Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing calls to step aside after exit polls predicted an election deadlock between his and a rival bloc.
Exit polls by major television networks showed neither Netanyahu nor his main rival Eisenkot secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and the rival "change" bloc, told party workers in Tel Aviv they "have made history".
"This morning the people of Israel went to a referendum on the leadership that will lead Israel in the coming years. Tonight we received an answer. The public decided in favour of change,” he said.
With actual results still being counted, the exit polls indicated that Netanyahu's bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52-53 and Arab parties won 17-18. The strong showing by Arab-led parties could allow them to decide the next prime minister, but both blocs have until now refused to partner with them.
Netanyahu, addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, said the election provided Israel a "historic opportunity" to eliminate the "Iranian threat" as he called for the formation of a "strong, right-wing" government.
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Key Points
- Exit polls show deadlock with no party on track for majority
- Netanyahu says Israel has 'historic opportunity' to remove Iranian threat
- Lack of majority could work in Netanyahu's favour
- 'Don't let anyone confuse you, this is a crushing defeat'-Yair Lapid
- Yashar party alleges ballot tampering at polling stations
Netanyahu says Israel has 'historic opportunity' to remove Iranian threat
03:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBenjamin Netanyahu said Israel had a historic opportunity "to remove the Iranian threat", addressing a rally in Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday.
Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is stronger than ever," he said as exit polls predicted a deadlock in the Israeli election.
"Israel is facing a historic, one-time opportunity along with our friend president Trump to remove the Iranian threat once and for all," he added.
Ex-justice minister predicts Eisenkot will defeat Netanyahu
03:30 , Rachel DobkinFormer Israeli justice minister Yossi Beilin has predicted that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be defeated by opponent Gadi Eisenkot.
“The main thing is that Netanyahu will not continue and be the Israeli prime minister”, he told Al Jazeera.
Israeli national security minister: ‘The night is still young’
03:15 , Rachel DobkinItamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister in Israel, said, “The night is still young” as exit polls suggest a deadlock with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main opponent Gadi Eisenkot.
Ben-Gvirt told supporters at a gathering that he hoped his bloc, led by Netanyahu, “was close to forming a right-wing government”, per The New York Times.
Netanyahu calls for formation of 'strong, right-wing' government
03:14 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarBenjamin Netanyahu has called for the formation of “a strong, right-wing national government" after exit polls predicted a deadlock in Israel's election.
With actual votes trickling in, Kan 11 and Channel 13 exit polls had the blocs tied at 51-51, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc a narrow 52-49 edge.
None left either side with the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Emotions run high among some voters
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIn Kiryat Shmona, a Netanyahu stronghold near the border with Lebanon, one man kicked and tore down a poster of Eisenkot.
The election is Israel's first national vote since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza and related conflicts.
In Tel Aviv, families of some killed on Oct. 7 or former hostages held a moment of silence.
“Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam was killed.
Around 330,000 young Israelis, many facing compulsory military service under the shadow of war, are eligible to vote for the first time.
Eisenkot started the day by visiting communities attacked on Oct. 7.
“If someone in the government had a shred of responsibility, they would start the morning here” in the communities near Gaza, he said.
Standing in a cheering crowd, Eisenkot called on all Israelis to vote to get rid of “the worst government Israel has known.”
He noted that victory wasn’t certain, adding that “we are on perhaps the most critical day since the founding of the state.”
There were scattered allegations of irregularities and issues at polling stations, but Dean Livne, the acting director-general of the elections commission, said the number of complaints was so far much lower than in previous elections.
Watch: Netanyahu casts vote in Israel’s most important election in years
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIsrael election sees record voter turnout but polls suggest no clear winner
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainExit polls show Israel's election ended in an apparent deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival Gadi Eisenkot on track for a 61-seat majority.
The election served as the first opportunity for Israeli citizens to vote following the October 7 domestic security failure and subsequent conflicts with Hamas and Iran.
Israel election sees record voter turnout but polls suggest no clear winner
Israeli TV stations revise exit polls
00:38 , APThe polls published by the three major TV stations are now suggesting a slight increase in support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but still leaving him short of a governing majority.
The revised polls suggest that Netanyahu’s Likud Party will be the largest in parliament, with about 27 seats. But the broader bloc of parties led by Netanyahu and the bloc of parties led by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, each captured about 51 seats in parliament, the polls suggest. Initial exit polls had indicated Eisenkot’s bloc had a slight edge.
A candidate needs 61 parliamentary seats to form a majority coalition government.
