Donald Trump has not ruled out getting involved in Israel’s efforts to form a coalition government after the election, saying he would “take a look” at the matter.
A US official said the president had not yet decided whether the US would intervene in efforts to assemble the next Israeli government, adding that reports that Washington preferred a specific outcome were “false and premature”.
Trump has previously given his backing to Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, who earlier claimed that Tuesday’s elections were “stolen” by Arab parties after his right-wing bloc fell short of a governing majority.
But that claim was rejected by Israeli police on Thursday, with a source saying there was “no investigative or intelligence-based supporting evidence for the claims”.
The Arab bloc claimed a historic 19 seats in the 120-seat parliament, potentially positioning it as kingmaker in coalition talks, though Netanyahu’s bloc has already ruled out working with them.
Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh accused Israel’s main political leaders of “racism” for refusing to form a coalition with “the legitimate elected leadership of the national minority”.
Read MoreFour scenarios that could play out after Israel’s election as Netanyahu tries to cling onto power
Vance ‘reaches out to Iran for peace talks’ days after Trump threatens new bombing campaign
Netanyahu faces a near impossible task to survive – this is why
Gadi Eisenkot: The former Israeli military chief who could topple Netanyahu
Key Points
- Arab parties in Israel poised for strongest electoral performance in generations
- Netanyahu’s party repeats unsubstantiated claims Arabs ‘stole the election’
- Trump says ‘he’ll take a look’ when asked about Israel coalition formation
- Israel's high-turnout vote brushed aside in rest of the Middle East
- Caretaker role could limit Netanyahu but not rule out war with Iran
- How could Eisenkot rescue a coalition government and still win?
Ben-Gvir calls for arrest of Arab political leaders
12:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIsrael’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has claimed that Arab political parties had foreign funding and called for the arrest of their leaders.
In a post on X, he said the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, “must order, as early as this morning, the arrest of the leaders of the Arab parties suspected of involvement with Qatari funds”.
These allegations are unsubstantiated, and he also did not clarify further.
Israeli police dismiss Netanyahu's claim election was ‘stolen’
11:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIsraeli police have dismissed claims by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Arab bloc “stole” the election.
The Times of Israel quoted a police source as saying: “Election day passed with very few irregular incidents concerning the integrity of the election, even when compared to previous elections.
“It should be emphasised that there is no investigative- or intelligence-based supporting evidence for the claims.”
Trump says ‘he’ll take a look’ when asked about Israel coalition formation
09:57 , Maroosha MuzaffarDonald Trump reportedly suggested that he will “take a look” at getting involved in efforts to form a coalition government in Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
In comments also carried by The Times of Israel, when Trump was asked about getting involved in the efforts, during an interview with Axios, Trump said he hadn’t thought about the idea.
But added: “I will take a look.”
Later, a US official clarified that Trump had not decided whether the US would intervene in efforts to assemble the next Israeli government.
Netanyahu’s party repeats unsubstantiated claims Arabs ‘stole the election’
09:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarBenjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has repeated unsubstantiated claims that Arab citizens of Israel “stole” Tuesday’s election, despite the official elections committee finding no evidence of widespread irregularities.
Analysts say Netanyahu is seeking to undermine the legitimacy of Arab voters’ ballots because Arab parties are expected to win a historically high number of seats, potentially enabling his Jewish Israeli rivals to form an alliance with them and remove him from power.
Netanyahu vows to eliminate Iran threat
08:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned against forming a coalition that relies on Arab-led parties while vowing to eliminate what he described as the existential threat posed by Iran.
Addressing supporters at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Netanyahu said his right-wing bloc had a “decisive majority” among Jewish voters and those who support the Jewish state, despite preliminary results showing the alliance falling short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
“It is simply forbidden to endanger Israel and form a government that rests on anti-Zionist Arab parties. Parties that oppose our very existence, that see Hamas as a charitable organisation, that call our soldiers war criminals,” he said.
His remarks came as Arab-led parties appeared poised to win a record 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, potentially giving them a decisive role in efforts by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a government and end Netanyahu’s hold on power.
Netanyahu also said Israel had a “historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, alongside US president Donald Trump, to eliminate the threat from Iran.
“Because as long as that fanatical regime exists, a regime that has inscribed on its banner, that has defined the very purpose of its existence as the destruction of ours, it will try again to annihilate us. And it is within our power, together with our wonderful friend president Trump, to remove this threat once and for all.”
