The final outcome remains pending due to between 430,000 and 480,000 uncounted absentee ballots from groups that include soldiers, diplomats, and hospital patients, meaning final results could still take a day or two to emerge. Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc remains at 53 seats while the opposition stands at 67 seats, according to partial election results with 90.4% of the ballots counted.
The ongoing count determines the parliamentary alignment following Tuesday's election, which recorded a 77.7% turnout representing the country's highest participation in more than two decades.
Political friction accompanied the count as Likud complained on Wednesday that they had stolen the election.
Herzog praised the high voter turnout during his remarks in Jerusalem.
If factions fail to form a government, ultimately there would have to be another election, according to the official timeline.
During a meeting at his residence in Jerusalem, Herzog praised the 77.7% turnout in Tuesday's election, which was the country's highest in more than two decades.
"The people in power on 7 October should not be in power now."She said people were frustrated that Netanyahu had not shouldered responsibility for what happened three years ago, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.