Ankara:Israel's opposition bloc is projected to win 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset, surpassing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, which is expected to secure 49 seats. This projection comes three weeks before the election scheduled for October 27.

According to Anadolu Agency, a poll conducted by Channel 12 indicates that Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is set to remain the largest party, with 23 seats, while Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win 21 seats.

In the opposition, Naftali Bennett's Beyachad party could gain 13 seats, and the Democrats, led by Yair Golan, are expected to win nine seats. Within Netanyahu's bloc, Shas and Jewish Power are each predicted to secure seven seats, and the Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, could take six seats.

The Joint List is anticipated to win eight seats following Sami Abu Shehadeh's withdrawal from the Knesset race. Ra'am, or the United Arab List, is projected to retain five seats, while Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael party is not expected to cross the electoral threshold.

Neither the opposition nor Netanyahu's bloc is forecasted to reach the 61 seats required to form a government independently. The Knesset dissolved itself on July 17, setting the stage for the upcoming election. Netanyahu, who has been leading the government since December 2022, faces ongoing corruption charges and an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.