Arab-led parties won the remaining 18 seats, the exit polls suggested.
If official results, expected in the coming days, reveal a similar breakdown, Israel could face weeks of uncertainty as parties jockey for power.
Eisenkot pleads for national unity
00:08 , APIn a speech early Wednesday, Gadi Eisenkot, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent, pledged to form a government and promised “a new era of hope” for Israelis.
“Today, Israel went out to a referendum over the leadership that will lead Israel in the coming years,” Eisenkot said to cheers from supporters. “The people decided in favor of change.”
He warned Netanyahu “not to use Israel’s security for your political needs” while he is a caretaker prime minister, an apparent reference to reports that the Israeli leader was considering an attack against Iran in the sensitive days leading up to the elections.
Israel increasingly isolated over Gaza and West Bank
00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIsrael has found itself increasingly isolated over its conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.
Public support among Americans has plummeted, and partners in Europe and elsewhere have slapped sanctions on Israel.
Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, allegations he denies.
Also hanging over the election were lingering tensions with Iran. Netanyahu ramped up threats ahead of the vote, warning Tehran it would face “a devastating blow” if it attacked Israel.
Netanyahu's supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country's darkest hour.
They think he is protecting Israel's security and Jewish identity in the face of international pressure and liberal elites at home.
His detractors see him as a polarising leader who, beset by an ongoing corruption trial, dragged out the war in Gaza and its hostage crisis for political reasons.
They say he is undermining Israel's independent judiciary and weakening its democratic underpinnings.
And they accuse him of abetting a system that has allowed ultra-Orthodox religious Jews to avoid military conscription.
Watch: Exit polls show deadlock with no party on track for majority
Tuesday 27 October 2026 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe man who could topple Netanyahu: How former army chief who lost son in Gaza became Bibi’s biggest threat
Tuesday 27 October 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainFormer army chief Gadi Eisenkot is a straight talker, media-shy and a relative newcomer to Israeli politics.
He has emerged as a key challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu.
Read more here:
The former army chief who lost son in Gaza and could now topple Netanyahu
Exit polls show no clear winner in Israeli elections. What happens next?
Tuesday 27 October 2026 21:59 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIsrael’s election has ended in a deadlock as no party is on track for majority of the Knesset, exit polls have suggested.
The stalemate comes after three years of war waged in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, which have plunged the Middle East into turmoil.
The election is widely seen as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking another term after a combined 19 years in power.
When will the Israel election results be announced and is there an exit poll?
Arab turnout has given their parties outsized influence
Tuesday 27 October 2026 21:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainBenjamin Netanyahu had warned earlier that Arab parties that could make or break the election, saying they were receiving “truly massive support," and heading to the polls in "unprecedented numbers.”
In another sign of concern, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party petitioned to extend voting hours past 10 p.m., but the election commission ruled against it, saying there was no justification.
Eisenkot had rejected the proposed extension and called on voters to ignore Netanyahu's “scare tactics.”
Israel's Arab-led parties could emerge as kingmakers — if other parties agree to join forces with them.
“Our vote will change the government,” said Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party, while voting was still underway.
Arabs in Israel make up about 20% of the population.
Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for taunting Palestinian detainees and saying some Palestinians in Gaza are “not even people,” warned that “it will be Mansour Abbas’ government” if Netanyahu and his allies don’t win.
'Don't let anyone confuse you, this is a crushing defeat'- Yair Lapid
Tuesday 27 October 2026 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainCurrent opposition head Yair Lapid said in a statement: “Don’t let anyone confuse you: the Netanyahu bloc has suffered a crushing defeat. This is a total collapse and the public has told them to go home.”
Highest turnout in decades
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:47 , Maryam Zakir-HussainMore than 74% of eligible voters had cast ballots by 8 pm, the highest turnout at that time in decades, and eight percentage points higher than in the last elections in 2022, according to the Central Elections Committee.
Over 7 million people are eligible to vote, and tens of thousands have reportedly arrived from overseas.
Israel’s president will be tasked with asking the party leader with the best prospect of forming a government, usually one with the most seats, to cobble together a coalition.
If none can, new elections could be held early next year.
Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 because of a similar stalemate.
Netanyahu challenger Eisenkot says exit polls signal "lack of confidence" in Netanyahu
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:40 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGadi Eisenkot, leader of the opposition bloc’s Yashar party, said the projections indicate “a total lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the ‘October 7th government’”.
In pictures: Israelis react to live results from today's election
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Lack of majority could work in Netanyahu's favour
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe stalemate in today’s election could work in Benjamin Netanyahu's favour, allowing the prime minister to remain in power in a caretaker capacity while parties try to forge a governing coalition.
