Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, EPA

With most votes now counted, deadlock looms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading his rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but is still short of a majority in parliament.

Netanyahu is the master of the dark arts of politics. This may be his biggest test yet.

Could he pull back right-wing politicians who previously left his fold in major political fallouts and joined the change camp to unseat him?

Could he do the unthinkable and join forces with one of the Arab parties – right now, that’s highly unlikely given his Likud party has just accused them of "stealing the election".

There are calls for a national unity government at this hour – but it’s hard to find any unity now.

Yashar, the party of political newcomer party Gadi Eisenkot, formed only last year, means straight or direct; nothing about his coming weeks of political bargaining and bickering can be described that way.

Many voices, including members of Arab majority parties, are calling on him to partner with them. Combined, they have a solid bloc.

But the former army chief previously raised objections or attached conditions to that kind of alliance. And right-wing parties in his ranks have flatly rejected it.

The national unity idea? He’s declared Netanyahu unfit to rule.

No wonder Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, tasked with selecting someone to create a coalition, is already warning parties to approach this with open minds.

We're ending our live coverage but you can keep up to date with the latest developments in our news story here.

Or read about the four ways in which Israel's political deadlock could be broken.

Lucy Williamson
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Umm al-Fahm

The leader of the Joint Arab List, Yousef Jabareen, has told the BBC that Arab Israelis were motivated to vote by the opportunity to remove Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from office, and to improve their daily lives.

"I think that one of the main reasons why the turnout in our community was very high is basically the belief that we could get rid of Ben-Gvir because of all his racist and fascist attitudes and action, his provocation against our community, including here in Umm al-Fahm when he came here to deliver house demolition orders," Jabareen said, referring to the Arab-majority city in northern Israel where he lives.

He accused the Netanyahu government of systematic discrimination against the country's Arab minority, which makes up about a fifth of the population, including by blocking the allocation of resources, failing to police rampant gang violence, ordering home demolitions and making racist statements.

"So this has been a very tough period under this government, and people wanted to go out and punish Netanyahu and punish Ben-Gvir and punish [far-right Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich," he said.

"But also it's the belief that this is a historical moment and that by raising the turnout, we could affect also our daily life here. And this is important. It's the feeling that our political power can make a change in our situation and this is what we are going definitely to carry on in the next period."

Jabareen said his party was ready to negotiate with Jewish opposition parties to help them form a government, and added: "We have our own demands."

The Joint List's political agenda is based on "promoting equality, equal citizenship", he says.

"We have suffered a lot under Netanyahu's government, and it's about time to see a real change and a true change."

Between 430,000 and 480,000 absentee ballots have been cast in this year's election, according to the central elections committee.

This is fewer than the 600,000 that had been previously estimated, but is subject to change as officials continue to receive and process the ballots.

They have been cast primarily by military personnel and are expected to be counted by Thursday afternoon.

They could hold significant sway over the election result, as each seat in the parliament is thought to be worth around 40,000 votes, the equivalent of about 12 seats, the Times of Israel reports.

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

For his opponents, Benjamin Netanyahu is many things: corrupt, venal, a shameless political manipulator and, above all, the man who failed to prevent the horrors of 7 October 2023.

But to his supporters, he’s still “Bibi, King of Israel”.

The keys to his enduring success are complex. He’s undoubtedly a master of the dark arts needed to navigate the complexities of Israel’s deeply divided political arena.

But his popular appeal runs much deeper, with its roots in a tectonic shift in Israeli politics in the 1970s that saw decades of rule by the country’s secular, left-leaning, European (or Ashkenazi) politicians overturned by Menachem Begin’s right-wing Likud party, which drew support from disaffected, resentful Mizrachi Jews from the Middle East and north Africa.

Like Begin, Netanyahu saw early on the value of being embraced by the Mizrahis, who were sometimes referred by Ashkenazis using a derogatory slur that many came to adopt as a badge of honour.

Like Donald Trump in America, Benjamin Netanyahu is an unlikely representative of the downtrodden and dispossessed, but his mass appeal still owes something to his image as steadfast defender of Jewish interests in a world full of domestic, regional and international threats.

Tom Bennett
Tel Aviv

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Israel looks to be in political deadlock. With 85% of votes counted, neither incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, nor his key challenger Gadi Eisenkot, look set to have sufficient seats for a majority.

In order to form a government, it looks likely one of the leading parties would have to break their campaign promises - meaning the most probable outcome may well be new elections.

So what are the possible scenarios that could play out?

1. Could Netanyahu persuade Eisenkot to join him in a national unity government? Netanyahu would have to ditch the far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties he is currently in coalition with, while Eisenkot would have to abandon his key platform of ousting Netanyahu from power.
2. Eisenkot-led coalition with Arab parties. Eisenkot and every other Jewish party in his bloc bar one have already ruled out entering government with them - but right now, it's their only path to a majority.
3. Netanyahu-led majority, with right-wingers from opposition. Netanyahu could try to persuade right-wing parties in Eisenkot's bloc to break away. The two most likely candidates are Naftali Bennett, joint-leader of the Beyachad alliance, and Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
4. New elections. If none of the above scenarios can be negotiated, the default outcome would be new elections. Many would see this as a tacit win for Netanyahu, who would remain as caretaker PM until it happens and may believe he has a better chance of winning it.

