Israeli exit polls show Netanyahu’s bloc trailing Eisenkot's, with neither side securing a clear majority

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc trailed rival Gadi Eisenkot's bloc in three of four parliamentary election exit polls Tuesday, with neither securing a projected majority.

Projections by Channels 12 and 13 and Israel's public broadcaster put Eisenkot's bloc ahead of Netanyahu's, while Channel 14 projected a lead for Netanyahu's bloc.

A Channel 13 exit poll projected 53 seats for Eisenkot's bloc, 50 for Netanyahu's bloc and 17 for Arab parties in the 120-seat Knesset.

Israel's public broadcaster projected the same distribution, giving Eisenkot's bloc 53 seats, Netanyahu's bloc 50 and Arab parties 17.

Channel 12 projected 52 seats for Eisenkot's bloc, 50 for Netanyahu's bloc and 18 for Arab parties.

Channel 14, meanwhile, projected 60 seats for Netanyahu's bloc, 43 for Eisenkot's bloc and 17 for Arab parties.

None of the projections gave either bloc the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

Responding to the projections, Yashar party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot, a rival of Netanyahu, said the initial results indicated a "complete lack of trust in Netanyahu."

"If these are the final results, this is a victory for the Zionist-statist majority in Israel," Eisenkot said.

He pledged to "act immediately to implement the will of the people," replace Netanyahu's government and establish what he called a "Zionist mobilization government" as soon as possible.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also claimed Netanyahu's bloc had suffered a “severe defeat.”

"Don't let them confuse you: the Netanyahu bloc suffered a severe defeat. This is a complete collapse and the public told them to go home," Lapid said.

Democrats party leader Yair Golan said that "the public has spoken, it fired Netanyahu's government."

"We have received a historic opportunity to form a real change government in Israel and we do not intend to give it up," he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will decide whom to task with forming a government after the official election results are announced, his office said, according to Israeli media.

Polling stations closed at 10 pm local time (2000GMT), and vote counting began.

The exit poll projections are not official election results.

The Central Elections Committee earlier reported voter turnout of 74.3% as of 8 pm local time (1800GMT).

According to the committee, 5,449,277 people had cast their ballots out of 7,331,981 eligible voters.