Israel election: Netanyahu-led bloc in slight lead with half of votes counted

While partial results show the pro-Netanyahu bloc ahead of the anti-Netanyahu bloc, the final tally could take days. Neither grouping is expected to win a majority, with tough coalition talks ahead. Follow DW.

What you need to know

Israel's election turnout was the highest in decades

As of 7:30 a.m. local time, just over 57% of the vote was counted with a Likud-led bloc leading slightly

At least 61 seats are needed to form a secure majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot both say they're ready to form government

Neither party is expected to win an outright majority, with difficult coalition talks expected in the weeks ahead

Follow below for all the latest on the Israeli election on October 27, 2026, and its aftermath:

Netanyahu bloc holds slight lead after more than half of votes counted: elections committee

Partial results issued by Israel's Central Elections Committee and reported by the Times of Israel after 57.3% of votes were counted have shown the pro-Netanyahu bloc with a projected 55 seats, seven seats ahead of the anti-Netanyahu bloc with 49.

Neither side so far has the 61 seats needed to form a secure majority and are not expected to do so.

Arab parties so far are projected to win 15 seats.

These are partial results that will change as counting progresses.

In particular, the special votes cast by people outside their assigned polling stations, such as those of soldiers, are counted later.

A record 650,000 such absentee votes are expected this year, equivalent to around 14 seats in the Knesset.

This means the absentee votes could markedly affect the final election result, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported.

Netanyahu calls for 'strong' right-wing government after election

Patrick Große

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to form a new right-wing government, despite exit polls showing no clear majority for either political bloc.

"We are still waiting for the real results," Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a speech early Wednesday, stressing that his Likud party was the largest in Israel.

"We must put in place a strong government of the right," he said.

Netanyahu also rejected the prospect of a government relying on the support of Arab parties, which made strong gains in Tuesday's election.

Turning to security, Netanyahu said Israel had a "unique opportunity" together with US President Donald Trump to end what he called the Iranian threat.

Updated exit polls show Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot either tied or separated by a narrow margin. Neither side is projected to win the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Updated exit polls show Netanyahu and opposition blocs neck and neck

Patrick Große

Updated Israeli exit polls suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is now tied with the opposition, after earlier projections showed a narrow lead for the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot.

Public broadcaster Kan 11 and Channel 13 both put the pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu blocs at 51 seats each. Channel 12, meanwhile, is now showing the pro-Netanyahu camp with an edge at 52 seats and the opposition at 49 seats.

Kan 11's latest projection gives Netanyahu's Likud party 27 seats, up from 25 in its earlier poll.

However, none of the three major networks project either bloc winning the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

Eisenkot calls on Netanyahu to resign in post-election speech

Felix Tamsut in Jerusalem

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down, saying voters have sent a clear message that they want change.

"We've made history," Eisenkot told supporters in a speech in Jerusalem following Tuesday's election. "The public voted against the continuation of Netanyahu as prime minister."

He said a "decent leader" would accept the public's will and announce his resignation, warning that another round of elections would be a mistake.

Eisenkot pledged to work towards forming what he called a "Zionist conscription government," referring to his push for broader military service obligations.

"We would like to represent all Israelis," he said, adding that the country needed stable leadership and a government that represented all parts of society.

The former military chief also warned Netanyahu against making major security decisions or launching new wars, arguing that he no longer had a mandate to do so.

"Netanyahu: Don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs," Eisenkot said.

Eisenkot says he is ready to form a government

Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the opposition bloc, said the election results pointed to a "complete lack of confidence" in Netanyahu and his coalition.

"I will act immediately to carry out the people’s mandate, replace Netanyahu's government and form a Zionist government committed to military conscription as soon as possible," Eisenkot said in a statement.

A former military chief, he made the issue of eliminating exemptions from military service for Ultra-Orthodox men central to his campaign.

Majority of Israeli public voted against Netanyahu, exit polls show

Felix Tamsut in Jerusalem

Much of the Israeli media labeled the Israeli election an opinion poll on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If the exit polls of Israel's main news outlets are anything to go by, the Israeli public voted against the country's longest-serving prime minister.

While Netanyahu's current coalition includes 68 seats, the exit polls gave his bloc between 50 and 51 seats.

The Israeli prime minister is unlikely to concede defeat despite his coalition having taken a significant hit, but it remains to be seen how Likud's own ranks, as well as its coalition partners, will react to the exit polls.

Ra'am party becomes political power broker

Felix Tamsut in Jerusalem

The success of Ra'am, which exit polls predict will take seven seats, means no Israeli government can be established without the religious Muslim party playing some part.

