Smotrich Vows Gaza Settlements as Netanyahu Bloc Trails in Israel Vote Count

Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing and religious parties held 56 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament as of about 55 percent of ballots counted on Wednesday, short of the 61 needed for a majority. The count followed Tuesday's election, at which exit polls suggested the governing alliance had lost ground.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed supporters early on Wednesday at his Religious Zionism party's headquarters in Jerusalem. He dismissed opposition celebrations, pledged to continue expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, and declared: "Jewish settlements will be established in Gaza." Israel removed its settlements from Gaza in 2005.

Earlier on Tuesday, Smotrich wrote on Facebook that turnout was unusually high in Arab communities and left-wing areas, without offering figures to support the claim. He warned that failing to mobilize right-wing voters could allow "terror supporters" into government. Netanyahu told voters the same day that Arab citizens were heading to polling stations in large numbers and that an opposition win would put Israel's Jewish character at risk.

Netanyahu also accused three senior Ra'am figures of trying to steal the election. Police said three people were arrested on suspicion of voter bribery but gave no indication they held senior roles in Ra'am. Transportation Minister Miri Regev repeated the theft allegation on X, writing: "They're trying to steal the elections and the country from us." Arab political leaders called Netanyahu's election-day comments racist and inflammatory.

With no camp reaching a majority, Arab-led parties could determine who forms the government. British-American political scientist Dov Waxman said Netanyahu will likely "hammer home the message" that a coalition including Arab parties is "illegitimate". Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim said Mansour Abbas, Ra'am's leader, had received approaches from both Netanyahu's Likud and the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the Yashar party.