NEWSru IsraelPolitics08:15

Israel Election: Netanyahu Bloc Nears Majority as 92% of Votes Counted

Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba

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With 91.7% of votes counted in Israel's Knesset elections, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot is expected to secure 48. Two Arab parties are projected to win 19 seats, totaling 120 seats. Neither bloc has reached the 61 seats needed for a majority. The counting of absentee ballots is ongoing and could impact the final results, with official outcomes due by November 4, 2026.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats after 91.7% of votes are counted.
Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc is projected to secure 48 seats in the Knesset.
Two Arab parties are expected to win a combined 19 seats.
Neither of the two main political blocs has reached the 61 seats needed for a majority.
The counting of absentee ballots is ongoing and may affect the final seat distribution.
Official results of the election are expected by November 4, 2026.

Israel Election: Netanyahu Bloc Nears Majority as 92% of Votes Counted — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

As of Thursday morning, October 29, Israel's Central Elections Committee reported that 91.7% of votes from the 26th Knesset elections have been counted. Out of over 5.2 million votes tallied, 5.2 million were valid. Preliminary results indicate that Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while the opposition agreement led by Gadi Eisenkot is expected to secure 48 seats. Two Arab parties together are projected to gain 19 seats, bringing the total to 120 seats in the Knesset. This distribution has remained consistent since the previous vote count update.

Detailed projections show the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, receiving approximately 1.07 million votes (20.68%) for 26 seats. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is projected to get 840,233 votes (16.15%) for 21 seats. The Joint List is expected to win 11 seats, Bayahad 12 seats, Democrats 8 seats, Ra'am 8 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu 7 seats, United Torah Judaism 7 seats, Shas 7 seats, and Otzma Yehudit 7 seats. Religious Zionism and Jewish Identity is projected to win 6 seats.

Two parties, Miluimnikim ve Kalkalit and Amcha Israel, are currently falling short of the 3.25% electoral threshold. Miluimnikim ve Kalkalit has seen a slight increase in its vote share to 2.64%, while Amcha Israel's share rose to 1.61%. If either party manages to cross the threshold with the remaining votes, the seat distribution among parliamentary parties could change.

The current bloc distribution shows Netanyahu's coalition parties (Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Religious Zionism and Jewish Identity) securing 53 seats. The opposition parties (Yashar, Bayahad, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Democrats) are projected to win 48 seats, and the two Arab parties (Joint List and Ra'am) are expected to get 19 seats. Neither of the two main political blocs has reached the 61 seats required to form a parliamentary majority.

Vote counting for ballots in 'double envelopes,' which include votes from soldiers, hospital patients, and prisoners, began on Thursday morning. The Central Elections Committee estimates there are between 430,000 and 480,000 such ballots. The counting of these votes is expected to conclude by Thursday evening and could potentially alter the final seat distribution. The official election results are due to be published no later than November 4, 2026.