Israel election results LIVE: Netanyahu bloc at 53, still short of majority as double-envelope vote counting continues
Israel election results LIVE: The Central Elections Commission has announced that the counting of “double envelope” votes is now underway. These ballots mainly consist of IDF soldiers, as well as prisoners, medical personnel, and Israeli representatives serving at missions abroad.
Israel election results LIVE: As counting of votes continue in Israel's high-stakes election, partial results released by the Central Elections Committee and reported by The Times of Israel show a close race. According to the Central Elections Committee's partial results at 11:35 pm (local time), the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, while the opposing Eisenkot-led bloc holds 48 seats. Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am have 19 seats....Read More
These figures are based on 90 per cent of votes counted across 97.5 per cent of ballot boxes. The latest figures also show that several political factions remain below the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold. These include the Reservists, with 2.6 per cent of the vote, the People of Israel, with 1.6 per cent, and the Charedi Public faction, with 0.2 per cent. 61 seats are needed for a parliamentary majority.
Counting of ‘double envelope’ votes underway
The Central Elections Commission (CEC) has announced that the counting of “double envelope” votes is now underway, reported Times of Israel. These ballots mainly consist of IDF soldiers, as well as prisoners, medical personnel, people with medical conditions, and Israeli representatives serving at missions abroad.
The CEC also clarified that the counting of regular votes is still incomplete. So far, results have been processed from 11,712 out of the 12,018 regular polling stations, covering 5,126,759 voters. The remaining polling stations are undergoing standard verification procedures, the commission added.
Likud makes allegations against Arab parties
Netanyahu’s Likud party alleged that Arab parties committed election fraud in Tuesday’s election and demanded investigations by the police, Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s account said Likud would submit hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence alleging irregularities at Arab polling stations, including bribery, threats, violence, forged documents and multiple voting. These remain allegations made by Likud and have not been independently verified in the statement.
The party called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those found responsible, describing the alleged acts as a threat to Israel’s democracy and the integrity of the election.
What if no leader gets enough seats to form govt?
If no leader can assemble a government, Israel could head for another election. Netanyahu would remain caretaker prime minister in the meantime, overseeing day-to-day government while negotiations continue.
Democrats leader Yair Golan has called for the Eisenkot-led Opposition bloc to unite with the Arab parties to reach the majority mark.
Israel's exit polls reversed overnight on Tuesday, projecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having a narrow lead on his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
However, the exit polls pointed to a political deadlock with no clear winner, as major Israeli TV stations suggested a neck-and-neck contest.
Voting ended in Israel on Tuesday in a high-stakes national election, in which a total of 7,331,981 Israelis were eligible to vote. The polls witnessed high-voter turnout, with nearly 77.7 per cent of voters casting their ballots. This is higher than the turnout in the 2022 Israeli prime ministerial elections, which saw a turnout of just over 70 per cent. This is the first general election in the country since the 2023 Hamas attack.
Israel election process
Israelis vote for parties to enter the 120-seat Knesset, instead of single candidates, under a proportional representation system. A party or coalition needs to secure at least 61 seats to form a majority government.
Parties must win at least 3.25 per cent of the national vote to enter parliament. Seats are then distributed among qualifying parties according to their share of the votes.
Official counting will follow, with the final vote tally expected by October 30. The results are scheduled to be formally published on November 4. Once the final results are available, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult leaders of the political parties to assess which candidate has the strongest chance of forming a government. That candidate will have up to 42 days to negotiate with other parties and put together a governing coalition.
- {{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:41:42 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Likud maintains lead with counting of double envelope ballots underway
Israel election results LIVE: Netanyahu's Likud has maintained its lead with counting of double-envelope ballots underway on Thursday morning. Counting is still on at regular polling stations, reported The Jerusalem Post.
On Wednesday, the Central Elections Committee stated that between 430,000 and 480,000 double-envelope ballots would be counted.
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:30:25 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Eisenkot calls results a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Netanyahu
Israel election results LIVE: Reflecting on these unfolding numbers, Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, the leading opposition candidate, stated that the election results constitute a clear vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.
“This is the will of the people, who expressed no confidence in the government of October 7 and draft evasion, and in the draft-dodgers’ bloc as a whole,” Eisenkot wrote on X, taking direct aim at Netanyahu and his political allies.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:17:27 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: What has happened so far during Israel vote counting?
Israel election results LIVE: Israel’s election has left the country facing political uncertainty, with neither side securing enough seats to form a government independently.
With the majority of ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp is expected to win 53 seats, a significant drop from the 68 seats held by his coalition in the outgoing Knesset.
The opposition, under former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is forecast to secure 48 seats, while Arab parties could collectively claim a historic 19 seats, reported The Jerusalem Post.
Although the Arab parties’ gains could potentially help the opposition assemble a parliamentary majority, disagreements among Eisenkot’s partners over cooperation with Arab representatives may hinder coalition negotiations.
Amid all this, Israel’s president has called on political leaders to consider a range of possible partnerships in an effort to prevent the country from heading to the polls again.
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:10:30 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: When will the final election results be announced?
Israel election results LIVE: The results of Israeli election will be official announced by November 4.
