Israel election live: Qatar denies 'ridiculous' interference allegations

Jerusalem - Israel's final election results are anticipated to be released on Thursday evening or Friday, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the opposition, unless they team up with Arab-led parties, poised to secure a majority in parliament. Weeks of negotiations to form a majority coalition and appoint a new prime minister are expected to follow.

One possible scenario involves Jewish and Arab-led parties that oppose Netanyahu forming an alliance, while another possibility is some parties that campaigned to remove Israel's longest-serving prime minister partnering with him instead. These two potential outcomes have sparked intense debate in a nation already deeply divided.

Here's what to know about the path ahead: The election was essentially a referendum on Netanyahu, even though Israeli voters cast their ballots for parties, not individuals. Netanyahu's Likud party garnered the most votes overall, but saw a decline in support compared to the election held in 2022. Voter turnout reached 77 percent, the highest level since 1999. Support for far-right parties within Netanyahu's coalition also suffered a significant decline, weakening his position.