Israel's Central Elections Committee announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party secured 20.6% of the vote after a 77.7% turnout, the highest since 1999, on Wednesday.
The Yashar party of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot trailed with 15.9%, while a coalition of Arab parties posted a historic result that could make them kingmakers in a hung parliament.
Netanyahu, who has ruled Israel since 2009, dismissed any partnership with the Arab‑led bloc as treason, insisting a nationalist coalition must prevail, according to a speech delivered at the central committee.
Opposition leaders such as Yair Golan of the Democrats urged inclusion of Arab parties, citing the country's identity crisis, while former National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir faced backlash after remarks about Gaza residents.
In Tel Aviv, a 45‑year‑old mother of three, Laila, said the election's uncertainty weighed on her family, as her son serves in the IDF and her husband works at a defense plant.
With 70% of votes counted, the remaining absentee ballots from soldiers and diplomats will be tallied in the coming days, after which President Isaac Herzog will decide whether to task Likud with forming a government or call fresh elections.