Jerusalem | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future could depend on the fate of several small parties that are barely clinging to their parliamentary seats, as two exit polls showed his right-wing Likud-led bloc with a slight edge over a former military chief's alliance.

Netanyahu's Likud and retired general Benny Gantz's Blue & White each won about three dozen of parliament's 120 seats. But together with other right-wing and religious partners, the Netanyahu-led grouping secured a total of 66 seats in one exit poll, and 64 according to another. A third poll showed the blocs tied. Both sides claimed victory ahead of the release of preliminary results.

Bloomberg