ISRAEL: He took the most votes but still cannot form a government alone.
With 85% counted, his bloc holds 53 seats in a 120-seat Knesset, seven short of the majority needed to govern.
Israel now faces weeks of coalition bargaining, or a sixth election in four years if no deal emerges.
The country remains locked in the same deadlock that has paralyzed it since 2019.
◆ Why it matters
Netanyahu won the night but lost the math. He needs 61 seats to command the Knesset and cannot reach it without pulling in rivals or smaller parties, many of whom refuse to sit with him. Israel is staring at another round of coalition haggling, government gridlock, or yet another trip to the polls within months.
Source: BBC World