Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc took the lead in the country’s general election, with partial results showing it projected to secure 56 seats in parliament after 50.1 per cent of ballots had been counted.

Figures released by Israel’s Central Elections Committee on Wednesday placed the opposition bloc at 49 seats, while Arab parties were projected to win 15 seats in the 120-member parliament.

Reacting to the election developments, United States President Donald Trump said his public endorsement of Netanyahu had significantly boosted the Israeli leader’s campaign.

“I think when the endorsement went out, it had helped him a lot,” Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One on Wednesday.

The election has drawn considerable attention as voters decide the political future of Netanyahu, whose Likud party leads the governing camp.

However, the figures remained provisional, with a substantial portion of the ballots yet to be counted. Several exit polls had indicated a closely contested race, with neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition securing a clear parliamentary majority.

The final distribution of seats could therefore differ from the projections as the counting process continues.