Opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot said early Wednesday said Israel had chosen change after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he would seek to form a new government.
In remarks to supporters, Eisenkot also issued a veiled warning to Netanyahu who has stepped up warnings in the final days of the campaign that he will attack Iran -- an emergency that could potentially delay efforts to form a coalition.
"Netanyahu, don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs," Eisenkot said.
Exit polls showed the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot with a tiny edge over Netanyahu's right-wing bloc in Tuesday's election but with neither side securing a majority.
"The people have spoken against the continuation of Netanyahu's rule," Eisenkot said.
"In an election with such a high turnout, it would be a mistake to go to another round of elections."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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