Netanyahu's bloc leading Israel election but short of majority, partial results show
With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies are set to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Partial results from Israel's general election show veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading his rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but is still short of a majority in parliament.
With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu's Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies were on track to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot's Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties in his bloc were set for 48.
Arab-led parties, who are on course to win an unprecedented 19 seats, could emerge as kingmakers, but all but one of the Jewish parties have pledged not to work with them.
Later, the broadcasters updated their exit polls, with two projecting that the rival blocs would be tied on 51 seats and one giving Netanyahu's bloc a narrow three-seat lead.