Is Benjamin Netanyahu winning Israel elections 2026? When will the results come out and what happens next

Israel election Netanyahu: As Israelis cast their votes to elect the 120 members of the 26th Knesset, or Parliament Tuesday, October 27, one question is doing the rounds- will Benjamin Netanyahu win this election. Netanyahu faces a tough fight from his closest rival, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, and former premier Naftali Bennett, among others. Most pre-election surveys predicted a hung Parliament, with no party likely to secure a clear majority.

The polling published on Friday hinted that incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu is almost neck-and-neck with Gadi Eisenkot in the race to become prime minister. However, neither of their political blocs are projected to win the 61 seats needed to form a majority government.

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According to Israeli news outlet Haaretz, which compiled polls from Israeli television channels, an average of polls from Channels 11, 12 and 13 showed Netanyahu’s bloc projected to win 50 seats, compared with 54 seats for the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has 120 seats, meaning a bloc needs at least 61 seats to secure a majority.

When will the results of Israel election come out?

Though exit polls are expected soon after voting closes late on Tuesday, but a final verdict might take days, reports Al-Jazeera. Results will also be live on the Central Elections Committee website once polls close. The final vote tally is expected by Friday, and official election results are formally published a week after the election, on November 4.

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A deeply divided Israel headed to the polls on Tuesday for the first time since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Israelis cast their ballots in the shadow of three years of multi-front regional wars triggered by October 7, with the trauma still fresh and questions over accountability and security central to the campaign.

Netanyahu, 77, has served as Israel's prime minister on and off for more than 19 years. The wily political operator focused heavily on his security credentials during his campaign, playing on his relationship with US President Donald Trump and insisting he is the only one who can keep Israelis safe.

In the years since October 7, Netanyahu led multiple wars that have seen Israeli forces reduce Gaza to rubble, occupy southern Lebanon and for the first time pummel arch-foe Iran with US help. At home, Israelis have faced bombardment from Iran, Hamas, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

What happens if Netanyahu or his rivals cannot form a government?

If no party or political bloc can secure enough support to form a government, Netanyahu’s current administration will continue as a caretaker government.

Before that happens, the candidate with the best chance of securing parliamentary support can explore several options. These include forming a minority government with backing from other parties or reaching a power-sharing agreement with another political leader to alternate as prime minister.

If coalition talks fail and no candidate can assemble a workable government, Israel may have to hold another election.

(With inputs from AFP)