Israel’s election-weary public will again to wait to see if Benjamin Netanyahu can form a new government after the fourth poll in two years left him seemingly short of an outright coalition. 

With nearly 88 per cent of the votes counted by Wednesday morning, Mr Netanyahu’s Likud had emerged as by far and away the leading party with 30 seats – although all seat numbers are subject to change as the remaining votes are counted (which may not be completed until Friday). 

The addition of the strictly Orthodox Shas (nine) and United Torah Judaism (seven), the hardline Religious Zionism (six), and possibly the right-wing Yamina (seven) – although the former Disapora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett’s party has yet to say whether it would come on board – would leave Mr Netanyahu two short of a governing majority. 

The Likud breakaway, New Hope, led by former Interior Minister Gideon Saar, which hoped to  mount a serious challenge to Mr Netanyahu, only picked up six seats.  

Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beteinu won seven seats

Mr Netanyahu has begun talking to potential allies, promising a “right-wing government that will look after all Israeli citizens”. 

The election has left the opposition even more fractured than before with the break-up between Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, and Defence Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, giving it little prospect of assembling a governing coalition. 

If the distribution of votes remains the same, Yes Atid would take 17 seats and Blue and White eight. 

The Joint Arab List is slated so far to receive only six seats, with Ra’am, the Islamic Movement, on five. 

Labour has seven and the left-wing Meretz five. 

The remaining 12 per cent of votes, which may not be tallied until Thursday afternoon at the earliest and probably Friday, could still swing the election. If Ra’am failed to pass the electoral threshold in the end, other parties would pick up votes, possibly altering the balance. 

Even if Mr Netaynahu can muster a tiny majority, he may face a battery of demands from some of his coalition partners to keep them sweet. 

In the continuing deadlock, the prospect of another election this summer could be on the cards.