WASHINGTON, D.C. — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its right‑wing bloc appear poised to claim 53 seats in Israel's 120‑member Knesset, according to partial results with 85 % of ballots counted, leaving the coalition short of an outright majority.

The preliminary tally, released by Israel's Central Elections Committee, shows Likud and its partners—Yamina, Otzma Yehudit and Noam—collectively securing 53 seats, while the centrist opposition bloc led by Yesh Atid holds 45. Remaining seats are divided among smaller parties, leaving the coalition two seats shy of the 55 needed for a stable governing majority.