Official turnout was 77.9%, with 5,716,665 total votes cast; Central Elections Committee reiterates that investigation into alleged voter fraud 'will not affect final results'

With both blocs short of a 61-seat majority, their leaders and respective allies must decide which divisive issues are worth prioritizing, and which promises are worth reneging on

Golan meets Eisenkot, Lapid and Mansour Abbas in coalition push; Ra'am leader says minority government unlikely; Liberman keeps distance from opposition partners; opposition chiefs vow fraud probe won't delay new Knesset

The ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party would abstain from votes rather than join the coalition, according to Channel 12; military draft remains major obstacle to agreement

Shin Bet, whose chief had praised vote on election day, stresses suspicions remain unproven and do not implicate Arab voters as a whole; police say no basis for Likud's claims of stolen election

The anti-Netanyahu parties won a Knesset majority, but they do not have the means to translate that into even a minority government. The failure is staggering, and may echo long into Israel's future

Election panel head Noam Sohlberg has told the Shin Bet to probe allegations of foreign influence, reported to involve Qatari funding for an Arab get-out-the-vote effort. Why is that illegal, and what could its fallout be?

Security agency said to provide Sohlberg with info on possible Qatari campaign to sway Arab vote; Likud decries 'stolen' election, Eisenkot warns against delay in swearing in Knesset

But mainstream Jewish groups take more neutral stances that focus on touting high turnout, as most Jewish-led parties still oppose political partnership with Arab-led parties

'We are together and we are staying together,' PM quoted as saying to Ben Gvir and Smotrich; Golan says he intends to meet with fellow 'change bloc' leaders as Liberman said to ghost them

Reports that Washington will push for a unity government to resolve inconclusive election outcome are 'false and premature,' US official tells ToI

After Sephardic party wins just 7 seats, faction's spiritual leader Yitzhak Yosef takes steps to replace powerful chairman, though insiders say move will be difficult to pull off

High Arab turnout makes it easier to make case for Israel abroad, but complicates coalition-building for Jewish-led parties that have embraced PM's delegitimization of Arab political leaders

Some Palestinians predict 'more destruction and devastation,' while others think that 'whatever happens, it will surely be better than what we've lived through in recent years'

Netanyahu's party says it presented 'hundreds of testimonies' and other evidence; election panel says it's reviewing the fraud allegations, which a senior official earlier dismissed

As near-final vote count indicate a looming political deadlock, investors brace for weeks of uncertainty, after betting on a change in government

President praises high turnout, says everything must be done to prevent a repeat vote, expects party leaders to show willingness to consider options

Further updates unlikely before Thursday as Central Election Committee turns attention to double envelope ballots and ordinary ballots requiring extra oversight

Likud defense minister slams Eisenkot's 'undemocratic' warning that PM could exploit security issues for his own ends, calls IDF a 'full partner' that 'will carry out any decision necessary'

Soldiers, prisoners and diplomats have cast 430,000 to 480,000 ballots that are only being counted from Wednesday night, but history suggests they won't break election stalemate