Home · World · Oct 30 archive
Israel’s final election results show neither Netanyahu nor rival can immediately form government
Confirmed
In Short: Final election results released by the Central Elections Committee on Thursday showed that neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, secured a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats, while Eisenkot's opposition bloc secured 48 seats, leaving neither side with the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
The predominantly Arab parties, which combined for 19 seats, could play a crucial role in forming a new government, potentially acting as kingmakers.
Record voter turnout and early exit polls indicated that neither major political bloc had a clear path to a governing majority.
The high turnout, at 44.9 percent as of 2:00 pm, was the highest since such statistics were first recorded in 1973.
Weeks of negotiations to build a majority coalition and name a prime minister likely lie ahead, with another election possible if they fail.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains largely ignored as both Netanyahu and Eisenkot vow to end Hamas rule.
Eisenkot said that the loss of his youngest son pushed him to take action to better the country, launching Yashar months after leaving Netanyahu’s emergency coalition.
The final results likely won't be known until tomorrow, according to the Central Elections Commission.
The high voter turnout and the potential role of Arab parties in forming a new government add complexity to the political landscape.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains a pressing issue, largely overshadowed by the political deadlock in Israel.
Background
Serbian students gathered in Belgrade for their final pre-election rally, aiming to unseat President Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) after 14 years of rule.
On October 27, Israelis will head to the polls in an election that could reshape the country's future, with Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another term despite corruption charges, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Haaretz (Israel).
What's confirmed
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats in Israel’s 120-member Knesset, or parliament, results released by election officials on Thursday showed, well below the 68 it had controlled at its peak in the previous parliament.
- The demonstration took place at Hostages Square, three days before Israel’s general election, the first since the war on Gaza began.
What's still developing
- The main Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Arab-led party leaders have denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleging foreign interference following the election which saw his coalition lose its majority.
- On Thursday Likud alleged that voters had been "bribed" to vote for Arab parties, after the head of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) asked the Shin Bet security service to investigate "serious suspicions" of foreign interference.
- Eisenkot, who was briefed on the investigation, said "it is too early to determine what happened, or if anything happened at all," and accused Netanyahu of running "an orchestrated and organized campaign to delegitimize the election results". Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, who is part of the Joint List, dismissed the allegation, saying: "The losing side is constructing a racist blood libel and calling on the security agencies to use force in order to overturn the election results."
- Qatar's foreign ministry denied the "ridiculous and dangerous" allegations and accused Israeli politicians of conducting a disinformation campaign against Doha.
- Qatar's Foreign Ministry "categorically" denied the claims.
- With around more than 90 percent of the votes counted as of late afternoon on Oct. 28, Netanyahu’s Likud party was down 10 Knesset seats from its current parliamentary representation.
- Issued on: 27/10/2026 - 09:15 Modified: 29/10/2026 - 07:33 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party on Wednesday issued a statement accusing Arab parties of having stolen the country's election, after a deadlocked result showed they could play a kingmaker role in forming a new government.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party on Thursday amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, potentially with foreign assistance, as final results showed his bloc had lost its majority in parliament.
- Israelis on Thursday waited for final election results to confirm what they see taking shape: No majority of parliament seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, or for the array of parties seeking to unseat him.
- Sass Jordan cause of death: How did ‘Racine’ singer die after cancelling shows over ‘serious medical condition’?
- Israel appears to be on the brink of a political deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, projected to gain a parliamentary majority.
- Humanitarian catastrophe largely ignored as rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas rule Humanitarian catastrophe largely ignored as rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas rule As Israel prepares to go to the polls, Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an outcome that could shape their future, knowing their fate rests with the country that has reduced much of the territory to rubble and killed nearly 75,000 people.