Israel woke to a political stalemate on Thursday after final election results confirmed Likud as the largest party, but with neither the governing nor opposition blocs securing the 61 seats needed for a majority without Arab party support. The inconclusive outcome has triggered urgent coalition manoeuvring, renewed calls for a unity government and continued scrutiny of alleged foreign interference in the vote. Domestically, clashes between haredi protesters and police near Bnei Brak added to the day's tensions, while abroad, a tanker was struck near the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine braced for fresh Russian missile strikes and a deadly rockfall hit a tourist site in Turkey.

Politics

With all votes counted, Likud confirmed its position as the largest single party, though both the pro-Netanyahu and opposition blocs fell short of the 61-seat threshold without relying on Arab parties, which secured a record combined 19 seats between the Joint List and Ra'am. Opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot met with Democrats leader Yair Golan and other opposition heads to discuss a possible path to power following Golan's call for a coalition including the Arab parties. Former defence minister Yoav Gallant instead urged the formation of a 'Jewish, Zionist and national' unity government, warning against any administration dependent on parties that do not recognise Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Commentators across the political spectrum, including at Israel Hayom, pressed party leaders to set aside ego and factionalism to form a government capable of healing national rifts. Meanwhile, the Shin Bet said its investigation into suspected foreign interference, reportedly involving attempts by Qatar to funnel money during the campaign, remains limited and does not implicate Arab voters broadly. Israel's elections committee director and police also rejected claims of widespread voter fraud pushed by some Likud figures. A leading pollster cautioned that uncounted double-envelope ballots could still push the Reservists' Party and the Economic Party over the electoral threshold, potentially reshaping the final Knesset composition.

Security

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the police chief of currying favour with the opposition after violent clashes erupted between haredi protesters and officers near Bnei Brak, leaving three police officers wounded, forcing the closure of Highway 4 and disrupting light rail services in Petah Tikva. Separately, reports emerged of friction between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF leadership over preparations for a potential future conflict with Iran, with commentators warning that any military build-up must not become politicised in the aftermath of the election.

International

A tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while completing its transit of the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Operations body reported; no casualties or environmental damage have been confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv has intelligence indicating Russia is preparing further ballistic missile strikes and appealed for additional air defence capabilities. Germany strongly condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches during Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Seoul, calling for Pyongyang to halt its weapons programme immediately. In Turkey, a rockfall at Cappadocia's renowned 'fairy chimney' formations killed three tourists at a national park that UNESCO has long warned requires urgent maintenance. In the United States, federal authorities said the suspect charged in an antisemitic stabbing in New York City had carried out two other attacks on Jewish individuals, including an alleged needle assault the same day. In Britain, Jewish student bodies condemned a Glasgow University Islamic Society event featuring a barrister who has represented Hamas, while St Andrews University ordered a rector who previously accused Israel of genocide to seek permission before returning to campus following bullying complaints. Separately, commentary noted that attempts by Scottish Greens to weaponise the word 'Zionist' as an insult appear to be backfiring, with more British Jews reportedly embracing the term. In Michigan's closely watched Senate race, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed distanced himself from a campaign ad blaming high US grocery prices on Israel, as a prominent Jewish Democratic donor publicly threw his support behind the Republican contender instead.

Technology

Security tools developed by Google and OpenAI have uncovered critical vulnerabilities in PHP, the programming language underpinning roughly 70 percent of websites worldwide. The US cybersecurity agency has ordered affected servers taken offline until patches are applied, with experts warning of a potential large-scale web security crisis and urging users to take immediate protective measures.

Other Developments

Prosecutors are preparing charges against a 45-year-old married father from Jerusalem accused of running an international network that encouraged parents abroad to sexually abuse their own children and document the acts for exchange on the Discord platform. The year-long investigation, conducted jointly with international law enforcement, led to the seizure of hundreds of explicit videos and resulted in additional arrests by the FBI in the United States. Separately, a man was shot dead in his car in the town of Reina near Nazareth, with a woman and another man wounded; a burnt-out vehicle was found nearby and police are investigating a suspected criminal motive.

Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post