Israel's parliamentary election on October 27 appears to have produced no clear winner. Two broadcasters' exit polls gave both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot 51 of the Knesset's 120 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority. A third poll gave Netanyahu a narrow lead.

Both leaders claimed victory. Two Arab parties were projected to win a record 18 or 19 seats. Turnout was 77.7%, the highest at this stage of counting since 1999.

What happens next

About 600,000 absentee ballots, mostly from military personnel, are due to be counted by Thursday. The president will then consult parties on who should be asked to form a coalition, a process that could take weeks, and another election remains possible.

It is the first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks and the war that followed. Eisenkot has ruled out serving under Netanyahu and wants a state commission of inquiry into October 7, which Netanyahu has refused to appoint.