Over 1.2 million votes counted in Israeli elections
Over 1.2 million votes counted in Israeli elections Figures from the Central Elections Committee indicate that at least 1,216,002 ballots have been counted by 5.20am local time (2.20am GMT) Netanyahu’s Likud party is leading with 23.36 percent of valid votes. Following that is Eisenkot’s Yashar party, at 15.74 percent, and Naftali Bennett’s party, at 8.53 percent.
Israeli challenger Gadi Eisenkot declared "complete victory" in the country's elections, citing exit polls that show his bloc leading with 52-53 seats. However, neither Eisenkot's bloc nor Netanyahu's Likud has yet secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. Early projections indicate that Eisenkot's Yashar bloc is projected at 21-23 seats, while Likud is expected to lead with 24-25 seats.
The Arab parties are projected to secure a record 17-18 seats. While Eisenkot claims he will "act immediately" to form a government, his bloc would fall one seat short of a majority even with the addition of Ra'am. The balance of power remains uncertain, and coalition talks could take weeks, potentially leading to another election if no agreement is reached.
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- ‘We won’: Eisenkot claims ‘complete victory’ in Israeli elections as exit polls show Netanyahu’s bloc collapsing — but no bloc has a 61-seat majority yet gulfnews.com
- Israeli elections: voters turnout reaches '16.7%' four hours after polls open france24.com
- At least 94,000 votes counted in Israeli elections middleeasteye.net
- Eisenkot: I will do my utmost to form a Zionist government, with national service for all; Netanyahu should step down timesofisrael.com
