Jerusalem, Oct. 29 -- Israel's Central Elections Commission began counting double-envelope ballots on Thursday, October 29, including votes cast by IDF soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel, voters with medical conditions, and Israeli representatives posted abroad.

Final results could come as early as Thursday evening after about a half-million absentee ballots are counted.

With nearly 90 per cent of ballots counted, preliminary results put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc at 48 and Arab parties at 19. A majority requires 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

Israelis voted on Tuesday, October 27, with turnout reaching 77.7 per cent, according to the Central Elections Committee...