Israel votes in first election since October 7 attack as Netanyahu faces crucial test

Daily Mirror and Ada Derana report that partial counts put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc ahead of the rival alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but neither has enough seats to govern alone. Newswire reports that, with nearly 90 percent of ballots counted, projections gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats and Eisenkot’s alliance 48 in the 120-seat Knesset; 61 seats are needed for a majority.

Newswire reports that Arab-led parties were projected to win 19 seats, which could give them influence in coalition negotiations. Daily Mirror reports an earlier estimate of 17 seats and says voting participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached its highest level in decades. Newswire says disagreements about possible cooperation with Arab-led parties could complicate negotiations.

Daily Mirror reports that Netanyahu and Eisenkot made competing claims to lead after Tuesday’s election. The outlet says Netanyahu advocated a right-wing government, while Eisenkot said voters had rejected the longtime prime minister. Daily Mirror also reports that Netanyahu’s Likud was emerging as the largest single party.

Newswire reports that ballots, including those cast by soldiers and diplomats, are still being counted, and final results are expected later this week. The outlet reports that President Isaac Herzog is expected to consult political parties before selecting a candidate to try to form a government. Newswire also reports that Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister while that process unfolds.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.