A new election survey indicates that Likud is gaining strength, climbing to 28 Knesset seats, while former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the leading choice to head the anti-Netanyahu bloc.

The poll, published Sunday night by Kan 11, comes about a month after the launch of Operation “Roaring Lion” and reflects shifting political momentum within both the coalition and opposition camps.

Likud, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rose to 28 seats—up from 25 in the previous survey. Meanwhile, the party of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, still the largest faction within the anti-Netanyahu bloc, slipped by one seat to 19.

Other opposition parties also saw slight declines. Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid dropped to 7 seats, while Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu fell to 8.

By contrast, Eisenkot’s party, “Yisra!”, posted a significant gain, jumping by four seats since the last poll to reach 13 mandates, making it the second-largest party within the opposition bloc. The Democrats party, led by Yair Golan, held steady at 9 seats.

Several parties failed to cross the electoral threshold in the poll, including Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists Party, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, and the Balad party led by Sami Abu Shehadeh. If the Arab parties were to reunite under a joint list, they would collectively secure an estimated 13 seats.

In terms of political blocs, the Netanyahu-aligned camp stands at 53 seats, up from 51 in the previous poll. The opposing bloc holds 67 seats; however, without cooperation between Jewish parties and Arab factions, that number would drop to 56—short of a governing majority.

Respondents were also asked who should lead the anti-Netanyahu bloc. Eisenkot topped the list with 24% support, compared to 18% for Bennett, despite Bennett heading a larger party within the bloc. Notably, 34% of opposition voters and even 18% of coalition voters selected Eisenkot as their preferred leader.

When asked who they trust most to manage the ongoing war, 32% of respondents chose Netanyahu. The results showed a sharp divide: 76% of coalition voters expressed confidence in Netanyahu, compared to just 6% among opposition voters. Among opposition respondents, the most trusted figure was IDF Chief of Staff Zamir, who received 45% support. Defense Minister Katz garnered only 3% overall, with similar levels of backing from coalition (3%) and opposition (1%) voters.

The poll also addressed concerns about military strain following remarks by Chief of Staff Zamir that the IDF could “collapse inward” due to the burden on service members. Overall, 66% of respondents said the statement worried them. The concern was significantly higher among opposition voters (85%) than coalition voters (40%). By demographic breakdown, 87% of secular respondents and 64% of traditional respondents expressed concern, compared to just 33% among religious and chareidi respondents.

Finally, participants were asked about the economic impact of the war with Iran. A total of 43% said their financial situation had been harmed, either moderately or severely. The divide persisted along political lines, with 31% of coalition voters and 45% of opposition voters reporting economic hardship as a result of the conflict.