Jerusalem, Oct 32026 : Israel’s 2026 general election has resulted in a hung parliament, with no political bloc securing the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. According to the final results released by the Central Elections Committee (CEC) on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc won 53 seats, while the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party secured 48 seats. Arab political factions accounted for the remaining 19 seats.
The results represent a significant setback for Netanyahu’s coalition, whose constituent parties held 68 seats in the outgoing Knesset, The Times of Israel reported. The outcome has set the stage for difficult coalition negotiations, with neither major political camp currently having enough support to form a government independently.
The CEC will submit the official election results to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on November 4 after completing final checks into reported errors and complaints. Herzog will then consult leaders of all political parties, who will recommend their preferred candidate to form the next government.
The newly elected 26th Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10, even as negotiations over government formation are expected to remain challenging and could extend beyond two months.
Voter participation stood at 77.9 per cent, marking the highest turnout in decades. The election was the first national electoral contest since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which significantly altered Israel’s political environment and influenced voter priorities.
Amid uncertainty over the formation of the next government, President Herzog has urged political leaders to make every possible effort to avoid another election. Speaking on Wednesday, he called on party representatives to approach the coalition-building process with an open mind.
"We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind," The Times of Israel quoted Herzog as saying.
Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have expressed confidence that they would lead the next government.
Addressing supporters at the Likud election headquarters in Jerusalem after the polls, Netanyahu claimed that right-wing parties commanded a "great majority" among Israel’s "Zionist public". He called for the formation of a strong right-wing government and criticised parties open to cooperating with Arab political factions, describing such an arrangement as a "shame".
The election results have placed Arab parties in a potentially significant position in the coalition negotiations, although their 19 seats do not automatically translate into a unified political bloc. The coming consultations and negotiations will determine whether Israel can form a stable government or faces the possibility of another election.
