Jerusalem: Israel's TV news channels exit polls reports forecasts Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies are to win seats in the parliamentary elections.
Exit polls reports on Israel's TV news channels says Netanyahu and his right-wing and Jewish ultra-Orthodox ally parties are likely to win 60 seats together, one seat short of the majority needed in the 120-seat Israeli Parliament to form a coalition government.
Benny Gantz, former military chief of centre-left bloc , gained between 52-54 seats.
Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party was expected to win about 37 seats while, Benny Gantz's centrist Blue and White party win about 33 seats.
A Likud spokesman said in a statement that Netanyahu has talked over the phone with leaders of his three ally parties, the pro-settler party of Yemina and the ultra-Orthodox parties of Shas and United Torah Judaism, who agreed to establish a strong national government for Israel as soon as possible.
If proved so by the official results, the vote could give Netanyahu a significant boost before the start of his criminal trial set to begin on March 17 over his charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases.
Official results are expected to be released early Tuesday morning.
