Israel election results live: exit polls point to tie between Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs

Both blocs would fall short of the 61 seats needed to form a government as support for Palestinian parties surges

• Full report: Israel election too close to call as exit polls give Netanyahu bloc slightly fewer seats

• Analysis: Rise of Palestinian parties in Knesset will redraw Israel’s political landscape

• Israel election: what we know so far

Supporters of the opposition bloc breathed a sigh of relief after the first exit polls were announced, but as the night has worn on nervousness has grown on both sides.

With exit polls shifting to put the two sides on equal footing, Agence France-Presse is reporting that voters like former Hamas hostage Ohad Ben Ami have expressed alarm that Netanyahu could come out ahead.

An Israeli citizen should never have spent a year and a half in Hamas tunnels when deals [with Hamas] were on the table.”