Netanyahu’s bloc secures 53 seats as vote count reaches 85.6%

• Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats, eight short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority.
• Arab parties are projected to secure 19 seats, potentially giving them a decisive role in coalition negotiations.

‘Israel’s’ Central Elections Committee reported that 85.6% of votes had been counted in the parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc projected to secure 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot was projected to win 48 seats, while Arab parties were projected to secure 19 seats, according to the latest figures reported Wednesday.

The results leave both major political camps short of the 61 seats required to form a government with a parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu’s bloc needs support from additional lawmakers to reach that threshold, while Eisenkot’s bloc would also need to secure backing beyond its projected seats to form a government.

The outcome leaves coalition negotiations central to determining the next government, with the distribution of seats among smaller parties likely to influence the process.

Netanyahu’s Likud party was projected to win 26 seats, making it the largest party in the emerging Knesset. Eisenkot’s Yashar party was projected to secure 21 seats.

The Joint List was projected to win 12 seats, while the United Arab List, also known as Ra’am, was expected to secure seven, bringing the combined total for Arab parties to 19 seats.

The figures remain provisional as election officials continue processing ballots. Votes cast through double-envelope ballots, including those of soldiers and other eligible voters voting outside their regular polling stations, are counted separately and require additional verification.

The final seat distribution could change as the remaining ballots are processed. The results will determine which political camp has the strongest prospects of forming the next government.