Netanyahu Bloc Loses Seats as Knesset Vote Count Nears Halfway Point
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Vote counting in Israel's 26th Knesset elections shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc projected to win 55 seats after 48.43% of ballots are processed. This is a decrease from earlier projections, with 61 seats needed for a majority. Voter turnout was a high 77.7%. Final results are due by November 4, 2026.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 55 seats after 48.43% of votes are counted.
- A majority requires 61 seats, indicating a potential shortfall for Netanyahu's bloc.
- Vote counts have shown a decline in projected seats for Netanyahu's bloc since early tallies.
- Voter turnout reached a high of 77.7%, with over 5.6 million people voting.
- Final election results are expected to be published by November 4, 2026.
Vote counting continues in Israel's 26th Knesset elections, with nearly half of the ballots processed by Wednesday morning, October 28. Preliminary results indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 55 seats, a decrease from earlier tallies. As of the latest update, 48.43% of votes have been counted, showing a decline from 59 seats when approximately 28% of votes were tallied, and 57 seats at 37.4%.
A total of 61 seats are required to form a parliamentary majority. The current projections suggest Netanyahu's bloc is falling short of this target. These figures are preliminary and subject to change as more votes are counted.
Detailed results from a snapshot at 05:57-05:58, with 2,122,846 valid votes counted, showed the Likud party (Benjamin Netanyahu) leading with 28 projected seats. Other parties included Yashar (Gadi Eisenkot) with 21 seats, the Joint List with 12, Bayahad with 11, Yahadut HaTorah and Yisrael Beiteinu with 8 seats each, and Democraticim, Otzma Yehudit, Shas, and Zionut HaDatit Ve'Zehut each with 7 seats. Ra'am was projected to receive 4 seats. Two parties, "Miluimnikim Ve'Kalkalit" and "Amcha Israel," were below the 3.25% electoral threshold.
At this stage, 11 parties have crossed the electoral threshold. The shifting results are attributed to the incorporation of data from new polling stations, with a notable increase in votes for Arab parties observed in later counts. Voter turnout for the election was high, reaching 77.7% with 5,695,682 people casting ballots, one of the highest in Knesset election history.
In addition to the regular polling stations, ballots from double envelopes, including those from soldiers, diplomats, prisoners, and hospital patients, still need to be counted. The final official results are expected no later than November 4, 2026.
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