Jerusalem:Turnout in Israel's parliamentary elections reached 77.7% on Tuesday, marking the highest voter engagement since 1999, as reported by the Central Elections Committee. Exit polls have indicated significant gains for Arab parties in the elections.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, participation in this election increased by 7.1 percentage points compared to the 2022 elections. Israel's Channel 12 reported an 80% turnout among Arab voters, with exit polls projecting 18 seats for Arab parties in the 120-seat Knesset. In comparison, the bloc led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot was projected to secure 52 seats, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 50 seats.

Neither Eisenkot's nor Netanyahu's bloc was projected to gain the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. A separate exit poll by Channel 13 suggested Eisenkot's bloc could win 53 seats, Netanyahu's bloc 50, and Arab parties 17.

Channel 12 also noted that President Isaac Herzog was anticipated to ask Eisenkot to form the next government, contingent on final results and the recommendations from parliamentary parties. The counting of votes commenced after polls closed at 10 pm local time (2000GMT), with exit polls serving as projections rather than official results.