Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party has intensified allegations that Arab-led parties manipulated the country’s election, as official results showed his political bloc losing its parliamentary majority.

The party on Thursday claimed, without providing evidence, that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, potentially with foreign assistance.

The allegations have drawn criticism from opposition parties, which accused Netanyahu’s camp of targeting Israel’s Arab population following the strong performance of Arab-led political groups.

Opposition figures described the claims as an attempt to demonise Arab citizens and undermine the legitimacy of the election.

Results released by election officials on Thursday showed Netanyahu’s bloc securing 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.

The main opposition bloc won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties secured the remaining 19 seats.

The outcome leaves open the possibility of an alternative governing coalition if opposition parties join forces with Arab-led groups, although such an arrangement would represent a rare and politically challenging development in Israeli politics.

Netanyahu’s bloc had previously controlled as many as 68 seats in the outgoing parliament.

Although the vote count has been completed, the results are still subject to formal certification before being submitted to Israel’s president next Wednesday.

The final outcome is expected to shape negotiations over the formation of the next government.