Likud Leads Israeli Election With 28 Seats After 60% of Votes Counted

Israeli election commissions have completed the count of over 60% of ballots cast in the parliamentary elections. The Likud party has strengthened its lead, securing an additional seat to bring its total to 28 mandates. The Yashar movement remains in second place with 21 parliamentary seats. These updated results have shifted the balance of power, with the right-wing bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu currently holding the support of 56 lawmakers. The opposition alliance has formed a group of 48 representatives, while Arab political factions collectively hold 16 seats.

Among Likud's right-wing allies, the Otzma Yehudit party showed positive momentum, gaining an additional mandate for a total of 7 seats. In contrast, the ultra-Orthodox party Yahadut HaTorah lost one seat, now holding 8. The Sephardic religious party Shas has secured 7 mandates, and the Religious Zionism-Zehut bloc has obtained 6 seats.

The opposition bloc also experienced losses during the vote count. The Democrats party lost one mandate, reducing its presence to 8 seats. The BeYachad party holds 11 parliamentary seats, and the Yisrael Beiteinu list has achieved 8 mandates.

The Arab sector is represented by two main forces: the United List has brought 12 lawmakers to the Knesset, making it one of the largest independent factions, while the Ra'am party secured 4 mandates, surpassing the electoral threshold.

Election officials are continuing to process ballots, including those from soldiers, diplomats, and emergency service personnel. The final distribution of mandates will be determined after all protocols are verified and absentee ballot agreements are accounted for. The completion of the official results will mark the first stage in forming the next government coalition.