Final results could take days, and Israel's fragmented political system leaves smaller parties potential kingmakers.
No single party has ever won 61 seats outright in the 120-seat Knesset, making coalitions the norm.
Knesset seat projections exit poll
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:27 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAccording to Israel’s Channel 12 exit poll, the Knesset seat projections are as follows:
- Likud - 24
- Yashar - 22
- B’Yaschad - 12
- Joint List - 11
- The Democrats - 9
- Yisrael Beytenu - 9
- Shas - 8
- Ra’am - 7
- Otzma Yehudit - 6
- Religious Zionism - 6
- United Torah Judaism - 6
What have we learned from the exit polls?
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:17 , Maryam Zakir-HussainExit polls indicated that Netanyahu's bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52-53 and Arab parties won 17-18.
The strong showing by Arab-led parties could allow them to decide the next prime minister, but both blocs have until now refused to partner with them.
Netanyahu’s fate hangs in the balance
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:11 , Maryam Zakir-HussainExit polls released by major Israeli TV stations suggest that neither Netanyahu’s political bloc nor that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error.
Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours.
Final results are expected in the coming days and may vary from the exit polls.
Exit polls show deadlock with no party on track for majority
Tuesday 27 October 2026 20:07 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIsraeli election has no clear winner, exit polls indicate, likely meaning weeks of jockeying to form a government.
We’ll bring you more as we have it.
Almost three-quarters of Israelis turned out for vote
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:38 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVoter turnout stood at 74.3 per cent as of 8 p.m. — or more than 5.4 million Israelis — according to the Central Elections Committee, up from 66.3 per cent at the same time in the 2022 election.
Israelis smash turnout records to pass wartime judgment on Netanyahu
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIsraelis streamed to the polls on Tuesday in record numbers to pass wartime judgment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what some described as the most consequential election in the nation's history.
Long lines formed outside polling stations for the first election since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, as voters grappled with the trauma of Israel's deadliest day and its ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
The Central Elections Committee reported the turnout at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) at 66.7%, a record at that point of the day. With four hours left to go, more people had voted than in the entire previous election.
The policies of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition have been divisive at home and have deepened Israel's international isolation. But he has portrayed himself as the only leader with the mettle to face down Israel's foes
Netanyahu urged supporters to come out to vote to balance high turnout among his opponents on the left and Arab Israelis. "You all need to stream to the polls," he said. "This is a fateful moment."
Watch: Netanyahu claims 'they're trying to steal the election' as Israel goes to the polls
Tuesday 27 October 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsThe latest: Israelis shatter turnout records to pass wartime judgment on Netanyahu
Tuesday 27 October 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsIsraelis surged to the polls on Tuesday at a pace that shattered records, to pass wartime judgment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what voters described as the most consequential election in the nation's history.
Long lines formed outside polling stations for the first election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, with voters passionately engaged over the trauma of the country's deadliest day and the ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
The Central Elections Committee reported that 44.9% of eligible voters had already cast their ballots within the first seven hours of voting, with eight more hours to go. That "broke all records", it said.
Policies of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition have been divisive at home and have deepened Israel's international isolation, while he has defended his record, calling himself the only leader with the mettle to face down Israel's foes.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader with 19 years in office, is an unmatched political survivor, and his nationalist politics are increasingly entrenched. Israel's fragmented system makes it difficult for an array of opponents to force out his coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.
Miliband 'deeply concerned' after MPs say they were detained on way to West Bank
Tuesday 27 October 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainForeign secretary Ed Miliband said he was “deeply concerned” after MPs said they were detained for eight hours by Israeli authorities and denied entry to the West Bank.
Labour’s Clive Lewis and the SNP’s Lara Bird, along with MSP Kate Nevens of the Scottish Greens, said they were interrogated and denied access to the territory on Monday.
Mr Miliband told the Commons on Tuesday that the government has now raised the issue with the Israeli authorities.
The MPs had travelled as part of a delegation organised by political group Progressive International.
According to Progressive International, the group – which also included former MP Sam Tarry and Spanish senator Josu Estarrona Elizondo – was stopped while making the crossing from Jordan and had planned to undertake “a programme of meetings with Palestinian academics, students and civil society organisations” as well as join the olive harvest following what it claims are “mounting attacks” against farmers in the territory.
The Israeli embassy said the group were refused entry after “providing false information about the purpose of their visit” and failing to co-operate with officials.