Read the full article

Israel uses a system of proportional representation to elect political parties its parliament, called the Knesset.

There are 120 seats in the Knesset, which are allocated in direct proportion to the number of votes a party receives nationally. People vote for a single party, not individual candidates.

The party provides a ranked list of its candidates and they are given Knesset seats depending on the party's final seat total.

A single party has never won enough of the 120 seats to command a majority, which means every government is a coalition of at least two parties.

This gives the smaller parties considerable power to make or break a coalition government.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Mahdi Kabaha

The emotion on the street in the Arab Israeli city of Umm Al-Fahm this morning is “proud and hopeful, but still cautious", says Mahdi Kabaha, a 29-year-old lawyer in the city who campaigned to get out the Arab vote.

He tells me the result is “historic". Arab-led parties are currently projected to win 19 seats.

“Arab citizens came out and said clearly: we want a real say in this country,” Kabaha says.

“What matters is real influence, whether inside the government or as outside support. If there's no majority without us, ignoring 19 seats isn't a serious option," he says.

He thinks joining a coalition is possible. “It can happen, we saw it in 2021, but it needs courage from Eisenkot to say it openly, and clear, practical demands from the Arab parties.”

Eisenkot and most other parties have already ruled out forming a coalition with Arab lists, citing a lack of shared values - but the leader of one party in his bloc urged him to do so earlier today.

Kabaha says the number one issue for the Arab community is crime and violence.

"It's the issue costing lives and it needs a plan with real budgets and enforcement,” he says, adding that housing and education in Arab areas are also key priorities.

Image source, Reuters

Israel's President Isaac Herzog says "we must do everything we can... to avoid another round of elections" as the prospect of an inconclusive result looms.

The president is responsible for asking whichever leader he believes has the best chance of forming a government to do so after the official election results come out next week.

In a statement, Herzog says: “Yesterday’s election day was truly impressive, with the highest turnout in decades. It is a badge of honor for Israeli society, and it was remarkable to see how deep the desire for democracy is in Israel."

He says after receiving the results, he will "begin the process of the consultations... hearing from each and every faction, asking questions, and holding discussions".

“One thing must be clear, and I said this before the elections too: we must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind.”

Read more on what happens next

Image source, Reuters

All the votes have now been counted apart from absentee ballots, Israeli networks Channel 12 and Channel 13 report.

Absentee ballots are cast mainly by military personnel and make up an estimated 600,000 votes - around 10% of the total. The counting of these ballots is expected to end on Thursday.

As things stand, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is set to have the biggest number of seats in the Knesset but is unlikely to reach a majority.

Image source, AFP

The leader of the Joint Arab List, Yousef Jabareen, says his bloc is "ready and prepared to pave the way to oust the Netanyahu government".

The Joint List currently has the fourth largest share of votes, on 9.11%, according to Israel's central elections committee, and could play a role in moves to form a coalition government.

Writing on X, Jabareen says: "In the face of a government of bloodshed, and in the face of politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative."

"Change runs through a Jewish-Arab partnership - a genuine and equal partnership. Nothing less, and nothing more."

Netanyahu's government has often framed Arab Israelis - many of whom describe themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel - as a threat to the state's Jewish identity. Recently, he claimed that his rivals had been planning to team up with Arabs and form a "dangerous government".

Earlier today Yair Golan urged the opposition bloc to work with Arab-led parties to form a government. Eisenkot has previously ruled that out. Ahead of the election the Joint List had talked of a supply arrangement with a new government coalition.

Read more about the Arab-led blocs and what they stand for

Results are continuing to come through, with more than 77% of votes now counted.

Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc remains on 54 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc has gained two more seats to reach 49. Neither is on track to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority government.

Arab list parties were earlier projected to have won 19 seats but that has now lowered to 17.

Changes are still anticipated as the results continue to come through.

There are two Arab party blocs in the running in this election. They are the Joint Arab List, a coalition of the Hadash, Balad and Taal parties, and the smaller Ra'am or United Arab List, an Islamist party.

Currently, Joint Arab List has 9.11% of the votes counted so far, while Ra'am has 4.74%, according to Israel's central elections committee. While they hold a significant percentage of votes, it remains unclear whether other parties would agree to work with them in a coalition government.

The majority of Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained within what became Israel during the war that surrounded the creation of the state in 1948, when hundreds of thousands were forced from or fled their homes.

What do the parties stand for?

The Joint List is made up of secular parties and advocates for equal rights for Arab Israelis, an end to Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories, and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ahead of the election it said it aimed to wield a position of influence within the opposition.

It has talked of providing an electoral "safety net" to those who could replace the Netanyahu government, in return for support on policies such as rampant gang crime, a main issue in this election for Arab Israelis.

