Hung Knesset Again: Netanyahu Bloc Stuck At 53 Seats After 100% Count, 61 Majority Elusive In 120-Seat House

Jerusalem: The full counting of ballots in Israel's election is now complete, according to reports in the Israeli media, with 100% of votes tallied. The comprehensive exercise, covering every one of the 12,644 polling stations, shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition bloc on 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, with opposition parties on 48 and Arab parties on 19.

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud emerged as the largest single party with 27 seats in the recently concluded general election in Israel.

Crucially, despite the 100% count being finished, neither the coalition nor the opposition has managed to secure the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, leaving the balance of power uncertain and the process of government formation wide open.

Double Envelopes Included In Full Tally, Official Declaration Awaited

The significance of the 100% figure is that it includes the special ballots known as double envelopes, which were counted on Thursday by the Central Elections Committee.

Such envelopes, which typically contain votes from military personnel, diplomats and those voting away from their home stations, are often decisive in close contests. The inclusion means the media projection represents the entirety of the votes cast.

Even so, the committee has stated that the panel will release the final official results later, so the current numbers, which is 53 for the Netanyahu bloc, 48 for the opposition and 19 for Arab parties, remain provisional until certified.

How The 120 Seats Are Divided After Complete Count

The breakdown after the complete count paints a picture of a highly fragmented parliament, as beyond Likud's 27, Yashar secured 21 seats, B'Yachad won 12 and the Joint List took 11.

The Democrats and Ra'am won 8 seats each, while United Torah Judaism, Yisrael Beytenu and Otzma each secured 7 seats. The Religious Zionists and Shas won 6 seats each, completing the 120.

Ynet reported that a total of 5,589,836 votes were recorded in the 100% count, comprising 5,564,764 valid votes and 25,072 invalid votes. As the full tally confirming no camp at 61, Israel now faces a period of intense bargaining over who can assemble a majority.