Netanyahu’s Likud wins 54 seats but lacks majority in Israel
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Mwananchi
The first results of Israel’s general election give Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud 54 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party 47, with neither camp reaching the 61 seats required for a majority. About half of the votes had been counted, according to figures reported by the Times of Israel and Mwananchi on 28 October 2026.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won 54 seats in the 27 October general election, according to provisional results reported by the Times of Israel and carried by Mwananchi. The Yashar party, led by his rival Gadi Eisenkot, won 47, while neither camp appeared to have reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, which has 120 members.
The provisional results, based on about half the ballots counted, pave the way for negotiations between parties before a new government is formed. The election is the first held in Israel since the 7 October 2023 attacks, which triggered the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The campaign focused on national security, the handling of the 2023 attacks, compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, judicial reform, the economic consequences of the war and Israel’s international position. Benjamin Netanyahu defended his government’s military record and promised to continue the confrontation with Iran, while Gadi Eisenkot presented himself as a candidate capable of promoting national unity.
The latest count confirms the lead for Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp announced on 28 October, after estimates had put the opposition at 52 to 53 seats. It also follows accusations made by Likud against the Arab parties on the same day.