Recap: Betting markets predicting stunning Netanyahu defeat despite Trump’s backing
Tuesday 27 October 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is tipped for a stunning defeat in today’s legislative elections despite receiving a glowing endorsement from Donald Trump.
Sixty per cent of betters on prediction market Polymarket backed centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot to become the next premier, ahead of 27 per cent for Netanyahu.
Israeli opinion polls suggest a tight contest, with neither Netanyahu’s ruling Likud bloc nor an opposition alliance around Eisenkot likely to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Polls opened at 7am local time on Tuesday and will run until 10pm in the country’s first opportunity to deliver a verdict on the response to the greatest domestic security failure in generations - the October 7 attacks - and the subsequent conflicts with Hamas and Iran.
Before polls opened, US president Trump reiterated his “complete and total” support for Netanyahu, writing that he had been “strong, brave and brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition”.
He alluded to the unresolved US-Israeli conflict with Iran, writing: “Unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job.”
“If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi [Netanyahu], America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.”
Netanyahu warns of 'Arab voter surge' in Israel's election
Tuesday 27 October 2026 16:30 , James ReynoldsBenjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners made a last-ditch push on Tuesday to get their supporters to the polls, warning of surging Arab voter turnout, a tactic Arab politicians denounced as racist and inflammatory.
In a series of posts, Netanyahu highlighted long queues at polling stations in Arab communities and published an image that he said showed Arabs, including women in niqabs, waiting to vote.
"If we don't wake up now, we'll find ourselves with a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmed Tibi," he said in a post, referring to two leading Palestinian Arab politicians in Israel.
Cars flying Netanyahu's Likud party flags drove through Jerusalem blaring the Islamic call to prayer and urging supporters to cast their ballots because “Arabs are voting”, witnesses said.
Turnout reached 55.7% in the first nine hours of voting, the elections committee said, the fastest pace on record. Arabs, mostly of Palestinian heritage, make up about 21% of Israel's population of 10 million and have traditionally voted at lower rates than Jewish Israelis.
A reckoning is coming for Netanyahu – October 7 is why
Tuesday 27 October 2026 16:10 , James ReynoldsAs Israelis head to the polls, anger over the government’s handling of the greatest murder of Jews since the Holocaust casts a long shadow over the election — and could spell the end of the Netanyahu era. Gary Cohen reports
A reckoning is coming for Netanyahu – October 7 is why
When will the Israel election result be announced and is there an exit poll?
Tuesday 27 October 2026 15:20 , James ReynoldsIsraelis will head to the polls on Tuesday 27 October to cast their vote to elect the Knesset, after three years of war waged in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, which have plunged the Middle East into turmoil.
Much of the election is centred around Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking another term after a combined 19 years in power, but neither he nor the opposition has a clear path to a governing majority.
Due to the fragmented political system, the country may have to wait weeks or even months before a new government is confirmed.
When will the Israel election results be announced and is there an exit poll?
In the region: Officials meet in Tehran to de-escalate Middle East conflict as Israelis head to the polls
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:40 , James ReynoldsTop officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday in a bid to de-escalate the Middle East conflict, as Yemen's Houthis launched new attacks on Saudi Arabia and Egypt approved defence support for the Gulf kingdom.
The talks were the first high-level contact between Iran and the three nations — which signed the Mecca mutual defence pact in August — since a war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran also spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Saudi Arabia said the visit was intended to open negotiating channels to "prevent the return of military escalation".
It was represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir; and Turkey by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Saudi and Iranian officials said.
Further afield: Houthis claim strike on Saudi refinery with ballistic missile as war expands
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:36 , James ReynoldsYemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had hit Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil refinery, the biggest in the kingdom, with a ballistic missile.
The Houthis also said they had attacked Saudi military aircraft and repelled an advance by Saudi-backed forces near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important Red Sea shipping route.
Intensifying hostilities between Yemen and Saudi Arabia have further disrupted oil supplies and heightened the risk of a wider regional conflict, eight months since the Iran war began.
The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the strike on the Ras Tanura refinery had caused a fire at the complex, which also includes a shipping terminal and is located on the Gulf, west of the Strait of Hormuz.
The man who could topple Netanyahu: How former army chief who lost son in Gaza became Bibi’s biggest threat
Tuesday 27 October 2026 14:13 , James ReynoldsAs millions of Israelis cast their votes, Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as a key challenger to Netanyahu’s long-standing dominance of Israeli politics. Suha Kidwai reports
The former army chief who lost son in Gaza and could now topple Netanyahu
