Israel’s election results showed incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud bloc leading by Wednesday morning, with 41.9 per cent of ballot boxes counted, local media reported.

The partial results released by Central Elections Committee gave Netanyahu’s bloc 57 seats to 47 for the anti-Netanyahu camp. The predominantly Arab Joint List and Ra’am factions together held the remaining 16 seats, The Times of Israel reported.

Following exit polls released by Israeli media outlets Channels 11, 12 and 13 on Tuesday night, no clear winner emerged in Israel’s election, with neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition seeking to replace him projected to secure the 61 seats required for a majority in the Knesset, the country’s parliament

However, by Wednesday morning, some polls indicated Netanyahu’s bloc with a clear lead.

An updated exit poll released overnight showed Netanyahu’s bloc drawing level with or gaining an edge over the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces.

Responding to the projections, Netanyahu asserted that the right wing commanded a “great majority” among Israel’s “Zionist public” and called for the formation of a “strong right-wing government”.

Addressing supporters at the Likud election headquarters in Jerusalem after the polls, Netanyahu criticised media outlets that had forecast a poor performance by his Likud party in the elections.

“Do you remember how the propaganda channels engineered public consciousness? Likud on 18 seats, 19 seats. They knew the whole time that it was a lie. They were trying to demoralise you from coming to the ballot box. That is what went on here. Well, the first thing that has become clear, unequivocally, is that Likud is the biggest party in Israel. There is no disputing it,” Times of Israel quoted Netanyahu as saying.

“And the second thing that has become clear… is that the right-wing bloc has a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public and all those who support the Jewish state. That is what has become clear. A decisive majority. And therefore I said, and I say again, that we must form a strong, national, right-wing government. That is what must be done,” he added.

He also criticised parties willing to cooperate with Arab parties, calling such an arrangement a “shame”.

Questioning how parties could discuss “the covenant of those who serve” while cooperating with parties that attack Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers, Netanyahu said it was unthinkable “to endanger Israel and set up a government that relies upon anti-Zionist Arab parties”.

He further described them as parties that oppose Israel’s very existence, that regard “Hamas as a charitable organization”, that call Israeli soldiers “war criminals.”

Highlighting Israel’s achievements in the conflicts that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Netanyahu claimed that Iran had been significantly weakened while Israel had emerged stronger.

The Tuesday elections marked the first electoral contest since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, amid significant shifts in the political landscape and the issues shaping voter priorities since the 2022 elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Liechtenstein’s Prince Alois and Princess Sophie at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday, discussing ways to further deepen cooperation in trade, innovation, science and technology, skill development and people-to-people ties.

During the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to working together to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions, including the United Nations. They welcomed the positive momentum generated by the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral partnership.

“PM Narendra Modi held extensive discussions with H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and H.R.H. Hereditary Princess Sophie at Hyderabad House today. The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of India–Liechtenstein relations and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation in trade and investment, innovation, science and technology, skill development and people-to-people ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wrote on X.

“They also reaffirmed their commitment to working together to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions, including the United Nations. They welcomed the positive momentum generated by the India–EFTA TEPA and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the bilateral partnership,” it added.

Earlier in the day, Prince Alois and Princess Sophie paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also called on Liechtenstein Prince and discussed bilateral ties and emerging opportunities under the India-EFTA TEPA.

“A pleasure to call on H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, on a State Visit to India. Our bilateral partnership is witnessing strong momentum across a wide range of domains, driven by the opportunities enabled by India – EFTA TEPA,” the EAM posted on X after the meeting.

Prince Alois was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi warmly welcomed Prince Alois upon his arrival. Speaking to the reporters, Prince Alois expressed gratitude to President Murmu and PM Modi for the invitation and warm welcome and said, “I am very honoured to be in India on the occasion of Liechtenstein’s first state visit to this remarkable country.”

“This historic visit bears testimony to the importance that Liechtenstein attaches to the relationship with India,” he said.

Speaking about the conclusion of the TEPA with India, which entered into force a year ago, the visiting Prince called it a “significant milestone” in strengthening bilateral ties. “We are determined to build on this momentum and strengthen our ties with India even further.”

“In particular, we see tremendous potential in expanding our economic cooperation in areas such as innovation, advanced manufacturing, financial services, education and technology. Across these and many other areas, our two countries possess complementary strengths that we can bring together for the lasting benefit of both our countries,” Prince Alois added.

Later in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary will call on Prince Alois.

Prince Alois will then meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will also host an official banquet in his honour.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the outcome of Israel’s parliamentary election on October 27 would make no difference to Iran.

Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Baghaei criticised Israel’s record in West Asia, saying it had brought nothing to the region but “violence and massacre.” He also accused Israel of continuing what he called “genocide” against Palestinians and said Israeli threats against Iran were part of its hostile conduct, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Responding to Israeli officials’ claims that Iran might launch preemptive strikes to disrupt the election, Baghaei warned that Israel was “highly adept at carrying out false-flag operations.”

He said Iran was closely monitoring developments and that its armed forces would not hesitate to defend the country’s territory, adding that Iran was in a state of war and would exercise its right to self-defence.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday reiterated that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz and routes in the waterway will not be the same as they were in the past, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Araghchi made the remarks at a ceremony in the Iranian capital Tehran, while stressing that “fundamental and strategic” changes have taken place in West Asia following the US-Israeli war against Iran.

“We must accept that new realities have taken hold. The routes in the Strait of Hormuz will not be the same as they once were, and the strait’s management will also not be as it was in the past,” he said. “There are matters on which we have held negotiations, and these negotiations will continue.”

The minister stressed that the region’s security must be ensured by regional countries and without reliance on foreign forces, “who have come to the region aiming to safeguard their own interests and protect Israel, and whose continued presence will lead to nothing but insecurity for the entire region.”

He added that Iran was ready to cooperate with all regional countries.