President Herzog tasks Gadi Eisenkot with forming government

Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot has been granted the mandate to form a government following the recent deadlocked Israeli elections.

President Isaac Herzog officially tasked Yashar party leader, MK Gadi Eisenkot, with forming the next Israeli government on Saturday night, according to reports by Ynet and The Guardian. Eisenkot, described as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's primary rival, has been granted 28 days to forge a coalition, with an option for a 14-day extension if necessary.

The move comes 12 days after the 26th Knesset elections, which left the political system deadlocked with no clear path to power for either side. Eisenkot now faces significant challenges in the coalition-building process, including internal disagreements within the 'change bloc' over the Haredi draft law and reliance on Arab parties. Further details on the progress of negotiations have not yet been released.