Israel exit polls show neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition with a clear majority

Summary

Exit polls after Israel's Tuesday election showed neither the Netanyahu-led bloc nor the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot with a clear majority, and final results are expected over the next 48 hours. Hindustan Times reported exit-poll projections of 52 seats for the Netanyahu-led bloc and 49 for the Eisenkot-led bloc. The Guardian reported that both sides were predicted to fall short of the 61 seats needed to form a government, that Palestinian parties were set for big gains, and that far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit was expected to stay on six seats. Deutsche Welle reported that the pro-Netanyahu bloc held a slight lead with about half of the votes counted, and still led with more than 80% counted, with the final tally possibly taking days and coalition talks ahead.

Timeline

1. NDTV

   28 Oct 2026, 02:48 UTCSource ↗

   NDTV reports that exit polls show Netanyahu's bloc ahead of the opposition but short of a majority, with final results expected over the next 48 hours.

2. Hindustan Times

   28 Oct 2026, 03:35 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that exit polls project 52 seats for the Netanyahu-led bloc and 49 for the Eisenkot-led bloc, with no clear majority.

3. Deutsche Welle

   28 Oct 2026, 07:45 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that with about half of the votes counted, the pro-Netanyahu bloc is in a slight lead, neither grouping is expected to win a majority, and the final tally could take days.

4. Deutsche Welle

   28 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that with more than 80% of the votes counted, the pro-Netanyahu bloc remains in a slight lead, with coalition talks ahead and no grouping expected to win a majority.

5. The Guardian

   28 Oct 2026, 11:11 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that with 84% of ballots counted, the Netanyahu-led coalition and the opposition are both predicted to fall short of the 61 seats needed to govern, and Palestinian parties are set for big gains.