🔴Live: Israeli exit polls show narrow edge for opposition but no clear majority against Netanyahu

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Exit polls on Tuesday showed that the opposition bloc led by Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot gained a narrow edge over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud bloc in the Knesset, setting the stage for weeks of jockeying to form a government. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. First Israeli election exit polls show narrow edge for opposition Polls close in Israel election after high turnout Polls closed at 10pm on Tuesday in Israel's pivotal general election, which saw high voter turnout and veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting for his political life. Netanyahu's Likud Party had asked election authorities to keep polls open past 10 pm but this was rejected by the Central Elections Committee, which nonetheless said voters who were already at polling stations as of closing time would still be able to cast their ballots, even if there were lines. 'Many want to see an Arab-Jewish coalition. It's the leadership that is afraid to say it' FRANCE 24 speaks to Ibrahim Abu Ahmad, Author, Palestinian Israeli political and peace activist and Head of Social Media for Israel's left-wing Democrats. 74.3% voter turnout as of 8pm local time Israeli elections a 'referendum' on Netanyahu, security and Israeli democracy FRANCE 24 speaks to Ron Gerlitz, CEO of aChord Center a social-academic organisation at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Israel election commission rejects Netanyahu party bid to extend voting Israel's Central Elections Committee has rejected a request by Netanyahu's party to extend voting beyond 10pm local time. "High nationwide turnout across all sectors of society reflects strong public engagement in the democratic process, and no need to extend voting hours was identified," a commission statement said. Polymarket reports soaring odds of Eisenkot victory over Netanyahu Prediction trading site Polymarket says its users are widely expecting a defeat for Netanyahu in Tuesday's elections with a 64% forecast that he will be ousted by opposition leader Eisenkot. Polymarket users buy and sell shares based on their predictions for the outcomes of real-world events. Israelis vote in a tense election: What's at stake? Israelis were vote on Tuesday in a tense national election widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the wars that have since shaken the Middle East. Ultra-Orthodox and right-wing parties second call to extend voting hours The ultra-Orthodox Shas party and right-wing Amcha Yisrael have seconded Lukid's call to extend the vote by one hour until 11pm local time, according to Israeli daily left-wing newspaper Haaretz. Turnout in Likud strongholds 'notably lower' than national average Turnout in Likud strongholds is "notably lower" than the national average across Israel, with particularly low turnout in the north and south, according to Middle East specialist David Khalfa from the French think tank Fondation Jean-Jaurès. "Not a good sign for Netanyahu," he added. 66.7% voter turnout as of 6pm local time Palestinians in West Bank fear further escalation of violence if Netanyahu remains PM Ramallah residents say they hope to see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defeated in Tuesday's national elections. "Netanyahu remaining in power means that there will be a clash, a build-up of tension and an explosion in the region", says one resident of the West Bank town. Party of main Netanyahu challenger opposes bid to extend Israel voting hours The party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main election challenger said it "firmly opposes" a call from the premier's party to extend voting hours on Tuesday, calling it a pretext for a future challenge to the poll's legitimacy. "No exceptional incident has occurred that would justify granting this request, which is intended to lay the groundwork for allegations challenging the integrity of the election, continuing the lies Netanyahu has been spreading since this morning," ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party said. Right-wing politicians claim 'insane' voter turnout in Arab sectors Right-wing politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party and Orit Strock of the Religious Zionism party both visited Arab towns Tuesday to film videos warning their supporters about high turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel. “This mad rush must wake us up,” Strock said, standing behind policemen in the town of Rehat. Ben-Gvir visited the northern Israeli town of Kafr Qasem to make a similar plea. “The voter turnout in the Arab sector is insane. Absolutely insane,” Ben-Gvir said in a video posted Tuesday afternoon, without providing evidence. “If you want this country to remain Jewish and Zionist … then get out and vote!” British-Israeli journalist Anshel Pfeffer said supporters of Netanyahu's Lukud party are also urging residents in Jerusalem to counter the Arab vote. Netanyahu's party asks to extend Israeli election hours as it mobilises voters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party asked election authorities on Tuesday to extend polling hours as it sought to mobilise voters. "We have submitted a request to extend voting hours," Likud said in a message on Telegram. In photos: Israeli's vote in tense national elections Israeli Arab leader accuses Netanyahu of 'lying, inciting' with election fraud claims The leader of a key Israeli Arab party accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of incitement through his allegations of fraud on behalf of the minority group in Tuesday's elections. "Benjamin Netanyahu is lying and inciting against the United Arab List, using it as a scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters and drive them to the polls," the list's leader Mansour Abbas said in a video message. Israel votes in decisive election: What happens after polls close? Israelis are voting in a pivotal election Tuesday as their country wrestles with unresolved wars, continues to reel from Hamas's 2023 attack and is deeply divided over the character of the state and the right person to lead it. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor Angela Diffley has more. 55% voter turnout as of 4pm local time Turnout high as Israeli voters deliver verdict on Netanyahu Israelis flocked to the polls Tuesday in turnout unseen in decades, with a deeply divided electorate delivering a verdict on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the first election since the October 7, 2023 attack. Former FRANCE 24 correspondent Irris Makler reports.