International Israel's 26th General Election Counting Complete…Both Ruling and Opposition Fail to Secure Majority, Coalition Path Difficult

Israel's Central Elections Committee announced on the 29th (local time) that the final tally for the 26th Knesset election shows that the right-wing ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured only 53 seats, falling short of the majority requirement of 61 seats.

According to the election results, the Likud party, the ruling party of Prime Minister Netanyahu, secured 27 seats and maintained its position as the largest party in parliament. Following closely, 'Yesh Atid' led by Gadi Eisenkot, former military chief of staff, secured 21 seats and emerged as the central force of the opposition.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc secured a total of 48 seats, while the Arab parties 'Joint List' and 'Ra'am' combined secured 19 seats, emerging as key kingmakers in future political dynamics.

Out of the Knesset's total 120 seats, a minimum of 61 seats is needed to form a government and produce a prime minister. However, with both ruling and opposition blocs falling short of a single-party majority, coalition negotiations over control are expected to intensify.

The final voter turnout for this 26th general election was tallied at 77.9%. The Central Elections Committee plans to submit the final official results to President Isaac Herzog on November 4 following confirmation procedures.

Subsequently, following consultations with leaders of each party, the president is expected to grant government formation authority. The new parliament will officially open on November 10.