JERUSALEM — Israel's Central Elections Committee released near-final results on Thursday showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud as the largest party but short of a clear path to a 61-seat Knesset majority. Coalition negotiations were expected to begin immediately.

Israelis voted on Tuesday in a general election dominated by security concerns following the war in Gaza, the cost of living, and Netanyahu's political survival. Turnout was reported by the committee at roughly two-thirds of eligible voters, broadly in line with recent national ballots.

Results indicated that neither the Netanyahu-led bloc of religious and nationalist parties nor the opposition grouping had secured an outright majority, leaving smaller parties as potential kingmakers. Likud officials said they would seek to rebuild the previous coalition, while opposition leaders argued the arithmetic could allow an alternative government.

President Isaac Herzog is required to consult party leaders before tasking a candidate with forming a government, a process that can take weeks. Analysts at the Israel Democracy Institute cautioned that a prolonged stalemate could push the country toward renewed political deadlock.

"The numbers do not yet give anyone a government," said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "The coming days of coalition bargaining will decide whether Netanyahu survives or Israel faces another round of uncertainty."