Exit poll: Netanyahu remains at Likud's helm with 72%

JERUSALEM

An exit poll of the Israeli Likud Party's internal election showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comfortably winning reelection as party chief, local media reported.

The poll results on Thursday indicated Netanyahu beat his rival, Gideon Saar, with a landslide 72% of the vote, compared to Saar's share of only 28.48% of votes, according to Israeli Maariv daily newspaper.

The exit poll by Direct Polls was conducted on 758 voters from various locations.

Voting centers closed at 11.00 p.m. local time (2100GMT) and results are scheduled to be announced early on Friday morning.

The elections attracted a turnout of 48.6% of the party's 116,048 eligible voters.

Netanyahu has remained the unchallenged leader for the right-wing party for 14 years.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat