Israel's election leaves Netanyahu's bloc in contention and the country in political gridlock

Summary

Israel's election on Tuesday produced a nail-biting result. Early exit polls gave the opposition hope, but as the slower real-vote count came in, most votes went to rightwing parties and that hope faded. PBS NewsHour reports that nearly all votes have been counted, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies emerging as the largest bloc. They lost seats, however, and fell short of the majority needed to form a government, which leaves Israel facing political gridlock. The Guardian reports that the bloc of parties loyal to Netanyahu might yet win, so each side feels its fate hangs in the balance. A Guardian commentary by political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin argues that the prospects for the left and centre now look bleak and that Israel's bitter divisions are deeper than ever.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   28 Oct 2026, 10:08 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that exit polls gave the opposition hope, but the real-vote count shifted toward rightwing parties, so the bloc loyal to Netanyahu might yet win and the prospects for the left and centre look bleak.

2. PBS NewsHour

   28 Oct 2026, 22:50 UTCSource ↗

   PBS NewsHour reports that nearly all votes in Tuesday's election have been counted, that Netanyahu and his allies emerged as the largest bloc but lost seats and fell short of the majority needed to form a government, leaving Israel facing political gridlock.