Netanyahu Ahead in Israeli Elections But Coalition Search Continues

As the majority of votes are counted in Israel's general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is leading the race, but having fallen short of a parliamentary majority, he needs to turn to coalition partners to form a government.

Approximately 86 percent of the votes have been counted in Israel's elections, which saw record turnout rates on Tuesday. According to data from the country's three main broadcasters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc—comprising right-wing, far-right, and ultra-Orthodox parties—is on track to win 53 seats in parliament.

Meanwhile, the rival opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot trails the governing bloc at 48 seats, with both blocs falling short of the 61 seats required to secure a majority in the Knesset. On the other hand, parties representing Arab Israelis are projected to win 19 seats.

Netanyahu will continue to serve as caretaker prime minister while waiting for the Israeli president to decide which figure to task with forming a government.