Ra'am was originally created as part of the Islamic Movement in Israel - which has socially conservative values. But its leader, Mansour Abbas, has become known for joining with Jewish partners. He prioritises solving the problems of Arab Israelis and speaks relatively little of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

For this election, he took the surprise step of giving the number two position on his slate to a Jewish former police official and centrist member of parliament, Yoav Segalovitz.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Gal

I spoke to Gal this morning, a Netanyahu voter in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv.

“My feelings are not good and not bad yet, because the counting of the votes is still not done so there is a lot that can be changed in the next two days,” he says. “I like Bibi. I always voted for him.”

He says he votes for Netanyahu because “we cannot relax and live in peace with neighbours that all they want is to erase us from the map”.

He believes Israel is safer after the Gaza war conducted under Netanyahu's leadership.

And he says he is concerned at the growing role of Arab-led parties after Tuesday's election saw record voter turnout among Israel's Arab minority.

“The thing that makes me and most of my friends vote for the right wing is we are afraid of the strengthening of the Arab political parties - that they will make it very difficult to form a government, and they support our enemies,” he says.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Avigail Levine

Avigail Levine who works for an AI company in the town of Kfar Saba says she is disappointed with the election result so far.

“I was hoping for new leadership. I feel we need it as a nation,” she says. “The people in power on 7 October should not be in power now.”

She voted for right-wing Naftali Bennett who takes a hard line on security. Bennett leads a political alliance called Beyachad which is part of the opposition bloc.

Levine believes that the transfer of funds to Hamas while Netanyahu was prime minister led to the 7 October attacks. Her husband’s 88-year-old grandmother was killed in her wheelchair at Kibbutz Be’eri while other family members survived by hiding in a locked safe room, she says.

She says people are frustrated that Netanyahu has not shouldered responsibility for 7 October and also that he has not compelled the ultra-Orthodox community to serve in the army, which she says is unfair on those who do.

The results show “we stayed more or less where we were before the elections”, she says.

More than 70% of the votes have now been counted, according to Israel's central election committee, with no bloc currently looking like it will win a majority in Israel's parliament.

Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc still has the most votes but its seat count has lowered to 54.

Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc has also lost two seats, taking its share to 47 seats, while Arab list parties have increased their number of seats to 19.

The winning bloc needs at least 61 seats in the Knesset to form a majority government.

The current results are not final and are subject to change.

Prof Eugene Rogan, director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, says the election results are a "snapshot of just how polarised Israeli society is".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Rogan says "the demand for change" among some voters, which was harnessed by Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc, has been confronted by other voters who have "an absolute determination to preserve right-wing Netanyahu policies, which act as "a sort of security guarantee for the Israeli state".

Asked about the impact of the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October, Rogan says this also split Israelis.

"For lots of Israelis they see the cost of never-ending wars, in terms of the hit Israel's economy is taking, the exhaustion of hundreds of thousands of reservists who keep being called up for more tours of duty, the way in which Israel's standing in the international community has been lowered, and they want change.

"But then for others they are absolutely convinced that you can never live with the Palestinians", and think "they are an existential threat, and so is Iran - and the only person addressing those threats is Netanyahu".

"Israelis are split".

The narrative now matters as much as the numberspublished at 09:26 GMT 28 October

09:26 GMT 28 October

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

It’s part of Israeli election lore that voters went to bed in 1996 thinking the Labour party leader Shimon Peres had won but woke up to see Benjamin Netanyahu had clinched the top job for the first time.

That ballot was different – there was a direct vote for the leader as well as the party then.

Thirty years on, on the morning after as the tally keeps tumbling in, the man they call Bibi is securing more seats for Likud and his right-wing ultra nationalist bloc than exit polls predicted.

But in what the opposition hoped would be the last election for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, there’s no clear winner with more than half the votes counted.

The narrative now matters as much as the numbers.

Netanyahu, long known as Israel’s political “magician,” proclaims his party is the largest. But, as of now, it's lost seats; his coalition even more.

And his chief challenger, political neophyte Gadi Eisenkot has few options to reach the magic majority of 61.

This morning there’s other narratives too - about Israel's identity.

Should the Arab majority parties, with a record number of seats, be part of the change? That's an option Netanyahu’s bloc calls a danger to Jewish Israel; others argue - this is democracy.

Image source, Getty Images

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party which is part of the opposition "change bloc", has called for a government to be formed that includes Arab-led parties.

Before the election Golan was the only party leader in the bloc to say he would work with the Joint list and Ra'am.

Eisenkot and the other party leaders said they would not do so, citing a lack of shared values.

With more than 70% of votes counted, the Joint list and Ra'am are together projected to get 18 seats following a high turnout among Arab Israeli voters. Neither Eisenkot's bloc nor that of Netanyahu are projected to get to the threshold of 61 seats to be able to form a government.

Golan, a left-learning former general, asserted on X that "Netanyahu has lost" the election - though current vote counts put Netanyahu's bloc ahead of the opposition bloc.

"Anyone who tries to erase the votes of Arab citizens is surrendering to Netanyahu and giving up on Israel," said Golan.

"We have an opportunity to establish a change government in partnership with the Arab citizens of Israel. A government that will serve all the citizens of Israel... We need to stop being afraid and start acting."