The party already made headlines after appointing Yoav Segalovich, a Jewish former high-ranking police chief, as the number two candidate to leader Mansour Abbas. The raging criminality and violence across the Arab and Palestinian community, as well as the war in Gaza, both could have played a role in Ra'am's result.

Both the Likud-led coalition and large parts of the Israeli opposition may have ruled out a coalition with Ra'am, but the current results may leave them little choice but to seek some form of cooperation with the party.

As one Israeli pollster put it, "Tonight, Israelis were reminded that their population also includes Arabs and Palestinians with Israeli citizenship."

Netanyahu's bloc trails in Israel election, exit polls say

Exit polls from Israel's major television networks project that a majority of Israelis voted against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, but his Likud party has emerged as the largest single group in the Knesset, with 25 projected seats.

Challenger Gadi Eisenkot's bloc has emerged as the largest group with a projected 53, just ahead of the ruling coalition on 50, but well short of the 61 needed for a majority.

Neither bloc has a clear majority without the support of Arab parties.

These projected numbers are from public broadcaster Kan 11; other numbers vary by channel, but only slightly.

Polls closing around the country

It's now 10 p.m. across Israel, which means that polling stations around the country either should have closed or should be making preparations to do so as the last people in line cast their ballots.

Exit polls should follow shortly on Israeli television. These have a fairly good reputation overall but of course are only projections.

Results will start to trickle in through the night and are unlikely to be finalized until Wednesday.

And of course, there's every chance that even once the dust has settled and the final results are in, we will have a longer wait until there's clarity about who might be able to form a coalition government.

In any case, stick with us and we'll keep you posted.

Election commission sees 'no need to extend voting hours' after Netanyahu request

The Central Elections Committee has rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and some other groups to extend voting beyond 10 p.m. (2000 UTC/GMT).

"High nationwide turnout across all sectors of society reflects strong public engagement in the democratic process, and no need to extend voting hours was identified," a commission statement said.

The committee noted, however, that this decision was based on the circumstances "as things stand," leaving open the possibility for matters to change.

For instance, voting hours have been extended in some areas, including a polling location used by Israeli settlers in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, where a power outage led to an extension of the closing time from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Polling stations with fewer than 350 eligible voters typically close two hours earlier than larger polling stations in urban areas.

The committee has also said several times that anybody who started queueing before closing time will be given a chance to vote.

IN DEPTH: How AI reshaped Israel's election campaign

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a major factor in Israel's election campaign, with political parties using AI-generated videos, automated calls and online content on a large scale.

DW's Josh Axelrod examined the growing role of AI in the campaign, as researchers and analysts raise concerns about misleading content, bots and deepfakes ahead of the vote.

High turnout could spell problems for Netanyahu's bloc

The expected high turnout means the number of votes needed to cross the 3.25% threshold to enter the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, is going to be higher, meaning smaller parties are at risk of not making it.

According to opinion polls from last week, the two parties that are on the threshold limit are Amcha Israel, a far-right party led by former military commander Ofer Winter, and the Reservists Party, which has not declared support for either main bloc.

Winter repeatedly said he intends to join a Netanyahu coalition, and a scenario in which his party doesn't make it to parliament puts Likud's chances of a future coalition at risk.

Either way, Israel's Central Elections Committee will have to make a decision on the matter within the hour.

WATCH: Could Arab voters hold the key in Israel’s election?

Emily Gordine

Arab voters could play a decisive role in Israel's election. With neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot expected to win a Knesset majority, Arab parties could become key to forming the next government.

Activists worked to boost voter turnout, especially among young voters.

Netanyahu emphasizes Arab turnout in appeals to his own voters

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued issuing appeals to supporters to go out and vote online as the day progressed.

One common theme was apparent in almost all of the posts: warnings about high turnout in Arab and to a lesser extent left-leaning communities.

"We're at war for our home," one of Netanyahu's posts read, using a phrase that appeared repeatedly in his messaging. "Muslim Brotherhood supporters are raiding the polling stations and stealing the elections. Go out and vote, recover it!!"

In another post he showed an image claiming to show a long line of voters queueing in Rahat, with a crowd of women wearing niqab coverings prominently visible at the front of the queue, suggesting that they were Muslim Palestinian voters.

Sami Abou Shahadeh, the leader of the Balad party, which is part of the alliance known as the Joint List, in turn called on his supporters to vote before the deadline expired, also highlighting similar appeals to voters from the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben-Gvir.

"There is one response to the incitement by Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu against the Arab citizens that has been going on all day: go out and vote for the Joint List!" he wrote.