Exit polls from Israel’s election suggest no clear winner, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc projected to fall short of the majority needed to form a government.
Netanyahu’s bloc is expected to secure 50 seats, while the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot is projected to win between 52 and 53. A total of 61 seats is required for a parliamentary majority, while Arab parties are forecast to take 18 seats collectively.
Polling stations closed at 10pm local time, with preliminary results expected on Wednesday and a final tally due on Friday. The official results are scheduled to be published on November 4, eight days after the vote.
Exit polls are based on interviews with voters after they cast their ballots and have generally closely anticipated the eventual result in previous Israeli elections.
Turnout reached 74.3% by 8pm, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, up from 70.63% at the equivalent stage of the 2022 election.
The contest had been expected to be close between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former army chief.
The Central Elections Committee rejected a request from Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party to extend voting hours.
The election is the first since Israel launched its war on Gaza three years ago, following Hamas-led attacks on Israel. It has been widely viewed as a referendum on Mr Netanyahu’s handling of the events of October 7, 2023, and the conflicts that followed.
