LiveOct 28, 2026, 07:49:18 ISTIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: The revised exit polls reversed an earlier trend that had favoured the opposition, with Israel's Channel 12 now handing 52 seats to the Netanyahu bloc, and 49 to Eisenkot and others.1 Mins agoOfficial vote counts start trickling in7 Mins agoNetanyahu says ‘Israel has unique opportunity with Trump to eliminate Iran threat’10 Mins agoNetanyahu vows to form ‘strong’ right-wing government30 Mins agoIsrael's exit polls stage overnight reversal as Netanyahu gains groundIsraeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu reacts while on stage after the exit polls, at his party headquarters during Israel's national election, in Jerusalem, October 28, 2026. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel's exit polls reversed overnight as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was predicted to have a narrow lead on his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

The revised exit polls reversed an earlier trend that had favoured the opposition, with Israel's Channel 12 now predicting 52 seats to the Netanyahu bloc, and 49 for Eisenkot and others. However, the exit polls pointed to a political deadlock with no clear winner, with major Israeli TV stations suggesting a neck-and-neck contest. ...Read MoreVoting ended in Israel on Tuesday in a high-stakes national election, in which a total of 7,331,981 Israelis were eligible to vote.

The polls witnessed high-voter turnout, with nearly 56% of voters casting their ballots by 4 pm local time, according to the Associated Press. This is the first general election in the country since the 2023 Hamas attack.

How do elections in Israel work? Israelis vote for parties to enter the 120-seat Knesset, instead of single candidates, under a proportional representation system.

A party or coalition needs to secure at least 61 seats to form a majority government. Parties must win at least 3.25 per cent of the national vote to enter parliament.

Seats are then distributed among qualifying parties according to their share of the votes. Official counting will follow, with the final vote tally expected by October 30.

The results are scheduled to be formally published on November 4. Once the final results are available, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult leaders of the political parties to assess which candidate has the strongest chance of forming a government.

That candidate will have up to 42 days to negotiate with other parties and put together a governing coalition. Follow all the updates here:Oct 28, 2026, 07:49:18 ISTIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Official vote counts start trickling inIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: The counts from Israel’s Central Elections Committee started trickling in early Wednesday morning, according to the Associated Press.Oct 28, 2026, 07:43:34 ISTIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Netanyahu says ‘Israel has unique opportunity with Trump to eliminate Iran threat’Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said he saw a “unique opportunity” with US President Donald Trump to eliminate the “existential threat” posed by Iran.“Israel has a unique opportunity with our partner President Trump to forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran,” Netanyahu told reporters, according to AFP.Oct 28, 2026, 07:41:02 ISTIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Netanyahu vows to form ‘strong’ right-wing governmentIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed to form a new government in the country following voting on Tuesday.“We must put in place a strong government of the right,” Netanyahu told supporters, according to AFP.

He further called on the “Jewish and Zionist majority” to unite. “It is out of the question to have a government that is backed by Arab parties,” he said.Oct 28, 2026, 07:20:44 ISTIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: Israel's exit polls stage overnight reversal as Netanyahu gains groundIsrael elections 2026 LIVE updates: In an overnight reversal, Israel's exit polls now show incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead. The polls had earlier favoured the opposition.Israel's Channel 12's All TV Exit Polls has now predicted 52 seats for Netanyahu and 49 to the current opposition.

It has preidcted 19 seats for the Arab parties.Home World news Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Netanyahu, Eisenkot locked neck-and-neck in exit polls; results out on Oct 30