Netanyahu bloc short of majority as Arab turnout surge reshapes Knesset

With 93.8% of ballots counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected at 53 Knesset seats against 48 for Gadi Eisenkot's opposition, with Arab parties on 19 seats after turnout rose to about 80%. Neither side holds the 61 seats needed, so Israel faces hard coalition talks or another election, while an unproven report of Qatari funding is now under Shin Bet investigation. Israel's leadership remains unsettled as it confronts Iran and its regional allies, and the figures are still preliminary.