schalit\/AP<\/p>\n Eisenkot could argue he has a chance of negotiating his way to a Knesset majority. To do so, however, he and his partners in the \u201cchange\u201d bloc would be obliged to sit down to talk with the Palestinian groupings, the Joint List and Ra\u2019am (an acronym for the United Arab List).<\/p>\n They would probably find Ra\u2019am and its leader, Mansour Abbas, easier to talk to. Abbas has already participated in a right-leaning government of Naftali Bennett, now a junior partner in the Eisenkot bloc. Abbas has shown willingness to make political compromises and stated emphatically on Tuesday that his priority is to \u201cbring down Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>, Smotrich, and Ben Gvir in this election\u201d.<\/p>\n However, most estimates based on the exit polls show Ra\u2019am as the smaller of the two Palestinian groupings, with seven projected seats in the new Knesset and it is not clear that would be enough, even if a pact was made with the consent of the other members of Eisenkot\u2019s bloc, to produce a majority government.<\/p>\n Head of the Joint List alliance Yousef Jabareen (second left) celebrates with supporters as the first exit polls are announced at campaign headquarters in Nazareth, Israel. Photograph: Jamal Awad\/EPA<\/p>\n Negotiations with the Joint List, with 10 or more projected seats, would be tougher. Eisenkot has laid down four conditions: recognise Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, accept the values expressed in Israel\u2019s declaration of independence, accept conscription for Palestinians Israeli citizens, who are currently exempt, and denounce Hamas as a terrorist organisation.<\/p>\n Speaking on Tuesday as the votes were being counted, Amjad Shbita, the general secretary of Hadash, the socialist party that is the biggest faction in the Joint List, said Eisenkot would be in no position to impose terms for coalition talks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n With 50% of the vote counted, Israeli media report that Netanyahu\u2019s bloc is ahead, with projections he could take 56 seats under the current vote share.<\/p>\n The projections put Gadi Eisenkot\u2019s opposition bloc on 49 seats and the Palestinian parties on 15 seats.<\/p>\n Placards are seen on the floor after Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to supporters. Photograph: Chris McGrath\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Sixty-one seats are needed to form a majority to govern in the Knesset, and the final seat projection will probably be updated as more votes are counted.<\/p>\n Exits polls earlier in the evening had both Netanyahu\u2019s and Eisenkot\u2019s bloc tied on about 51 seats.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>What happens now?<\/p>\n The lead that exit polls gave to the opposition bloc early in the night has disappeared, with Netanyahu\u2019s grouping now neck and neck with Gadi Eisenkot.<\/p>\n Israeli television networks gave the two blocs approximately 51 seats each in the 120 member Knesset \u2013 well below the 61 needed to govern. Palestinian parties meanwhile saw a surge in support, with exit polls showing them winning 17 or 18 seats between them.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n Parties will attempt to reach a majority<\/p>\n No single party has ever reached the requisite 61 seats needed to form a government in the Knesset, so parties must work together to form governing coalitions.<\/p>\n President Isaac Herzog will name a candidate who has the best chance to form a government \u2013 not necessarily the party with the most seats \u2013 but with the exit polls showing both parties falling short of a majority that process could take weeks.<\/p>\n Ra\u2019am leader Mansour Abbas and opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot. Composite: Alamy<\/p>\n \u200bCoalition building in Israel has always been difficult because mainstream parties usually refuse to collaborate with parties run by Palestinian citizens\u200b of Israel<\/a>. However some have suggested Eisenkot could begin discussions with the Palestinian groupings who have seen a surge in support.<\/p>\n Palestinian grouping Ra\u2019am is seen as a potential kingmaker if Netanyahu fails to secure enough votes to try to form a government. Their leader, Mansour Abbas, participated in a right-leaning government in the past.<\/p>\n However Eisenkot\u2019s camp kept them at arm\u2019s length during the campaign, perceiving their support as a liability. In the past he has said Arab-led parties do not meet Zionist criteria to govern.<\/p>\n For Netanyahu\u2019s bloc, however, there is no obvious place to pick up more seats, save for defections. Addressing his supporters in the early hours of Wednesday morning, he said that a government that relies on the support of Palestinian parties must not be formed.<\/p>\n Coalition negotiations can be arduous and can produce unstable governments. It took Netanyahu 58 days to form his government after the previous election in November 2022.<\/p>\n A minority government could be attempted<\/p>\n If no bloc manages to secure 61 seats, a candidate could attempt to govern without a majority but rather through support on an ad hoc basis from other lawmakers.<\/p>\n In this scenario, lawmakers from the Palestinian parties whose representation in the Knesset is likely to have increase, could play a critical role.