Preliminary results: Likud receives 21.7% of the vote compared to 15.7% for Eisenkot's party

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the Likud party received 21.7% of the counted votes, compared to 15.7% for the "Yashar" party, led by former Israeli army chief of staff Eisenkot, after more than two million votes were counted.

Regarding estimates for the distribution of Knesset seats, updated exit poll samples from Israel's Channel 13 showed a tie between the Netanyahu and Eisenkot camps, with each receiving 51 seats out of 120, while the Arab lists received 18 seats.

According to Channel 13 estimates, the Likud party received 27 seats, compared to 22 seats for the "Yashar" party.

Updated samples from the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation also showed a tie between the two camps at 51 seats each, with Likud receiving 27 seats, compared to 21 seats for the "Yashar" party, and 18 seats for the Arab lists.

Meanwhile, preliminary results published by the Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," after counting about a third of the votes, showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp receiving 59 seats in the Knesset, compared to 46 seats for Gadi Eisenkot's camp, and 15 seats for the Arab parties.

According to the newspaper, the Likud party received 29 seats, compared to 20 seats for the "Yashar" party led by Eisenkot, while the Joint List and the "Ma'an" party received 11 seats each, "United Torah Judaism" received 9 seats, and "Yisrael Beiteinu" received 8 seats.

The results indicated that the "Otzma Yehudit," "Democrats," "Shas," and "Religious Zionism" parties each received 7 seats, while the United Arab List received 4 seats.

The updated estimates reflect a shift in the balance of power compared to the initial exit polls, which showed the opposition coalition leading with between 52 and 53 seats, compared to 50 seats for Netanyahu's coalition.

Arab parties recorded significant gains in the exit polls, as updated estimates indicate that the two Arab lists received 18 seats, compared to 10 seats in the 2022 elections, giving them an influential role in the consultations to form the next government.

Despite Likud leading the preliminary count results, determining the identity of the next government depends on the final distribution of seats and the ability of the parties to form a coalition that enjoys a 61-seat majority in the Knesset, given that neither camp has obtained this majority according to the updated polls.

Netanyahu had pledged, in a speech to his supporters in Jerusalem at dawn on Wednesday, to form a strong right-wing government, confirming his refusal to form a government that relies on the support of Arab parties.

Netanyahu said that the right-wing camp has a majority that requires the formation of a strong and cohesive government, considering that the final count results will prove that Likud remains the largest political party in Israel.

For his part, Eisenkot pledged to work quickly to form a new government, despite announcing his refusal to ally with Arab parties, which further complicates the chances of forming a government coalition in light of the close results between the two camps.

The Israeli legislative elections on Tuesday saw a turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999, in the first elections since the war of October 7, 2023.

The vote-counting process is still ongoing, while the seat distribution estimates based on exit polls remain non-final, pending the announcement of the official results that will determine the balance of power in the Knesset and the chances of forming a new government.