Jerusalem:Israel's public broadcaster has described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "a major loser" in the recent election, as exit polls indicate his bloc is trailing behind its rivals and opposition leaders have expressed intentions to replace his government.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, exit polls conducted by the public broadcaster and Channel 13 projected 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc, 53 for Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, and 17 for Arab parties in the 120-seat Knesset. Channel 12 offered slightly different projections with 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc, 52 for Eisenkot's, and 18 for Arab parties.

The projections have prompted reactions from opposition leaders. Yair Lapid, opposition leader, labeled the outcome as a "crushing defeat" for Netanyahu's bloc. Gadi Eisenkot commented on the lack of trust in Netanyahu's leadership, indicating plans to form a new government that would emphasize military conscription. Meanwhile, Yair Golan of the Democrats party declared the election as a dismissal of Netanyahu's government by the public and expressed readiness to form a new administration.

The election saw a historically high turnout, with the Central Elections Committee reporting an overall participation rate of 77.7%, the highest since 1999. Notably, turnout among Arab voters reached 80%, which was described by Channel 12 as historic. Despite the projections, neither bloc secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority, and official results are pending as vote counting commenced after polls closed.