<\/p>\n The Joint List \u2013 which represents a number of Israeli Arab parties \u2013 has said it would be unlikely to join a coalition government outright, but has offered to provide a \u201csafety net\u201d for anyone that ousts Netanyahu from power.<\/p>\n A national unity government?<\/p>\n While appearing fanciful at first glance, Israeli commentators have mused in recent weeks on the possibility of a national unity government in which Netanyahu would jettison his far-right allies as well as ultra-Orthodox parties and team up with Eisenkot, who shares Netanyahu\u2019s views on many security issues.<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to supporters at the Likud Party election-night event in Jerusalem. Photograph: Alexi J Rosenfeld\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Amit Segal, the chief political analyst for Channel 12 and journalist seen as close to Netanyahu, suggested that the prime minister\u2019s extortion that the \u201cZionist majority must come to its senses and unite\u201d, could be interpreted as an olive branch to Eisenkot.<\/p>\n This scenario has a recent precedent. In 2020, Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, like Eisenkot a retired general appealing to the centre, reached a power-sharing agreement, but their partnership fell apart after a year, triggering another election.<\/p>\n A unity government in the present situation would face strong opposition from both sides, particularly the opposition bloc, which has built its campaign around ousting Netanyahu, casting him as unfit to lead.<\/p>\n New elections<\/p>\n If no candidate manages to form a government, Israel will have to return to the polls.<\/p>\n The country held five elections between 2019 and 2022 due to the inability of politicians to forge a lasting coalition.<\/p>\n However if we a new set of polls is on the horizon, they are not likely to happen for weeks at the minimum, with the candidate designated by the president having 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible two week extension.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Coalition talks loom as Israel exit polls suggest Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs tied Israel could be in for weeks of political haggling after exit polls and partial official results showed neither Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s coalition nor the opposition bloc led by former general Gadi Eisenkot had won enough seats to form a government.<\/p>\n The polls published by Israel\u2019s major TV networks show Netanyahu\u2019s governing bloc tied with the opposition grouping led by Eisenkot on 51 seats each, short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority coalition government.<\/p>\n Speaking at 3 am local time, Israel\u2019s longest-serving prime minister vowed to assemble a coalition through agreements between his Likud party, far-right factions and Jewish religious parties.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must put in place a strong government of the right,\u201d Netanyahu told cheering supporters. \u201cThe Jewish and Zionist majority must unite,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n A supporter at the Likud Party election-night event in Jerusalem. Photograph: Chris McGrath\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Eisenkot, speaking to his own supporters in Tel Aviv, said earlier in the evening that \u201cpeople decided in favour of change\u201d and Netanyahu should have \u201cannounced today his retirement from politics\u201d.<\/p>\n The election was marked by a record participation by Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin<\/a>, a discriminated minority that makes up about 20% of the country\u2019s population. Many in the group have sought a stronger political voice after decades of boycotting polls in the Jewish state. Millions of other Palestinians living under Israeli rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza cannot vote, leading to accusations of apartheid.<\/p>\n Exit polls predicted Palestinian parties could win about 18 seats, up from 10. However, their role in any coalition would be difficult. Netanyahu has said it was \u201cout of the question\u201d to have a government backed by Palestinian parties, while Eisenkot has said<\/a> Arab-led parties do not meet Zionist criteria to govern.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Donald Trump speaks on Israeli election results<\/p>\n Donald Trump has said he is \u201chearing that [Netanyahu] did very well,\u201d speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. \u201cI actually heard he did pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump cautioned that it was a \u201clittle bit early\u201d and said he has not yet spoken with Netanyahu about the results. Trump endorsed Netanyahu late in the campaign, while Netanyahu stressed his close ties with the White House in his election night speech.<\/p>\n Later on, Trump posted a quote to social media, crediting the support he gave to Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> for effecting the outcome of the elections, which remain far from clear.<\/p>\n Attributing the lines to \u201cIrving C. Schwartz\u201d, the US president has posted:<\/p>\n double quotation markWhen President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu. It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!\u201d Share<\/a><\/p>\n A record number of Israelis are expected to have voted at \u201cspecial polling stations\u201d in 2026, casting more confusion into the mix as the results as these ballots are not expected to be announced before Thursday.