Key facts
- Exit polls suggest no clear winner in Israel's national election.
- The vote is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime leadership.
- Neither Netanyahu's bloc nor rival Gadi Eisenkot's bloc secured the 61 seats needed for a majority.
- Netanyahu's bloc was indicated to have won 50 seats, the opposition 52-53, and Arab parties 17-18.
- Turnout was over 74% by 8 p.m., the highest at that time in decades.
Israel's national election concluded Tuesday with exit polls indicating no clear winner, likely initiating weeks of political negotiations before a leader is declared. The vote, the country's first since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, served as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime leadership. Exit polls from major Israeli TV stations suggested that neither Netanyahu's political bloc nor that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. The polls indicated Netanyahu's bloc won 50 seats, the opposition 52-53, and Arab parties 17-18. High turnout was reported, with over 74% of eligible voters casting ballots by 8 p.m., the highest at that time in decades.