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Israel's close election could lead to another vote, Lyse Doucet says

BBC News pairs exit polls showing Gadi Eisenkot's bloc ahead with voters on both sides of a divided country and an expectation of more instability to come.

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BBC News Story of October 28, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of BBC News's most watched videos since yesterday, with 714,572 views.

Netanyahu loses majority in Israel - but no clear election winner. What now? | BBC News

Things we can learn from the video

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0:00The studio introduction describes high turnout and exit polls too close to produce a clear winner.
0:55Lucy Williamson reports that Israeli TV exit polls indicate a fragmented Knesset with no clear majority.
1:55Opposition voter Oz Bin Nun says he expects change, though new voters make the outcome hard to predict.
2:37Williamson explains how Arab parties could become kingmakers in forming a coalition.
3:50Lyse Doucet examines turnout, exit-poll reliability, Likud's position and the risk of continued instability.
5:25Doucet says some already expect another election before long.

A Likud supporter at a Jerusalem watch party sums up the night for BBC News: "It's not over till it's over," he says, "but I'm sweating."

The BBC's report, presented by Sophie Raworth on BBC News at Ten, describes an Israeli general election that is too close to call. Exit polls on Israeli television suggest that Gadi Eisenkot's bloc has won the most seats, ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, founded the centrist Yashar party last year and leads the "change bloc" of opposition parties seeking to remove Israel's longest-serving prime minister from office.

According to the BBC, the polls point to a fragmented parliament and no clear winner. Exit polls have not always been reliable, and counting could take several days. Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson notes that Arab parties could hold the balance of power.

The report spends much of its time with opposition voters in Tel Aviv. Oz Bin Nun expects change but is unsure what form it will take, because so many voters are new. If change comes, he says, "It will feel like a redemption."

The BBC describes this as Israel's first legislative election since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, with security dominating the campaign. Netanyahu's challengers have criticized the failures that preceded the attacks, while Netanyahu has presented himself as the leader who protects Israel.

The report adds a longer-term question to the early numbers. Speaking live from Jerusalem, chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet calls it "a truly historic day," then cautions that observers are "already predicting that another election could not be too far in the future."

The report drew more than 700,000 views in its first five hours, making it BBC News' most watched new video since yesterday.

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