Israel election ends without clear winner as vote count nears completion

Israel's election remains unresolved as nearly 90% of ballots have been counted, leaving both major blocs short of the 61 seats needed to govern. The latest figures point to a close but inconclusive result in the 120-member Knesset, with no party or alliance on course to secure an outright majority. The count is still under way, and the final distribution of seats could shift as additional ballots are processed.

The Israeli Central Elections Committee said it had counted more than five million votes by 9pm local time on Wednesday. On current projections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is expected to win 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is projected to take 48. More than 500,000 special double-envelope ballots remain to be counted, including votes cast by soldiers, diplomats and others voting away from their registered polling stations.

The remaining ballots could still alter the balance, but the current numbers suggest another coalition-building process will be needed. Netanyahu will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. President Isaac Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party leaders next week, once the official results are released, and has urged parties to avoid another election that would delay government formation.

The vote is being treated as a referendum on Netanyahu's premiership and is the first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks. That context has given the result added political weight, with the outcome likely to shape Israel's next government and its approach to security, coalition politics and relations with Arab parties. Analysts say the most likely path, if the numbers hold, could involve a unity arrangement, although that remains uncertain.

Coalition politics are central to Israel's system, and no party has ever won an outright majority in the country's history. Ahead of the vote, Eisenkot ruled out forming a minority government with Arab-led parties, and Netanyahu has also rejected that option. Projections also suggest the Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, could secure a record combined 19 seats, which may increase their influence in post-election negotiations even if they remain outside government.

Final results could be announced as early as Thursday evening, but the picture may still change before then. What remains unclear is whether the last ballots will narrow the gap enough to affect coalition talks or whether the current bloc balance will hold. The next key step will be Herzog's consultations with party leaders, followed by negotiations over who can assemble a governing majority.

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