Israeli election stalls government formation

Neither candidate won a governing majority in the recent Israeli legislative election, according to exit polls and partial official results. With 70% of the vote counted, no single faction holds the 61 seats needed to form a government.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition bloc currently holds 54 seats, while the Change bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot has 47. Palestinian parties account for the remaining 19 seats. The stalemate sets the stage for weeks of political negotiations to assemble a workable cabinet.

Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister, stated he would build a coalition through agreements with Likud, far-right factions, and Jewish religious parties. Eisenkot countered that the public voted for change and that Netanyahu should announce his retirement from politics immediately.

The election saw record participation from Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin, a group that makes up about 20% of the population. Julian Borger reported from Nazareth that Eisenkot will need to work with Arab-Israeli leaders to secure a governing majority. Millions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza remain unable to vote in this election.

In a separate development, President Donald Trump announced his administration is terminating Biden-era regulations on methane leaks from oil and gas companies. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the proposal will save consumers and businesses $45 billion. The US emitted more methane from its oil and gas sector than any other country last year.

Meanwhile, far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly fled Brazil after losing the presidential election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro allies said he is traveling to Florida to request political asylum. Federal police are investigating him for a money-laundering scheme involving betting companies worth approximately $905 million.

In Spain, regional authorities confirmed that at least 30 people died in a high-speed train collision south of Madrid. This marks the second major rail disaster in the country this year, following a January crash that killed 46 people. In Ukraine, a local ceasefire in the southern city of Oleshky appears to be holding as approximately 2,000 civilians evacuate the area.