Exit Polls: Netanyahu's Bloc Loses Majority, but No Bloc Wins One

Exit polls published after polls closed Tuesday put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc at about 50 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot came in slightly ahead. Neither side reached the 61 seats needed to form a government.

Likud remained the largest single party. Channel 12 put Likud at 24 seats and Eisenkot's Yashar party at 22. The Kan 11 exit poll put Likud at 25. The figures differ by broadcaster. These are exit polls, not official results, and the picture can change as votes are counted.

The Netanyahu bloc's projected total of about 50 seats is down from the 64 seats his coalition won in 2022. The opposition bloc was projected at 52 to 53 seats across the broadcasters' exit polls.

Arab-led parties were projected at about 17 to 18 seats. That would leave them holding the balance of power if neither main bloc can reach a majority on its own.

Turnout was high. Reports put it at 74.3 percent as of 8 p.m. local time, two hours before polls closed. Tuesday's vote was Israel's first national election since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

What happens next

Votes are counted through the night. The final count is expected by October 30, with official results around November 4. President Isaac Herzog will then ask a party leader to try to form a government. If no one can put together a majority, Israel could face another election.