Netanyahu bloc leads Israeli polls after 50 pct of votes counted: Committee

The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ahead of the opposition on Wednesday after 50 percent of votes were counted in Israel's pivotal general election, figures from the Central Elections Committee showed.

After 50.1 percent of ballots were counted, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 56 of the 120 seats in the parliament, compared with 49 for the opposition bloc and 15 for the Arab parties. The partial results are likely to change, and several exit polls showed the camps neck-and-neck without a majority.

Gadi Eisenkot, a 66-year-old former military chief and opposition bloc leader, vowed Wednesday to move quickly to form a government, saying voters had rejected Netanyahu’s divisive leadership.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, called for a strong right-wing government and highlighted the prospect of renewed military action against Iran alongside U.S. President Donald Trump.

Neither leader claimed victory. Exit polls from Israel’s three major television networks showed the competing blocs close to evenly matched, with neither securing the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected a 51-51 tie, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc a narrow 52-49 advantage. Final results were expected Thursday or Friday, leaving the country facing potentially prolonged coalition negotiations or another election.