Voter turnout at Israeli parliamentary election totals 67.2 per cent - State media

According to the central election commission, with over 70 per cent of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party gains 31 seats in the 120-seat unicameral parliament Knesset while the centre-left Yesh Atid party of Yair Lapid took second place with 18 seats.

Exit polls show that the bloc of right-wing and religious parties led by Likud may receive the necessary majority of 61 seats only with the support of Naftali Bennett's Yamina party, while the bloc of the prime minister's opponents is able to take control of no more than 59 seats.

--BERNAMA