Live: ‘A shame and a disgrace’: Netanyahu rails against Palestinian turnout in Israeli elections

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed at least 74,564 Palestinians and wounded 175,770 since October 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday.

Hospitals received three people who died and 11 wounded people over the past 24 hours. Two of those who died succumbed to earlier wounds from Israeli attacks..

The ministry said Israeli attacks have killed 1,568 Palestinians and wounded 5,649 since the "ceasefire" began on 11 October 2025. Recovery teams have also retrieved 845 bodies during that period.

At least 8000 more Palestinians are missing and presumed dead under the rubble, according to Gaza's civil defence. Several thousand others have disappeared and remain unaccounted for, leaving families uncertain whether their relatives are alive or dead.

An Israeli attack has wounded two people in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The strikes come as Israel counts ballots from its parliamentary election, its first since starting the genocide in Gaza in October 2023.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest developments: 

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition bloc are both projected to fall short of a parliamentary majority of 61 seats following a surge in voting by Palestinian citizens of Israel. 

• Over 66 percent of ballot boxes in Israel have been counted as of 9.20am local time (7.20 GMT), with partial results published by the Central Elections Committee showing Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leading by 56 seats. However, the Israeli prime minister still falls short of the 61 seats required for majority vote. Following after him is 48 seats to the bloc led by Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot, and Palestinian-led parties at 16 seats. 

• Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “lying and inciting” against his party, accusing him of using allegations of election fraud to mobilise right-wing voters. In a video message filmed in Sakhnin on Tuesday, Abbas urged Palestinian citizens of Israel to turn out and vote for the United Arab List, also known as Ra’am.

• US President Donald Trump has claimed that his endorsement reversed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's possible "defeat". "When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu," he wrote on  his social media platform Truth Social.

• Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday against using Israel’s security for political gain, as exit polls showed a deadlock in the country’s national election. "Netanyahu, don’t you dare use Israel’s security for your political needs," he said.

Over 66 percent of ballot boxes in Israel have been counted as of 9.20am local time (7.20 GMT), with partial results published by the Central Elections Committee showing Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leading by 56 seats.

However, the Israeli prime minister still falls short of the 61 seats required for majority vote.

Following after him is 48 seats to the bloc led by Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot, and Palestinian-led parties at 16 seats. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his right-wing Likud party will win a "decisive majority" as "nobody can compete" with it. 

"What we’ve seen is that the Likud party is the largest party and nobody can compete with us," he addressed his supporters. 

"The second thing that is clear as well is that the right block has a majority. And it is a decisive majority."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc has had a further decrease in seats, from 56 to 55, but remains in the lead. 

Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot's bloc is now at 49 seats, with Arab parties trailing behind in third place at 16 seats. 

These are not the final results, accounting for only 2.9 million votes (51.8 percent).

Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “lying and inciting” against his party, accusing him of using allegations of election fraud to mobilise right-wing voters.

In a video message filmed in Sakhnin on Tuesday, Abbas urged Palestinian citizens of Israel to turn out and vote for the United Arab List, also known as Ra’am.

His remarks came after Netanyahu claimed that three senior Ra’am officials had been arrested with envelopes of cash in southern Israel, accusing them of attempting to “steal the election”.

Israeli election officials said they found no evidence of wider electoral interference.

Ra’am, which represents Palestinian citizens of Israel, could play a key role in determining the next government if neither major political bloc secures a parliamentary majority.

Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “lying and inciting” against his party, accusing him of using allegations of election fraud to mobilise right-wing voters. https://t.co/op1kWM8Kzi

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 27, 2026

Israel’s Central Elections Committee announced that over 2.7 million ballots have been counted, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc still in the lead. 

His party has taken a slight fall from 57 seats 56, around 20.8 percent of valid votes.

Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot's opposition Yashar party falls behind at 49 (17.06 percent), with Palestinian-led parties overtaking Naftali Bennett’s Together alliance for third place at 15 seats (9.2 percent). 

US President Donald Trump has claimed that his endorsement reversed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's possible "defeat".

"When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu," he wrote on  his social media platform Truth Social.

"It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a coalition with Arab parties to form a government would be “a shame and a disgrace".

"It is forbidden - simply forbidden - to endanger Israel and to establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties," he told crowds. 

He also said that Israel should not rely on Arab parties, which he described as being "opposed to our very existence".

“It is forbidden—simply forbidden—to endanger Israel and to establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a coalition with Arab parties to form a government would be “a shame and a disgrace" https://t.co/xD0qUnE5XS

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 28, 2026

Data from the Central Elections Committee indicates that over 2.1 million ballots have been counted, nearly 42%.

Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc remains in the lead, but has gone down to 57 seats. Eisenkot’s bloc follows in at 47 seats, while Palestinian-led parties hold 16 seats.

Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has an "unprecedented" chance to eliminate the threat from Iran. 

"Please know that Israel is standing before an unprecedented and unique opportunity to eliminate the existential threat that is Iran once and for all," he said during his speech.  

Partial results published by the Central Elections Committee show that the pro-Netanyahu bloc has gained 59 seats in contrast to 46 seats for the anti-Netanyahu bloc.

Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday against using Israel’s security for political gain, as exit polls showed a deadlock in the country’s national election.

"Netanyahu, don’t you dare use Israel’s security for your political needs," he said.

“Netanyahu, don’t you dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.” Israeli opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against using Israel’s security for political gain, as exit polls showed a deadlock in the country’s national election https://t.co/6MZxhMzMOy

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 28, 2026

Figures from the Central Elections Committee indicate that at least 1,216,002 ballots have been counted by 5.20am local time (2.20am GMT)

Netanyahu’s Likud party is leading with 23.36 percent of valid votes. Following that is Eisenkot’s Yashar party, at 15.74 percent, and Naftali Bennett’s party, at 8.53 percent.