Jerusalem:A minor shift in the Israeli election results was observed as the counting of special 'double-envelope' ballots continues. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party gained one seat at the cost of its ally, the Shas party, as reported by Israeli media.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the overall seat count between the main political blocs remains unchanged. Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the bloc led by Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot retains 48 seats, both falling short of the required 61 for a majority.

The counting of over 295,600 out of an estimated 430,000 to 480,000 double-envelope ballots is underway, as reported by the Central Elections Committee. These ballots are cast by voters unable to vote at their registered polling stations, including soldiers, diplomats, police officers, and displaced residents. The process involves verifying identification details to prevent duplicate voting before counting the anonymous ballots.

The ongoing counting could still influence individual party seat totals and potentially impact the balance between rival blocs. Initial projections after regular ballot counting had Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats, Eisenkot's at 48, and the predominantly Arab parties holding a record 19 seats. Voter turnout was recorded at 77.7%, the highest since 1999, According to Central Elections Committee.