90% of votes counted as Netanyahu’s bloc 8 seats short of majority
07:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIsrael’s election results are still yet to be confirmed, with nearly 90 per cent of ballots counted leaving Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc eight seats short of a parliamentary majority.
The Central Election Committee said Netanyahu’s alliance was on course to secure 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc.
The figures mark a reversal from pre-election opinion polls and initial exit polls, which had put Eisenkot’s alliance ahead, The Times of Israel reported.
The remaining count includes an estimated 430,000 to 480,000 double-envelope ballots cast by soldiers, prisoners, diplomats abroad and other voters unable to vote at their designated polling stations.
Officials are due to begin counting these ballots early on Thursday, with the tally expected to be completed by Thursday evening.
Final official results are expected on 4 November.
Balad leader accuses Israeli parties of ‘racism’ over exclusion of Arab bloc
06:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarBalad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh has accused Israel’s main political leaders of “racism” for refusing to form a coalition with Arab-led parties despite their projected record 19 seats in parliament.
Balad is one of the Joint List’s three parties.
He said that Palestinian citizens of Israel are being treated as illegitimate political partners.
“This is racism,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are a legitimate elected leadership of the national minority. The vast majority of our people decided that we are their leadership.”
Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador told the outlet: “Probably the most important phenomenon of this election is the rise and the revival of the Arab vote. The statement is clear: You cannot disregard such a large portion of the electorate in the calculations for Israeli politics.”
Four scenarios that could play out after Israel’s election as Netanyahu tries to cling onto power
05:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarIsrael appears headed for another impasse following Tuesday’s general election, with early counts leaving both prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot short of a governing majority.
With roughly 85 per cent of votes counted by Wednesday afternoon, neither the incumbent’s right-wing religious bloc nor the broad coalition aligned behind Mr Eisenkot commanded the 61 seats required to form an administration in the 120-seat Knesset.
Because key parties have ruled out working with one another on ideological or personal grounds, political analysts note that forming an administration will require at least one faction to reverse its campaign commitments. In the absence of an agreement, Israeli law mandates a return to the ballot box.
Read more:
Four scenarios that could play out after Israel’s election
Arab parties in Israel poised for strongest electoral performance in generations
04:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarArab parties in Israel are poised for their strongest electoral performance in generations, potentially winning 19 seats, up from 10 in the outgoing Parliament.
Their support could prove decisive in helping opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot secure the 61 seats needed to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu, whose alliance also appears short of a majority.
“Netanyahu knows that without the Arab parties, there’s no majority to unseat him. That’s why he incites against us,” Yousef Jabareen, the leader of the Joint List alliance said in an interview.
“The opposition should reject that incitement.”
He added: “The ball is now in Eisenkot’s court. Whoever wants to remove Netanyahu and change his policies – we are ready to cooperate to topple his government.”
However, partnering with the Arab parties, particularly the more nationalist Joint List, risks alienating Jewish voters and splitting Eisenkot’s bloc, analysts have said.
Arab Israelis make up about 20 per cent of the population in Israel but have long been marginalised in national politics.
Netanyahu’s party repeats unsubstantiated claims Arabs ‘stole the election’
02:59 , Maroosha MuzaffarBenjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has repeated unsubstantiated claims that Arab citizens of Israel “stole” Tuesday’s election, despite the official elections committee finding no evidence of widespread irregularities.
Analysts say Netanyahu is seeking to undermine the legitimacy of Arab voters’ ballots because Arab parties are expected to win a historically high number of seats, potentially enabling his Jewish Israeli rivals to form an alliance with them and remove him from power.
How the Arab vote shook Israel
02:00 , Nicole Lampert
Bedouins on camels, queues around the block: How the Arab vote shook Israel
Israel's high-turnout vote brushed aside in rest of the Middle East
01:00 , James ReynoldsIn Gaza, displaced Palestinian Majed Jundia made no distinction between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, a former military chief.
"They want to eradicate the Palestinian people so they do what they want," said Jundia.
Netanyahu was heavily criticised over security failures leading up to the Hamas assault on Israel's deadliest day.
Portraying himself as the only leader who could protect the country, the consummate political survivor argued that his assassinations of the leaders of Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah and their ally Iran made Israel, and the world, safer.
