Overview
- Exit polls released after Tuesday’s vote showed Likud as the largest single party while neither the Netanyahu‑aligned nor the Eisenkot‑led bloc reached the 61 seats needed to form a government.
- Broadcasters produced differing projections with some networks giving a narrow edge to Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition and others showing gains for Benjamin Netanyahu overnight, including one outlier that briefly gave Netanyahu a majority.
- Arab‑led lists were projected to win about 16 to 19 seats, a strong showing that could make them kingmakers even though the main Jewish blocs have largely ruled out formal partnerships.
- The Central Elections Committee has begun the official count and will separately tally roughly 600,000 double‑envelope ballots cast by soldiers, diplomats and other special voters, a process that can alter tight seat allocations.
- With final tallies pending and the president set to consult party leaders after results are certified, Israel now faces likely weeks of fraught coalition bargaining and the real possibility of another election if no coalition is formed.