Benjamin Netanyahu’s future as Israeli prime minister was hanging in the balance on Tuesday after exit polls suggested his voting bloc would not be able to command a majority.

Exit polls published by Israeli broadcasters suggested that a bloc of parties led by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot had won the largest number of seats – but failed to secure a majority in the Knesset.

The election drew record turnout of over 74 percent as Israelis passed judgment on Netanyahu’s handling of the wars in Gaza and Iran, in the first vote since Hamas’ attacks of October 7, 2023.

Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster predicted that Netanyahu’s Likud party would win 24 seats, compared with 22 seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party.

But the bloc led by Mr Eisenkot was forecast to receive 52 seats, two more than Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.

While the official results have not yet been announced, the result are likely to plunge Israel into a period of political uncertainty. If a governing coalition cannot be formed, another election may be called.

The stalemate could work in Netanyahu’s favour, allowing the prime minister to remain in power in a caretaker capacity while parties try to forge a governing coalition.

Netanyahu had previously been tipped to suffer a staggering defeat. Sixty per cent of users on prediction market Polymarket backed centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot to become the next prime minister of the country, strides ahead of incumbent leader Netanyahu on just 27 per cent.

With 19 years at the helm of government, Netanyahu, 77, has entrenched himself as a survivalist and mainstay of Israeli politics, and a challenger will still likely have to bring together a broad coalition to topple his iron grip on Israeli politics.

Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu warned of an impending “emergency” and urged supporters to go out and vote.

“Higher-than-usual turnout rates in the left’s strongholds,” he wrote on social media. “Right or Palestine, for real. Right-wing voters, this is an emergency hour … go out and vote right now.”

Turnout had reached 74.3 per cent by 8pm, the highest turnout at this hour since 1988.

Eisenkot, 66, meanwhile appealed to Netanyahu’s broad unpopularity, saying there was “one way to bring the change and replace Netanyahu”, by voting for his Yashar (straight) party.

Neither candidate has a clear path to power, and will rely on their ability to form a workable coalition if they fall short of the threshold for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. If neither can form a governing alliance, Netanyahu could still stay on as caretaker until next year.

As voting got underway, Eisenkot’s party filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee over suspicions of a systematic attempt to disrupt voting for the party and undermine election integrity, following reports of ballot tampering at polling stations nationwide.

The party claimed that ballot slips marked ‘Derech’ – their voting symbol – had on several occasions gone missing, been damaged or been turned over inside voting booths.

“Anyone who tries to steal ballot slips is trying to steal the election. This is a serious violation of election integrity and the fundamental right of Israeli citizens to vote,” Yashar said in a statement.

Voters also said that ballots for the right-wing Haredi Public party had been removed from polling stations in Bnei Brak, Modi’in Illit, and Jerusalem. Some said they had to ask election officials for replacements, KAN News reported.

David Zini, the director of Israel’s security agency Shin Bet, said that the elections had proceeded smoothly despite acknowledged attempts to disrupt the electoral system.

“Election day has been proceeding well so far. This should not be taken for granted,” he said on Tuesday afternoon, adding: “Elections in Israel are secure and conducted properly. There are challenges, and there are those who are trying to undermine this system.”

Separately, the centre-left Democrats party reported that a man had been arrested after allegedly trying to stab their leader, Yair Golan.

They said the suspect had approached Golan, a former IDF deputy chief of staff, “in an intimidating manner” while he was campaigning at Railway Park in Tel Aviv.

A large knife fell from the man’s clothes and onto the ground, before security tackled him to the ground and alerted police, who detained him, the party said. Police sources told Channel 12 that it did not appear the suspect, a homeless man, attempted to harm Golan, however.

Golan told followers after the incident: “I continue to roam the field. The violence will not deter us! On the contrary – continue with all our might. Not to give up on a single vote. Tonight we will end Netanyahu’s reign of incitement and hatred!”

Polls opened today at 7am Israeli time, 5am in the UK, and will run until 10pm local time. Exit polls are likely to give some indication of the outcome, but it could still be days or weeks before a final result becomes clear.

Ahead of the vote, US Donald Trump reiterated his “complete and total” support for Netanyahu, writing that he had been “strong, brave and brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition”.

He alluded to the unresolved US-Israeli conflict with Iran, writing: “Unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job.”

“If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi [Netanyahu], America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.”