Jerusalem:Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas party and two far-right parties announced their intention to recommend Benjamin Netanyahu for the task of forming the next government to President Isaac Herzog.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Shas has declared its support for another term for Netanyahu, referencing his commitment to the status of Torah students. The statement, however, did not specify the proposed arrangements.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party also plans to back Netanyahu during the consultations at the President's Residence. They have urged opposition parties to end their boycotts and support a broad government under Netanyahu, citing his leadership of the largest party and parliamentary bloc.

Similarly, the Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, expressed its support for Netanyahu as prime minister. Meanwhile, discussions between Netanyahu and United Torah Judaism leader Yaakov Asher have been reported, amidst speculation about the ultra-Orthodox party's stance.

In contrast, Israeli opposition leaders have agreed to recommend Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister. They are also initiating negotiations on policy guidelines and coalition agreements.

These developments precede President Herzog's scheduled consultations with parliamentary parties, aimed at deciding which lawmaker will be given the opportunity to form a government. As it stands, Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition has 48 seats, and Arab parties hold 19 seats, leaving both main blocs short of the required 61-seat majority. The Central Elections Committee is set to announce the official election results on Wednesday.