Netanyahu and Smotrich said to meet to coordinate efforts following election

Official figures from Israel’s Central Elections Committee confirm that Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats in the next Knesset, while the opposing bloc seeking to replace him won 48 seats. Likud emerged as the largest party with 27 seats, according to Gulf News. Other results within Netanyahu's bloc include seven seats each for United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit, and six seats each for Shas and the Religious Zionist Party.

Neither faction secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority in the 120-member Knesset.

The Central Elections Committee stated the elections were conducted lawfully and found no basis for claims of systematic interference with the integrity of the vote. While Netanyahu previously suggested that a government including Arab parties would endanger Israel, ABC News (US) reports that Arab party leaders have indicated a willingness to work with the opposition. The Arab-led Joint List stated they are ready for political cooperation to oust the Netanyahu government.

The Knesset is set to be sworn in on November 10, according to The Times of Israel. Following the election, Argentina’s Milei congratulated Netanyahu on a "great victory."

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Gulf News, ABC News (US) — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.