5 publishers · first seen Tue, 27 Oct 2026 02:00 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:37 UTC
Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party emerged as the largest in Israel's election, securing 26 seats, while Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc holds 53 seats compared to the opposition's 48. With 90% of votes counted, the results fell short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government, leaving coalition negotiations uncertain. Final results are expected by November 4, with roughly 450,000 absentee ballots still to be counted. The election saw historic turnout, including a record number of Arab Israeli voters, and high stakes amid regional tensions. Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister with full war powers as talks proceed. Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc, though short of a majority, has support from Arab parties that won 19 seats, but most Zionist opposition parties rule out relying on them. Trump claimed his endorsement influenced the outcome, while President Isaac Herzog urged parties to avoid another election.
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