India, Oct. 28 -- Israel's election ended in a political deadlock on Tuesday. Exit polls show that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot secured the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.

Exit polls from Israel's three major broadcasters projected Eisenkot's opposition bloc slightly ahead of Netanyahu's alliance. But both sides remained short of the threshold required to control the 120-seat Knesset.

Arab-led parties also made significant gains, with projections showing they could secure up to 17-18 seats, potentially becoming a decisive factor in coalition negotiations.

The results represent a setback for Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition held a majority before the election but is n...