In a defiant speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a “strong, right-wing” government. Exit polls indicated that neither his bloc nor his opponents had secured enough seats for a parliamentary majority.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-28 06:30

Israel is counting votes in its first election since October 7, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a fight for his political survival. DW’s livestream follows the results and considers whether he can remain in office and what the outcome could mean for the region.

DDW News2026-10-28 04:48

Israel’s election ended without a clear winner. Exit polls indicate that neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot won a parliamentary majority. University of San Francisco politics professor Stephen Zunes said the results signal public fatigue with Netanyahu’s leadership and years of war, and warned that deep divisions could complicate forming a government.

CCNA2026-10-28 03:22

Early polling showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gaining ground against his political rivals, but still short of a parliamentary majority. The election is Israel’s first since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

FFox News2026-10-28 03:15

Muhannad Ayyash, a sociology professor at Mount Royal University, analyzes Israel’s elections.

TTRT World2026-10-28 02:45

Faten Elwan, a Palestinian affairs analyst, said fears of displacement, home demolitions and the Gaza war drove a surge in Palestinian citizens’ participation in Israel’s elections. A grassroots movement mobilised voters to challenge Netanyahu and his far-right allies.

TTRT World2026-10-28 02:13

Exit polls on Tuesday put the bloc led by opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot slightly ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud bloc, without a clear majority. The vote, Israel’s first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, saw turnout reach a decades-high level, with government-formation maneuvering expected to last weeks.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-28 01:51

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke defiantly at Likud headquarters, claiming his party is Israel’s largest and that the right-wing bloc has a decisive majority. He cited military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran as major security achievements and vowed to keep working with US President Donald Trump against what he called the Iranian threat. He also ruled out forming a government dependent …

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-28 01:42

Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center, says inconclusive Israeli election results and lengthy coalition talks could prompt Netanyahu to resume the war against Iran alongside the United States and seek a national unity government, as US military presence grows and Trump threatens Tehran.

TTRT World2026-10-28 01:38

Jeff Halper says Netanyahu stepping aside could open the way for a coalition between Likud and rival right-wing Zionist parties. He argues their divisions are about Netanyahu, not policy.

TTRT World2026-10-28 01:20

Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at RANE Network, says Arab parties may use their projected gains to tackle crime and underfunded services in Arab communities. He questions whether they will have enough influence to shift Israeli policy toward greater political and economic rights for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

TTRT World2026-10-28 01:12

Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot said Israelis had chosen change and pledged to form a new government after exit polls showed the opposition bloc ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc. He urged Netanyahu to accept the preliminary results and promised national unity, mandatory military service and action on Israel’s challenges.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-27 23:56

Supporters of Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent, gather to follow preliminary results from a pivotal Israeli election. It is the first election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.

RReuters2026-10-27 23:55

Opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu performed strongly in today’s election but fell short of winning power outright. Weeks of negotiations may now be needed to determine who can form a coalition government.

NNBC News2026-10-27 23:34

Exit polls released Tuesday indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and its main rival both appear to have fallen short of a parliamentary majority. Forming a governing coalition could require weeks of negotiations. The vote was widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the wars that followed.

TThe Associated Press2026-10-27 23:28

Israel’s election remains too close to call. Exit polls indicate that Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc has secured the most seats, ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. Eisenkot leads the newly formed Yashar party and is a leading figure in the opposition change bloc, united by the goal of removing Netanyahu from power. A few seats can decide the result; exit polls have been unreliable before, and counting could take days.

BBBC News2026-10-27 23:07

Voting has ended in Israel’s first election since the October 7 attacks, but no bloc has secured a clear majority.

RReuters2026-10-27 22:43

Exit polls in Israel project 50 seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and 52 for the opposition, leaving both short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest since 1999, while participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel was reported at about 80%, a historic level.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-27 22:38

Former Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren says many Israelis are shocked that Gadi Eisenkot's bloc narrowly leads Benjamin Netanyahu's, though the count could still shift. If Eisenkot cannot secure the 61 seats needed to form a government, Israel may hold another election with Netanyahu still prime minister. Oren says time is on Netanyahu's side.

BBloomberg Television2026-10-27 22:26

Exit polls indicate no clear winner in Israel’s election. Turnout exceeded 77%, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee. It is the country’s first election since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks.

Eeuronews2026-10-27 21:54

Early exit polls project 24 seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and 22 for Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party. Al Jazeera analyst Marwan Bishara says that, although Likud is projected to emerge as the…

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-27 21:45

Large numbers of Israelis went to polling stations for a crucial election that voters viewed as a defining moment for the country’s future.

RReuters2026-10-27 21:31

Israelis turned out in numbers not seen in decades for the first general election since the October 7, 2023 attacks. The vote is framed as a referendum on the country’s bloodiest day and reflects divisions over what kind of Israel citizens want, as traditional allies lose sympathy over Gaza and settler attacks in the West Bank.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-27 21:23

Exit polls project Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party to take 24 seats, just ahead of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party with 22. The opposition bloc is forecast to win 52 seats and Netanyahu’s bloc 50, leaving both short of the 61 needed for a parliamentary majority. More than 74% of eligible voters reportedly voted.

AAl Jazeera English2026-10-27 21:23