Kamel Haddad, an 81-year-old Lebanese man who has witnessed Israel's conflicts with neighbouring states over decades, expected no changes.
"As for who wins? I couldn’t care less. Let them tear each other apart, what difference does it make to me?” he said. "They might get preoccupied with one another since there are issues between them now. Perhaps they would leave us be for a bit.”
Watch: Netanyahu seeks 'strong, right-wing government' after exit polls
00:00 , James ReynoldsICYMI: Knife attacker shot dead outside Israel's embassy in Serbia
Wednesday 28 October 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsAn attacker with two knives who wounded a policeman guarding the Israeli embassy in Belgrade overnight has been shot dead.
Serbia's outgoing interior minister confirmed the news on Wednesday.
“One minor, of so far undetermined identity, who is reasonably suspected to be from Šabac, rushed at an officer of the Gendarmerie shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and attacked him with two knives,” Ivica Dacic said in an emailed statement.
Dacic added that he had raised Serbia's security threat level to red, the highest, and that there would be an increased police presence at key locations. The officer suffered a light head wound, Dacic said.
Knife attacker shot dead outside Israel's embassy in Serbia
Caretaker role could limit Netanyahu but not rule out war with Iran
Wednesday 28 October 2026 22:00 , ReutersBenjamin Netanyahu is expected to face more constraints as Israel's caretaker prime minister after Tuesday's election, but experts say his government could still retain significant powers including when it comes to waging war on Iran.
Neither Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition nor an opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is projected by Israeli media to win a majority in the country’s 120-seat legislature. Eisenkot has acknowledged the prime minister was still in office as a caretaker but issued a warning that Netanyahu might use security for political ends.
Netanyahu's office has previously rejected accusations he is using the Iran conflict for political gain. His office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.
“If you look at the letter of the law, a caretaker government has the same authority, has the same powers as a regular government,” said Guy Lurie, a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, adding however that a caretaker government “has a duty of restraint” and more limited discretion to act in some areas.
A caretaker government faces limitations when it comes to issues such as appointments, but has leeway to act in matters where there is a public interest, analysts say.
Trump takes credit for Netanyahu election performance after endorsing Israeli prime minister
Wednesday 28 October 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsPresident Trump has taken credit for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s performance in Tuesday’s Knesset election.
Trump shared a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that claimed his endorsement of Netanyahu turned around the latter’s campaign and may still carry him back to office.
“When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu,” quoting Irving C. Schwartz.
“It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!”
Wednesday 28 October 2026 20:00 , James Reynolds Who won the Israel election? Live results as vote counts continue
Wednesday 28 October 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsResults are still pouring in from Israel’s election yet it remains unclear whether Gadi Eisenkot or Benjamin Netanyahu will lead the nation.
Israel's Central Elections Committee is continuing to tally votes, with expectations that definitive results won’t be drawn up until Thursday. With 92 per cent of the votes tallied, neither side appears on track to win an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister was on course to win 53 seats in parliament between his Likud party and allies on the right, well ahead of the 48 forecast for the opposition bloc of rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Who won the Israel election? Live results as vote counts continue
How could Eisenkot rescue a coalition government and still win?
Wednesday 28 October 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsIsrael’s longest-serving prime minister is on course to win 53 seats in parliament between his Likud party and allies on the right, well ahead of the 48 forecast for the opposition bloc of rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Parties representing Israelis of Arab descent were meanwhile set to win an unprecedented 19 of 120 possible seats, following high turnout from passionately motivated voters in the first elections since the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing regional conflicts.
If neither bloc can form a coalition government, the existing cabinet with stay on until another election can be called.
The results could still change, but a victory for Eisenkot looked out of reach save for a deal to accept broad backing from the Arab parties, which many Jewish leaders reject.
In 2021, Netanyahu was ousted from the top office by a broad coalition, which for the first time included an Arab party, Ra’am. But the government soon destabilised, making way for Bibi to return barely 18 months later.
Netanyahu bloc cannot be defeated 'without Arab citizens,' says Israeli politician
Wednesday 28 October 2026 17:48 , Suha KidwaiAyman Odeh, leader of the Hadash-Ta’al list alongside Ahmad Tibi, said Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc would have secured an outright majority if not for the turnout of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
"Without the Arab citizens, Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich would already be celebrating today," Odeh wrote in a post on social media.
