Full coverage· Politics· Updated 19:54

Herzog Urges Parties to Avoid New Elections Amid Coalition Stalemate

President Isaac Herzog called on Israeli political parties on Wednesday to make every effort to avoid another round of elections, following the vote for the 26th Knesset. Speaking at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Herzog urged party leaders to approach the upcoming coalition negotiations with an open mind. He praised the exceptionally high voter turnout, which reached 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999, calling it a badge of honor for Israeli society and a testament to its commitment to democracy.

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What happened

01President Isaac Herzog urged political parties to prevent repeat elections and approach coalition talks with an open mind.
02With 85% of the ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc holds 48 seats.
03Neither major political bloc has secured the 61-seat majority required to form a government in the 120-seat Knesset.
04Voter turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999, which President Herzog praised as a badge of honor.
05Judge Noam Sohlberg will present the official election results to President Herzog on Wednesday, November 4.
06President Herzog will begin consultations with all elected Knesset factions immediately after receiving the official results.
07The outgoing government will remain in office if the coalition negotiations fail and new elections are triggered.

Preliminary results, with 85% of the ballots counted, indicate a political stalemate. The bloc supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secured 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot has 48 seats, leaving both sides short of the 61-seat majority required in the 120-seat Knesset. Arab parties hold the remaining 19 seats. According to Mako, Likud is the largest single party with 26 mandates, followed by Yesh Atid with 21.

Herzog is scheduled to officially receive the final election results next week on Wednesday, November 4, from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Judge Noam Sohlberg. Immediately following this, the President will begin consultations with all elected factions at his residence to determine which candidate will be tasked with forming the next government. If the process fails within the strict legal deadlines, the country could face repeat elections, during which the outgoing government would remain in office.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated 22:03