Israel's Central Elections Committee announced on Wednesday that 70% of the ballots had been tallied, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party with 20.6% of the vote in the 2026 parliamentary election.
The Yashar Party of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot trailed with 15.9%, and Eisenkot hinted at a coalition with Arab parties if they recognized Israel as a Jewish state and denounced Hamas.
Netanyahu dismissed any partnership with Arab parties as treasonous, insisting a "strong, right‑wing, nationalist government" must prevail.
With no party holding a majority of the 120‑seat Knesset, coalition talks could stretch for weeks, mirroring the five elections that followed the 2019–2022 stalemate.
For families displaced by the Oct. 7 conflict, the uncertainty has hit home; one mother, Rina Cohen, said: "We just want stability, not more bloodshed."
Final results will be released in the coming days, and if no majority emerges, an early election could be called for early 2027.