<\/p>\n Under Israeli electoral law, each voter is assigned to a specific polling station and can only vote at that station. However in exceptional circumstances, some voters are allowed to cast their ballot at special polling stations they are not registered at. Among those afforded this exception are soldiers stationed at IDF bases, diplomats working abroad, prisoners and prison guards and people in hospital.<\/p>\n Allow content provided by a third party?<\/p>\n This article includes content hosted on platform.x.com. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n Ballot boxes from these special polling stations are transported directly to the Knesset where they undergo a series of checks before they are counted.<\/p>\n According to some reports, Israel\u2019s Central Elections Committee expects between 600,000 and 650,000 people to vote in such a way, almost 10% of elegible voters and an unprecedented number in Israeli electoral history.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.22 EDT<\/p>\n While the count continues, let\u2019s recap some of the comments made by Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> and rival Gadi Eisenkot in their speeches to supporters.<\/p>\n Netanyahu greeted cheering supporters at a Jerusalem convention centre after 3am. The 77-year-old prime minister was unusually brief and did not directly claim victory. He called for a \u201cstrong government of the right\u201d and said that the \u201cJewish and Zionist majority must unite\u201d.<\/p>\n He also listed leaders Israel<\/a> has killed under his orders and again hinted that he was ready for a third bombing campaign against Iran alongside Donald Trump. \u201cIsrael has a unique opportunity with our partner President Trump to forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n An aide speaks to Benjamin Netanyahu at Likud\u2019s election headquarters in Jerusalem. Photograph: Ammar Awad\/Reuters<\/p>\n Eisenkot, speaking earlier to his own supporters in Tel Aviv, issued a veiled warning to Netanyahu, who observers say could use a war to push for a unity government.<\/p>\n \u201cNetanyahu, don\u2019t you dare use Israel\u2019s security for your political needs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Addressing Israel\u2019s security establishment, Eisenkot said that they served the state and not Netanyahu, calling him \u201ca caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people\u2019s trust\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Supporters of the opposition bloc breathed a sigh of relief after the first exit polls were announced, but as the night has worn on nervousness has grown on both sides.<\/p>\n With exit polls shifting to put the two sides on equal footing, Agence France-Presse is reporting that voters like former Hamas hostage Ohad Ben Ami have expressed alarm that Netanyahu could come out ahead.<\/p>\n Ohad Ben Ami speaks at a Yashar party election night rally. Photograph: Noam Galai\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThree years ago, the government abandoned us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n double quotation markAn Israeli citizen should never have spent a year and a half in Hamas tunnels when deals [with Hamas] were on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu kept supporters waiting until past 3am in a Jerusalem convention centre. Known for his long, passionate speeches, he was unusually brief.<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at his party headquarters. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun\/Reuters<\/p>\n Ari Marx, holding a large sign bearing the prime minister\u2019s image, said he was not \u201cscared\u201d of the results or of another war with Iran, which Netanyahu has threatened.<\/p>\n \u201cEither Bibi is going to win or there\u2019s going to be a new election,\u201d he said, using Netanyahu\u2019s nickname, doubting anyone else could form a government.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a000.16 EDT<\/p>\n Summary<\/p>\n It\u2019s just after 6am in Tel Aviv where Israelis are waking up to exit polls that show no clear victor in yesterday\u2019s elections, with uncertainty guaranteed at this point.<\/p>\n The polls published by Israel\u2019s major TV networks show Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s governing bloc tied with the opposition grouping led by Gadi Eisenkot on 51 seats each, short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority coalition government.<\/p>\n Earlier exit polls had Eisenkot\u2019s bloc winning most seats in the Knesset by a slight margin. Israeli exit polls are often revised after publication and are notoriously imprecise, with the final count often swinging by several seats.<\/p>\n Voter turnout surged to the highest level in more than two decades, underscoring the stakes of an election that has been labelled the most important in the country\u2019s history. More than 77% of eligible voters cast a ballot, according to Israel\u2019s central elections committee, about 7 percentage points higher than in 2022.<\/p>\n Final counting is ongoing, with more than 30% of the votes tabulated so far.<\/p>\n A supporter of the Likud party waits at an election night rally in Jerusalem. Photograph: Jewel Samad\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793174170_828_Emma_Graham-Harrison,_L.png\")
Emma Graham-Harrison<\/p>\n![\"Oliver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Oliver_Holmes,_L.png\")
Oliver Holmes<\/p>\n
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