JERUSALEM, 28 October 2026 — Israel's wartime election has ended in deadlock: with most votes counted on Wednesday, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties nor the opposition bloc led by his rival Gadi Eisenkot had won the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving Netanyahu in office as caretaker prime minister while prolonged coalition negotiations — or even another election — loom.
Illustration: The Knesset building in Jerusalem seen against a dusky sky.
What Happened
Israelis voted on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, in the country's first election since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, in a contest widely billed as a major turning point in the nation's history. Turnout was reported to be at record levels. But when the counting began, the result was a stalemate.
According to Reuters, with 70.7 per cent of votes tallied on the morning of Wednesday, 28 October, Netanyahu's bloc was forecast to win 54 seats, the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot was forecast to win 47 seats, and parties representing Israelis of Arab descent were forecast to win 19. With nearly 86 per cent of votes tallied later on Wednesday, Israeli media forecast Netanyahu's bloc winning 53 seats against 48 for Eisenkot's opposition bloc. Exit polls on election night had been even tighter: Kan 11 and Channel 13 put the blocs tied at 51-51, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc a narrow 52-49 edge. None of the projections gave either side the 61 seats needed to govern.
Both leaders staked rival claims in the early hours of Wednesday. Netanyahu, addressing his Likud party's faithful after 3 a.m. at the party's election headquarters in Jerusalem, called for the formation of "a strong, right-wing national government". He also highlighted Israel's military successes and raised the prospect of a renewed joint military action against Iran alongside his ally, US President Donald Trump, saying Israel faced "a singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all".
Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former military chief, acknowledged that Netanyahu was still in office as caretaker, but said the prime minister had lost public support and urged him to retire from politics. He also warned that Netanyahu might use security issues for political ends. Neither leader claimed outright victory, and neither declaration resolved the electoral arithmetic.
Background
The election was the first since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage, according to Israeli figures reported by Reuters. The ensuing war in Gaza flattened most of the territory and killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities there, and left Israel increasingly isolated on the world stage, with a decisive shift in global public opinion against it, including in its closest ally the United States.
Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, and the election was widely seen as a referendum on his leadership after three years of war and deep domestic division. His bloc includes far-right religious parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, which were projected to take a combined 13 seats, with no major gains for either of them. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, led the opposition as head of the Yashar party.
Under Israel's proportional system, the 120 Knesset seats are divided among parties that pass the electoral threshold, and governments are almost always coalitions. That system makes the smaller parties — including the Arab parties, forecast to hold 19 seats — potentially decisive, even when the major blocs are deadlocked.
Illustration: Voters casting ballots at a busy polling station.
Why It Matters
The deadlock matters because it leaves Israel without a clear governing majority at a moment of exceptional regional tension. While Netanyahu lost his bloc's majority in the Knesset, as expected, his opponents were left with no hope of unseating him without some form of backing from Arab parties, which many have ruled out. Eisenkot has all but ruled out forming a government with them, complicating his path to power. That arithmetic works in Netanyahu's favour: even without a majority, he would remain as caretaker prime minister during any coalition negotiations, or until a new election in 2027.
The result also has consequences far beyond Israel's borders. Reuters reported that across the Middle East, the high-turnout vote was met largely with pessimism. In Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel in 1979, one lawyer told Reuters his hopes that a Netanyahu defeat would steer the country away from the far right had been dashed. Markets also reacted nervously: as of 1100 GMT on Wednesday, Brent crude was trading at 115 dollars a barrel, up 1 per cent, in a week already shaken by a claimed missile strike on a Saudi refinery.
Netanyahu's election-night remarks about Iran added to the uncertainty. His suggestion of a renewed joint military action against Iran alongside President Trump, framed as a "sacred mission", signals that security policy — and the question of how far Israel goes against Tehran — will be central to whatever government emerges, and to Israel's relations with Washington.
What Happens Next
Once the final results are certified, Israel's president will consult party leaders and task one of them — most likely Netanyahu, as leader of the largest bloc — with trying to form a government. That process can take weeks, and if no coalition commands 61 seats, the country could face another election, potentially in 2027.
The key question is whether Eisenkot's opposition can find a path to 61 seats without the Arab parties, or whether some of those parties might be willing to support a government from outside a formal coalition. Equally important is whether Netanyahu can hold his own bloc together while negotiating with smaller parties that may demand significant concessions, particularly the far-right religious parties within his camp.
Until a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister, with the powers — and the limits — that role carries. For Israelis, and for the wider region, the coming weeks of negotiation will determine whether the country gets a stable government, a fragile minority arrangement, or yet another trip to the polls.
Illustration: Political negotiators in discussion around a long conference table.
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FAQ
Who won Israel's October 2026 election?
Neither side won outright. With most votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc was forecast at around 53-54 seats and Eisenkot's opposition bloc at 47-48, with Arab parties forecast at 19 — none reaching the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
Why does Netanyahu stay in office despite losing his majority?
Under Israel's system, the incumbent prime minister remains as caretaker during coalition negotiations, and until a new government is formed or another election is held.
What did Netanyahu say on election night?
Netanyahu called for a "strong, right-wing national government" and raised the prospect of renewed joint military action against Iran alongside US President Donald Trump.
What did Eisenkot say?
Eisenkot said voters had rejected Netanyahu remaining prime minister, urged him to retire from politics, and warned he might use security for political ends.
Could Israel face another election?
Yes. If no leader can assemble a coalition commanding 61 of the 120 Knesset seats, Israel could hold another election, potentially in 2027.
Sources
- Reuters, "Netanyahu, Eisenkot stake rival claims to lead Israel after deadlocked vote", 28 October 2026
- Reuters, "Israel's vote prolongs Middle East instability" (Breakingviews), 28 October 2026
- Reuters, "Israel's high-turnout vote brushed aside in rest of the Middle East", 28 October 2026
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