Israel election results live: Netanyahu bloc 53, Eisenkot 48, no majority in sight

Israel's Central Elections Committee has projected Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot at 48, with Arab parties at 19, after counting ballots from almost five million voters. No bloc reaches the 61 seats needed to govern in the 120-member Knesset.

Counting of double-envelope ballots, cast by soldiers, prisoners, medical staff and officials posted abroad, is still under way. Follow this page for the count, the party-by-party numbers and the coalition talks that follow.

With 5,114,634 votes counted, or 89.8 per cent, the Netanyahu bloc stands at 53 seats and the Eisenkot-led bloc at 48, Ynet reported. The Arab parties hold 19 seats.

The Central Elections Committee figures, reported by The Jerusalem Post, put Likud at 26 seats, Eisenkot's Yashar at 21, the Joint List at 12, B'Yachad at 12, the Democrats at 8, Yisrael Beytenu at 7, Shas at 7, United Torah Judaism at 7, Otzma Yehudit at 7, Ra'am at 7 and Religious Zionism-Zehut at 6.

Israel's Central Elections Committee has begun counting double-envelope votes, cast largely by soldiers, along with ballots from prisoners, medical personnel, voters with medical conditions and Israeli representatives posted abroad, the Indian Express reported.

Regular votes have been processed from 11,712 of 12,018 polling stations. These ballots are counted last because they arrive sealed and separately, and they can move a seat or push a party across the 3.25 per cent threshold.

A government needs the support of 61 of the Knesset's 120 members. On the committee's figures, the Netanyahu bloc is eight short and the opposition bloc 13 short.

The outgoing government held 68 seats at its height, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. Likud itself won 32 seats in the 2022 election and is projected at 26 this time.

President Isaac Herzog said he would receive the official results next week and then begin consultations with each party that won seats, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported.

"We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections," Herzog said. "So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind."

Netanyahu said the right-wing bloc had "a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public and all those who support the Jewish state", the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. He warned against a government that "rests on anti-Zionist Arab parties".

He also called for a "national right-wing government", the Indian Express reported. On X, Netanyahu posted a short message thanking supporters.

Gadi Eisenkot told supporters that "the public wants change", the Indian Express reported. He warned Netanyahu not to use his powers as caretaker prime minister to shape the talks on a new government.

Eisenkot has also raised the option of a minority government. Some of his allies differ on working with Arab parties, which would complicate that route.

The Joint List is projected at 12 seats and Ra'am at 7, taking Arab parties to 19, their strongest showing. The two are separate parties, not a single bloc.

Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said on X that "the change comes through Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership", according to JFeed. Joint List faction chairman Ahmad Tibi told Army Radio the opposition could form a government "if it has the courage".

Once the committee certifies the results, the president consults the parties and asks one Knesset member to try to form a government. Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is sworn in.

Analysts are also discussing a unity government between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, with the premiership the main sticking point, the Indian Express reported.