Israel’s election count remained unresolved early Wednesday, October 28, after partial official results showed neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing bloc nor the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot close to the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
The Central Elections Committee had counted about 55.4 per cent of the vote in the latest figures available in Israel, with Netanyahu’s Likud holding 27 projected seats and Eisenkot’s Yashar party on 21.
The preliminary distribution placed Netanyahu’s broader coalition on 56 seats, compared with 49 for the main change bloc and 15 for Arab parties.
The figures remain incomplete and can change as additional polling stations and special ballots are processed.
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Israel Election: Partial results show a divided Knesset
The Israel election was held on Tuesday, October 27, to choose all 120 members of the 26th Knesset.
Unlike a presidential contest, Israeli voters choose party lists rather than directly electing a prime minister.
The party results determine the balance of seats, but the country’s next government must be formed through coalition negotiations.
Likud had the strongest individual showing in the partial count, while Yashar emerged as the leading party in the opposing camp.
The Joint List and Together were listed with 11 seats, while the Democrats and United Torah Judaism each held nine.
Yisrael Beytenu had eight seats, Otzma Yehudit and Shas had seven each, the Religious Zionist Party-Zehut alliance had six, and Ra’am had four.
The Reservists-Economic Party and Amcha Yisrael remained below the electoral threshold in the preliminary count.
Why no winner has been declared
No party has ever won an outright majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, making coalition-building central to the election process.
A government needs the support of at least 61 Knesset members to pass legislation and remain in office.
Although Likud was the largest single party in the partial results, that position does not automatically make Netanyahu the next prime minister.
President Isaac Herzog will consult with the parties that enter the Knesset before deciding which lawmaker appears most capable of assembling a governing coalition.
The first person chosen will have 28 days to form a government, with the president able to grant an additional 14 days.
If that attempt fails, another lawmaker can be given the opportunity, followed by further constitutional procedures if no candidate can secure enough support.
If every effort fails, the Knesset could be dissolved and Israelis could be required to vote again within 90 days.
Turnout reached a historic level
Final turnout was reported at 77.7 per cent, the highest level recorded in an Israeli election since 1999.
The figure was 7.1 percentage points higher than turnout in the 2022 election for the 25th Knesset.
Participation among Arab Israeli voters reached 80 per cent, adding importance to the Arab parties’ combined position in the emerging parliamentary arithmetic.
The result could leave those parties in a pivotal position if neither of the two main camps can assemble a majority without their support.
What happens next
The Central Elections Committee will continue verifying and adding ballots, including special double-envelope votes cast by soldiers, diplomats, hospital patients, displaced residents and other voters who did not cast ballots at their registered polling stations.
The official results are scheduled to be published by November 4, although a clearer seat picture is expected before that deadline.
The new Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10, even if coalition negotiations are still continuing.
Until a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu’s administration will remain in place as a caretaker government.
For Netanyahu, the partial result preserves a path to another term but leaves him dependent on negotiations with smaller parties.
For Eisenkot, the figures provide an opportunity to challenge Netanyahu’s leadership, but his bloc also faces the difficult task of bringing together parties with different policy positions.
The final outcome will therefore depend not only on the remaining ballots, but also on which parties cross the electoral threshold and what agreements can be reached after the count is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Israel election?
No final winner had been declared as of early Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Partial official results showed Likud as the largest individual party, but neither major bloc had the 61 seats needed to form a government.
How many seats are needed to form a government in Israel?
A governing coalition needs the support of at least 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset.
When will the final Israel election results be published?
The official results are scheduled to be published by November 4, 2026, although the vote count and seat projections are expected to become clearer earlier.
What happens after the election count is completed?
President Isaac Herzog will consult with elected parties and ask the lawmaker he believes has the best chance of forming a coalition to try to build a government.
What happens if no Israeli party can form a coalition?
If all government-formation efforts fail, the Knesset could be dissolved and another election could be held within 90 days.
Fact-Checked: Key figures, election dates, turnout, seat requirements and the government-formation timeline were checked against Israel’s Central Elections Committee information and current partial-result reporting.
Disclaimer: The seat figures are preliminary and may change until Israel’s Central Elections Committee completes and certifies the count.