Israel's opposition leader moved closer to unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he told the country's president that he has reached agreements with political allies to form a new government.
Here is a timeline of events that led to the emerging coalition deal between centrist Yair Lapid and the far-right Naftali Bennett, and what happens next.
23 March - Israel holds its fourth inconclusive election in two years. As in every previous vote, no party won a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud emerges as the biggest party.
Mr Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid (There is a Future) comes second. Mr Bennett's Yamina (Rightwards) party wins just six seats.
6 April - President Reuven Rivlin gives Benjamin Netanyahu 28 days to form a new government. He woos smaller right-wing and religious parties, including Yamina, but fails.
5 May - President Rivlin turns to Yair Lapid, who tries to form a "government of change" from an unlikely coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties.
Such a coalition would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of Israel's parliament, who oppose much of the right-wing agenda of some in the group.
10 May - Fighting erupts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and unrest breaks out in many mixed Jewish-Arab cities in Israel. Coalition talks break down.
21 May - Ceasefire declared. Coalition talks resume.
30 May - Naftali Bennett announces he will join centrist rivals to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.
2 June - The deadline for Yair Lapid to announce whether he has formed a majority coalition was at midnight.
About 30 minutes before the deadline, Mr Lapid told President Reuven Rivlin he had succeeded in forming a government.
President Rivlin's office issued a statement saying: "We expect the Knesset will convene as soon as possible to ratify the government, as required."
Mid-June - The new government is expected to be sworn in.
