The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a deal to form a coalition government, officials say.
His Likud-Yisrael Beitenu party list will form a coalition with the centrist Yesh Atid and Hatnua and the far-right Jewish Home.
Mr Netanyahu was forced to give up his alliance with the ultra-Orthodox parties: Shas and United Torah Judaism.
It took five weeks to reach deals with his new partners after the general election on 22 January.
“There is a government,” Likud spokeswoman Noga Katz was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
On his Facebook page, Yair Lapid, the leader of Yesh Atid, says the coalition agreement will be signed “probably tonight”.
Talks on the size and shape of the cabinet went on late into Wednesday night between Likud and its two main coalition partners, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home.
Apart from the prime minister, there will be 21 ministers, making it the smallest government in decades, Israeli media report. Yesh Atid is expected to be responsible for finance and education and Likud will run the interior ministry.
Once the deal is signed, it will have to be approved by the Israeli parliament or Knesset and sworn in.
Adding to the time pressure is a visit by the United States President Barack Obama scheduled to begin on 20 March.
It will be his first trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan since being elected president in 2008.
BBC has the full article
