Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said right-wing parties had secured a "decisive majority" among the Zionist public, arguing that no leader should govern with the support of Israeli Arabs.

Addressing Likud supporters, Netanyahu described his party as the largest and called for the formation of a "national right-wing government."

He cautioned against drawing conclusions from preliminary figures, saying he was waiting for "real results."

Exit polls, however, showed no outright winner, with Netanyahu's coalition holding a narrow lead over the main opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.

Voter turnout reached 77.7%, its highest level in nearly 30 years, according to the Central Elections Committee. With more than 57% of ballots counted, the Likud-led bloc was projected to win 55 seats, five short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority, while the opposition alliance was projected to secure 49 seats, according to a Channel 12 exit poll.

Arab-led parties collectively secured 18 seats, improving on their performance four years earlier, although neither of the two main blocs indicated that it would invite them to join a governing coalition.

The Joint List, an alliance comprising Hadash, Taal, and Balad and led by Yousef Jabareen, was projected to win 11 seats, while Mansour Abbas's Raam (United Arab List), which ran separately, was expected to take seven.

The election is Israel's first since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and comes amid scrutiny of Netanyahu's handling of the attack and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

Read more: Israelis vote in first election since October 7 attack