developing· Politics· Updated
Netanyahu Bloc Leads Opposition After 100% of Regular Votes Counted
Following the count of regular ballots in Israel's 26th Knesset elections, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to secure 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is expected to win 48 seats. Arab parties collectively hold 19 seats. The final parliamentary makeup remains pending the tabulation of approximately 600,000 special ballots, which include votes from soldiers, diplomats, prisoners, and hospital patients.
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What happened
- 01Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats in the 26th Knesset elections after the count of regular ballots.
- 02The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is expected to secure 48 seats, while Arab parties hold 19 seats.
- 03Approximately 600,000 special ballots from soldiers, diplomats, and prisoners remain to be counted and could affect the final results.
- 04Voter turnout for the election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, was 77.7%, with over 5.6 million citizens participating.
- 05Likud leads individual parties with 26 projected seats, followed by Yesh Atid with 21 seats.
- 06Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism declined to seven seats each, representing a combined loss of four seats.
- 07President Isaac Herzog urged political parties to prevent another election cycle amid potential coalition-building difficulties.
- 08The final official results of the election are scheduled to be published no later than Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
According to the initial count, Likud is projected to win 26 seats, Yesh Atid (also referred to as Yahad or Yachad) is expected to secure 21 seats, and both the Joint List and the Bechayim party (referred to as Meretz by Mignews) are projected to win 12 seats each. The Democrats party is expected to gain eight seats. Israel Beiteinu, Ra'am, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas are each projected to win seven seats, while Religious Zionist-Identity (referred to as Religious Zionism by Mignews) is expected to secure six seats.
The initial results show a significant decline for Haredi parties, with Shas and United Torah Judaism collectively projected to win 14 seats, a drop of four seats from the previous election. The Haredi Public party received only about 10,000 votes, falling below the 3.25% electoral threshold alongside other parties such as HaMeyuladanim, HaKalkalit, Miluimnikim ve'Kalkalit, and Amcha Yisrael. President Isaac Herzog called on political parties to make efforts to prevent another election cycle due to potential difficulties in forming a government.
Voter turnout for the election held on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, reached 77.7%, with over 5.6 million citizens participating. The Central Elections Committee has processed over 5.1 million votes, and the final official results must be published no later than Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Behadrei Haredim. Read Behadrei Haredim’s originalThe coverage
3 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- LeftNone
- CentreNone
- RightNone
- Haredi1
- ArabNone
- Other2
Not in the Left, Centre, Right or Arab press
