Live: Israel's PM Netanyahu likely to win most seats, exit polls show

His main challenger is Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief who leads the newly established Yashar opposition party.

Join our live coverage as the polls close and Middle East Correspondents and Academics explain what it all means.  

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Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:33amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:33am

Inside Netanyahu's HQ

It's still early, and polls haven't closed.

But Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party HQ is buzzing... with journalists.

No members of the public are filling the hall at the moment.

There are bundles of Likud party placards sitting in plastic wrapping on the side of the room, for when those supporters do materialise.

We're in a large hall in central Jerusalem, along with hundreds of journalists from around the world.

Hopefully the internet holds out.

Wed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:27amWed 28 Oct 2026 at 6:27am

Welcome to today's live coverage

By Georgie Hewson

Good morning.

While you were sleeping, Israeli citizens voted for their next prime minister.

The polls are set to close in the next hour, but due to the country's parliamentary system, the winner won't be immediately obvious.

In Israel, the leader who can assemble a governing coalition with a majority of 61 or more Knesset seats takes office and this can take several weeks of political negotiations.

The incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, has polled poorly leading into the election despite an endorsement from great ally Donald Trump. 

After three years of Israel's war with Gaza and most recently the war it launched with the US against Iran in February, the world has its eyes on the outcome of the election. 

To make sense of the complex political system and what it means internationally and on Australian shores, Middle East correspondents and academics will join us on the blog this morning.

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