Odeh added that while Arab voters held the balance of power, broader cooperation across the political spectrum remains necessary to break the right's grip on power: "The truth is simple: even the Arab citizens alone cannot bring about the change, and even without us, it’s impossible to defeat them."
"Without a genuine and equal Jewish-Arab partnership, it’s impossible to build a better future here for all of us," he said. "And we all deserve such a future."
Netanyahu pulls ahead in Israeli election as rivals weigh deal with Arab parties
Wednesday 28 October 2026 17:30 , James ReynoldsBenjamin Netanyahu has pulled ahead in the Israeli elections with nearly 92 per cent of all ballots counted, leaving his opponents to weigh an unlikely deal with the Arab parties as victory falls further out of view.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister was on course to win 53 seats in parliament between his Likud party and allies on the right, well ahead of the 48 forecast for the opposition bloc of rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Parties representing Israelis of Arab descent were meanwhile set to win an unprecedented 19 of 120 possible seats, following high turnout from passionately motivated voters in the first elections since the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing regional conflicts.
Netanyahu pulls ahead in Israeli election as rivals weigh deal with Arab parties
Comment: Netanyahu faces a near impossible task to survive – this is why
Wednesday 28 October 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsThe Israeli prime minister is desperate to stay in power but the success of the Arab-led parties makes his future a lot more difficult, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew:
Netanyahu faces a near impossible task to survive – this is why
Likud claims election ‘stolen’ by Arab parties, alleges fraud and illicit software
Wednesday 28 October 2026 16:30 , Suha KidwaiBenjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has claimed that Israel’s election was “stolen” by Arab-led parties, alleging extensive criminal violations at polling stations across the country.
In a statement reported by Israeli media, Likud asserted that “the election in the State of Israel was stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish state, through serious criminal offences.”
Without publicly releasing evidence, the party accused the Arab lists of deploying “prohibited” software to mobilise voters, alongside allegations of “bribery, threats, violence, [and] forgery.”
Likud said it has submitted evidence in support of its claims to the Shin Bet domestic security agency and the Central Elections Committee.
The move follows sharp campaign attacks by Likud against the Arab lists, which Arab politicians pushed back on during voting day, accusing Netanyahu of inciting hatred against Palestinian citizens as a “scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters.”
There was no immediate comment from the Arab-led parties regarding Likud's claims.
Comment: I’ve flown back to Israel to say bye-bye to Bibi Netanyahu – and vote him out for the last time
Wednesday 28 October 2026 16:20 , James ReynoldsMany of us are hoping to stop a record-breaking fifth term for Bibi (which is why I’m flying home to cast my vote), but what worries me is that many Israelis simply aren’t engaging with the need for change, says Yaniv Korman
I’ve flown back to Israel to say bye-bye to Bibi Netanyahu
Elections, corruption scandals and assassination attempts: Netanyahu’s remarkable history of survival
Wednesday 28 October 2026 15:55 , James ReynoldsBenjamin Netanyahu and his allies are on track to win the most seats in Israel’s parliament, despite weeks of polling predicting he would not survive Tuesday’s election.
The central election committee was still tallying votes on Wednesday, and it will likely take until Thursday before definitive results of the election are known.
Current forecasts suggest Netanyahu and his allies will win 54 seats, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority in the Knesset, but also leaving his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot without a clear path to government.
From elections to assassination attempts: Netanyahu’s remarkable history of survival
Ed Miliband ‘deeply concerned’ after MPs detained by Israel
Wednesday 28 October 2026 15:40 , James ReynoldsForeign secretary Ed Miliband has said he was "deeply concerned" after British politicians reported being detained for eight hours by Israeli officials and turned back from the West Bank.
Clive Lewis of Labour, the SNP’s Lara Bird, and Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens stated they were interrogated and refused entry on Monday.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Miliband confirmed that the Government has formally raised the matter with Israeli authorities.
Read the full story:
Miliband ‘deeply concerned’ after MPs held and barred from West Bank
Revisited: Gadi Eisenkot: Former Israeli army chief who could topple Netanyahu
Wednesday 28 October 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsAfter 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
Who is Gadi Eisenkot? The former Israeli army chief who could topple Netanyahu
