No winner in Israeli elections

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Exit polls in Israel suggest there will be no winner in the close-to-the-run general election.

The blue-and-white centrist alliance of former military leader Benny Gantz is expected to win 36 or 37 seats, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party winning 33-36.

Both men claimed victory.

Two exit polls predicted that right-wing parties allied to Netanyahu would be more likely to form a ruling coalition.

But a third exit poll predicted that the bloc would be tied with the center-left parties allied to Mr Gantz.

"We won! The Israeli public had a say!" Blue and White said in a statement. "These elections have a clear winner and a clear loser."

Mr. Netanyahu tweeted: "The right-wing group formed by the Likud has triumphed decisively, I thank the citizens of Israel for the vote of confidence, I will start by forming a right-wing government with our natural partners. evening."

No party has ever won a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, and the country has always had coalition governments.

What is the background?

Netanyahu could replace Israel's founding father David Ben Gurion as the longest-serving prime minister when he is re-elected for a fifth term.

Aged 69, he launched tough messages on security, which is one of the key issues of the elections.

He also made an important announcement in the final days of the campaign, suggesting that a new government would annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

Mr. Netanyahu also faces allegations of corruption that he denies. He claims to be the victim of a "witch hunt" policy aimed at influencing the election.

In another controversy on Tuesday, Israeli Arab politicians condemned his party, the Likud, for sending 1,200 observers with hidden cameras to the bodies in the polling stations of Arab communities.

Hadash-Taal, the Arab alliance, said it was "illegal" action to intimidate the Arabs. The Likud said that he wanted to make sure that only "valid votes" were cast.

Mr. Netanyahu's main opponent, Mr. Gantz, is a retired lieutenant-general who formed the Blue and White in February, promising to unite a country that had "gone astray".

The 59-year-old former chief of staff of the Israeli army can compete with Netanyahu in terms of security and promises a cleaner policy.

Mr. Gantz's campaign platform refers to the "separation" of Palestinians, but does not specifically mention that they have an independent state. It also calls for continued control of the Jordan Valley and the maintenance of settlement blocs in the West Bank.

What do exit polls predict?

Three Israeli TV channels conducted exit polls:

• Public broadcaster Kan has estimated that the Blues and Whites would win 37 seats and the Likud 36. He said the right-wing bloc must control 64 seats in parliament and the center-left bloc 56
• Channel 13 predicts that the two parties will end up with 36 seats, but the right-wing parties will control 66 seats, as opposed to 54 in the center-left.
• Channel 12 News predicted that Blue and White would win 37 seats and the Likud 33 seats. But he had the center-left and right-hand blocks each controlling 60 seats

The three men predicted that the left-wing Labor Party would win between six and eight seats, and the left-wing Meretz party between four and five seats.

It was not clear how many of the more than 40 small parties participating in the election would win at least 3.25% of the national vote – the threshold required to enter the parliament with four seats.

Two exit polls suggest that the new right wing party of outgoing Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and the ultra-nationalist Zehut party of Moshe Feiglin have not crossed the threshold.