Israel held a parliamentary election on October 27 local time, its first national election since the Hamas attack in October 2023. Exit polls released after voting ended showed the governing bloc led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition bloc close in seats, with neither side clearly ahead. Official vote counting was continuing, and exit polls do not represent the final results.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and parties usually need to form a coalition with at least 61 seats to establish a majority government. Exit polls showed that neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot had reached that threshold. Arab parties were expected to win some seats, and their positions could affect subsequent coalition negotiations.
After the election, parties will hold talks to try to form a governing coalition. If negotiations fail to produce a majority, forming a government could take weeks, and another election cannot be ruled out. Official counting results and the president’s subsequent assignment of the task of forming a government will be key to the country’s political direction.
