The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported that Likud is leading with about 27 seats, but Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win only 51 to 52 seats in initial opinion polls, keeping it far from the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.
The newspaper noted that the Eizenkot bloc, for its part, cannot form a government without the support of Arab parties, which according to preliminary estimates achieved a historic record by winning between 17 and 19 seats.
According to the report, should these estimates hold, forming a unity government that includes Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman would be the only realistic option for Netanyahu to remain prime minister, as such a government could have about 70 seats.
However, forming such a government would require significant concessions from Netanyahu. While giving up Itamar Ben-Gvir is seen as relatively easier, the religious parties emerge as the main obstacle, given Eizenkot's insistence on forming a government centered on military service, against the religious parties' refusal to make concessions on this issue.
The report concluded that Netanyahu faces a difficult choice between maintaining his alliance with his traditional religious partners and reaching an agreement with his political rivals.
Despite Likud leading the scene in the initial opinion polls, the atmosphere at the party's headquarters, according to the newspaper, reflected growing concern about the difficulty of forming a government rather than celebration of the lead in the results.
