No clear winner in Israeli election, exit polls suggest, as Netanyahu’s fate hangs in the balance

Israel's election ended Tuesday with no clear winner, exit polls indicate, likely setting off weeks of jockeying before a leader is declared. An inconclusive result would leave Israel in political limbo after the country's first national election since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The vote served as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime leadership. Exit polls released by major Israeli TV stations suggest that neither Netanyahu's political bloc nor that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours.