Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition rival Gadi Eisenkot have both sought to lead the country after Tuesday’s election. However, exit polls showed neither political bloc securing a clear parliamentary majority.

Netanyahu called for a right-wing government, while Eisenkot said voters had rejected the longtime prime minister. Neither claimed a definitive victory as vote counting continued.

The exit polls initially showed a close contest. Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected 51 seats for each bloc, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc 52 seats against 49 for the opposition. Both sides remained short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. <Cite refs={[“turn430124search1″,”turn430124search0”]}/>

The election marked Israel’s first national vote since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and the subsequent wars involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Coalition Deadlock Leaves Netanyahu’s Future Uncertain

The projections pointed to a setback for Netanyahu’s nationalist and religious allies. Yet the inconclusive result could allow him to remain caretaker prime minister while parties negotiate a coalition or prepare for another election.

Far-right religious parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were projected to win a combined 13 seats within Netanyahu’s bloc.

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Arab-led parties outside the two main blocs could play a decisive role in coalition negotiations. However, Eisenkot has largely ruled out forming a government with them, complicating his efforts to assemble a parliamentary majority.

Israel’s fragmented political system often gives smaller parties significant influence. Coalition talks can last weeks or months when no bloc wins enough seats to govern.

Netanyahu Calls for Right-Wing Government

Speaking to supporters at Likud’s election headquarters in Jerusalem after 3 a.m., Netanyahu called for the formation of “a strong, right-wing national government.”

He also highlighted Israel’s military operations and raised the possibility of renewed joint action with US President Donald Trump against Iran.

“Israel faces a singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all. But ulterior motives must not divert us from this sacred mission,” Netanyahu said.

Eisenkot, meanwhile, argued that voters had rejected Netanyahu’s continued leadership. He called on the prime minister to leave politics and warned against using national security for political purposes.

“Netanyahu is a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people’s trust,” Eisenkot said. He urged the security establishment to resist attempts to place political interests above Israel’s security.

Record Turnout as Voters Weigh Security

Israel’s Central Elections Committee reported voter turnout of 77.7%. That marked the highest participation in more than two decades and stood about seven percentage points above the 2022 election.

Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, described the exit-poll projections as a major setback for Netanyahu’s coalition. However, he cautioned that Eisenkot had not secured a clear victory and that the count could change the picture.

The Israeli shekel weakened modestly following the inconclusive projections.

Final results were expected later in the week, while the possibility of another election remained if political leaders failed to form a government.

Eisenkot Emerges as Netanyahu’s Main Challenger

Eisenkot, 66, leads the Yashar party and previously served as Israel’s military chief. He has emerged as Netanyahu’s main challenger by combining a strong security profile with a more centrist domestic position.

He entered politics four years ago and joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet after the October 2023 attack. Eight months later, he left the cabinet and criticised the prime minister’s leadership.

Eisenkot has offered voters a change in leadership and a break from Netanyahu’s far-right allies. However, he maintains a hard-line security position. He opposes Palestinian statehood and says Israel must destroy or dismantle Hamas’s military wing.

He has described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as a failure because Hamas remains in control. Gaza health authorities say the war has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians.

At the headquarters of the Joint List, an alliance of Arab parties, supporters responded to the exit polls with whistles and applause. Palestinian citizens of Israel turned out in significant numbers, raising hopes among Arab-party candidates that they could influence coalition negotiations.

“We refuse the occupation and racism, and we will remain here,” said Faten Gattas, a Joint List candidate, at the alliance’s headquarters in Nazareth.

Election Follows Years of War and Political Disputes

The election followed the trauma of the October 7, 2023, attack, when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures cited in the supplied report. The attack triggered the war in Gaza and intensified regional conflict involving Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu faced criticism over the security failures that preceded the attack. He countered that his government had made Israel safer by killing senior figures from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

His government’s policies have also divided Israelis and contributed to international criticism. Netanyahu has presented himself as the leader best equipped to confront Israel’s adversaries.

He has served as prime minister for nearly 19 of the past 30 years and has repeatedly survived political crises. After four inconclusive elections over two years, opponents removed him from office in 2021. He returned to power about 18 months later.

Netanyahu also entered the election facing longstanding corruption charges, which he denies, alongside criticism of the intelligence failures that allowed the October 2023 attack.