The final composition of parliament will only become clear once the special ballots have been tallied. Thereafter, political parties may need several weeks of negotiations to build a support capable of getting a parliamentary majority.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:06:03 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Arab Joint List says it will join oppn parties to oust Netanyahu
Israel election results LIVE: As per statement released on Wednesday night, the Arab Joint List party said they are willing to join forces with other parties to topple Netanyahu.
"The Joint List will exert all its strength to bring an end to Netanyahu’s rule," the statement read, as reported The Jerusalem Post.
“We are prepared for political cooperation to form an alternative government—one that presents a genuine alternative and commits to a fundamental shift away from the current government’s racist policies; a government that will work to recognize the rights of the Arab public and put an end to the exclusion of this community and its representatives from the political system,” it added.
- 29 Oct 2026, 08:00:28 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Absentee ballots being counted now
Israel election results LIVE: As per Israel’s Central Elections Committee, absentee ballots n the 2026 general elections were between 430,000 and 480,000.
With the counting of “double envelope” votes underway, reported, these ballots mainly consist of IDF soldiers, as well as prisoners, medical personnel, people with medical conditions, and Israeli representatives serving at missions abroad, Times od Israel reported. - {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 07:56:06 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Netanyahu bloc leads with 53 seats
Israel election results LIVE: Amid civil demonstrations, vote counting progresses in Israel’s high-stakes political contest, statistics published by the Central Elections Committee and detailed by The Times of Israel indicate that the electoral arithmetic remains finely balanced.
According to the Central Elections Committee's partial results at 11:35 pm (local time), Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, while the opposing Eisenkot-led bloc holds 48 seats. Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am have 19 seats. - 29 Oct 2026, 07:51:30 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Protests erupt in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa
Israel election results LIVE: Around 300 individuals assembled to protest at Paris Square in Jerusalem, Mesila Park in Tel Aviv and UNESCO Square in Haifa, advocating for the establishment of a Jewish-Arab government, according to the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz.
Demonstrators brandished placards featuring slogans such as “Freedom for all, from the river to the sea” and “Yes to a Jewish-Arab government”.
The demonstrations reflect a unified call among the protest participants for inclusive governance, as reported by Haaretz.
(via ANI) - {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 07:46:01 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Vote counting shows no clear winner
Israel election results LIVE: Israelis are facing political uncertainty as no party appeared close to securing a parliamentary majority. Results show some relief to Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters, while opposition supporters face the prospect of a prolonged political deadlock.
- 29 Oct 2026, 07:44:12 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Party leaders signal coalition plans as vote count continues
Israel election results LIVE: Party leaders have began outlining potential alliances before Israel’s official election results were finalised.
According to the NYTimes, Gadi Eisenkot stressed the need for a Zionist government with universal military conscription, while the Joint List vowed to work to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from office.
- {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Oct 2026, 07:22:06 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Netanyahu alleges Israel election was ‘stolen’ by Arab parties
הליכוד: הבחירות במדינת ישראל נגנבו על ידי מפלגות ערביות שתומכות בטרור ובחיסול המדינה היהודית באמצעות עבירות פליליות חמורות של שוחד, איומים, אלימות, זיופים ושימוש בתוכנות אסורות להמרצת מצביעים. מפלגת הליכוד מעבירה למשטרה, לשב״כ ולוועדת הבחירות מאות עדויות וראיות על גניבת בחירות בקלפיות ערביות רבות- אלפי מעטפות עם כסף מזומן ופתקי רע״ם, איומים ואלימות כלפי חברי הקלפי, ריבוי מצביעים מאחורי הפרגוד, הצבעות בזהות כפולה, פערים בין מספר המעטפות למספר המצביעים, שימוש בתוכנות המרצה אסורות ועוד. אנו דורשים מהמשטרה ומהשב״כ חקירה יסודית בגין גניבת הבחירות על ידי המפלגות הערביות ומיצוי הדין עם העבריינים. אנו דורשים מוועדת הבחירות התייחסות מיידית לחקירת העבירות הפליליות הללו שפגעו באופן קיצוני בטוהר הבחירות בישראל ובתוצאות הבחירות. זו פגיעה חמורה בדמוקרטיה הישראלית ובזכות הבחירה של אזרחי ישראל. גופי האכיפה מוכרחים לפעול ביד קשה ובאופן מיידי.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 28, 2026Israel election results LIVE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that Arab parties committed election fraud in Tuesday’s election and demanded investigations by the police, Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee.
In a post on X, Netanyahu’s account said Likud would submit hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence alleging irregularities at Arab polling stations, including bribery, threats, violence, forged documents and multiple voting. These remain allegations made by Likud and have not been independently verified in the statement.
The party called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those found responsible, describing the alleged acts as a threat to Israel’s democracy and the integrity of the election.
- 29 Oct 2026, 07:20:57 AM IST
Israel election results LIVE: Double-envelope vote counting underway
Israel election results LIVE: Israel’s Central Elections Commission is holding the counting of double-envelope ballots, including votes cast by soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel and Israeli representatives abroad.
The CEC also clarified that the counting of regular votes is still incomplete. So far, results have been processed from 11,712 out of the 12,018 regular polling stations, covering 5,126,759 voters, reported Times of Israel. - {{^htLoading}}