Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to meet a midnight deadline to form a new ruling coalition, raising the possibility that his Likud Party could be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years.
The deadline closes a four-week window provided by Netanyahu by Israel's prime minister.
The matter has come back to President Reuven Rivlin, who announced in the middle of the night that he would meet on Wednesday with 13 parties in parliament to discuss the progress of the government-building process.
Rivlin is expected in the coming days to give one of Netanyahu's opponents a chance to form another coalition government.
He can also ask parliament to elect one of its members as Prime Minister. If all else fails, the country will be forced to go to another polls this fall, the fifth time in just over two years.
The chaos does not mean that Netanyahu will be ousted immediately as Prime Minister. But now he faces a serious threat to his long-term rulership.
Opponents, though strongly divided over the issue, have already held informal talks in recent weeks in hopes of entering into a power-sharing agreement.
Netanyahu has been campaigning for a parliamentary seat since March 23, when elections ended in a stalemate for the fourth consecutive year.
Despite repeated encounters with many of his rivals and unprecedented access to the leader of a small Islamist Arab party, Netanyahu was unable to close the deal.
Rivlin gave Netanyahu his first chance to form a coalition after 52 MPs approved him as prime minister last month. That was a lack of quantity, but a very high number for any group leader.
Opposition leader Jair Lapid, who has garnered the support of 45 lawmakers, now looks set to be the next prime minister.
Naphtali Bennett, head of a small religious group, nationalist Yamina, is also possible. Bennett, Netanyahu's former ally turned out to be a rival, ruling only seven seats in parliament, but has already become the king of sorts and seems to be carrying the votes Lapid will need to get a majority in Parliament.
Lapid has already said he is ready to share the work of the Prime Minister and Bennett, Bennett working first in exchange. So far, they have not come to an agreement.
In a brief statement, Netanyahu's Likud party blamed Bennett for the prime minister's failure.
"As a result of Bennett's refusal to commit to the right-wing government, which would have led to the formation of the government and other members of the Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu has reinstated the president," the statement said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, has called on Netanyahu's opponents to follow up with Lapid.
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