Netanyahu's Bloc Leads Partial Israel Vote Count Without Majority

The partial results of Israel's election place the bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu in the lead, though it falls short of the majority required in the Knesset. With 93% of the votes tallied, the Likud party and its allies hold 53 of the 120 available parliamentary seats.

The opposition group, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to hold 48 seats. Arab parties could act as kingmakers in the government formation process, although most Jewish parties have pledged not to form alliances with them.

Authorities have begun counting 480,000 absentee ballots, including those from military personnel and diplomats. This total could shift the final distribution of seats under the country's proportional representation system.

President Isaac Herzog will conduct consultations with all political factions once the results are official. The process of forming a coalition may take weeks and if it fails, the country risks facing another election.