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Exit polls in Israel's general election, the first in four years, showed the opposition bloc led by former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition but short of a parliamentary majority.

According to provisional figures broadcast by the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the opposition won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset and Netanyahu's far-right governing bloc took 50, leaving both sides below the 61 seats needed to form a government.

Voting ends and exit polls released

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and closed at 10 p.m., after which exit polls were published.

The KAN results are provisional. Final figures are expected to be announced within eight days at the latest, once any objections have been examined.

Party results

Netanyahu's Likud party finished first with 25 seats, while Eisenkot's Yashar party placed second with 21.

Within the opposition, the Together List of former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid won 14 seats, Avigdor Liberman's Israel Our Home took 8, and Yair Golan's Democrats party secured 10.

In Netanyahu's bloc, the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties each won 6 seats. Far-right ministers allied with Netanyahu also gained seats, with Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power winning 7 and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism taking 6.

Arab representation

Israeli Palestinians turned out in large numbers and elected 17 lawmakers in total through two Arab lists.

The Joint List, made up of the Hadash, Taal and Balad parties, won 10 seats, while the Raam party led by Mansur Abbas will be represented with 7.

Key takeaways

• Exit polls gave the opposition bloc led by former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot 53 seats, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing bloc with 50.
• Neither bloc reached the 61 seats needed to form a government in the 120-seat Knesset.
• Likud finished first with 25 seats and Eisenkot's Yashar party second with 21.
• Two Arab lists won 17 seats in total amid high turnout among Israeli Palestinians.