It only needs two seats. Netanyahu meets the leaders of the winning parties to form the government

Initial screening results for the Israeli legislative elections showed the continued progress of the right-wing bloc led by the right-wing Likud party, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the results also highlight the ongoing government formation crisis, as Netanyahu does not have the legal majority required to form a government.

After 97% of the votes were counted, the right-wing camp won 59 seats, which is two seats less than what is required to form a government.

According to Israeli law, forming a government requires 61 seats in the Israeli Knesset, totaling 120.

The results, published by the website of the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, indicated that the Likud won 36 seats, while the Blue and White party headed by Benny Gantz won 32 seats.

The Arab List, a coalition of four Arab parties, achieved a great leap by obtaining 15 seats, after it had 13 seats in the previous Knesset.

According to the results, the right-wing Shas party won ten seats, the right-wing "Judaism-Hturah" party won seven seats, the centrist Labor-Gescher-Meretz coalition won seven seats, and the right-wing Israel Beitenu party headed by Avigdor Lieberman with seven seats, and an alliance. Right-wing, six-seat.

These are the best results the Likud would ever achieve under Netanyahu, who first served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999, and his current term began in 2009.

Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz played down Netanyahu's progress in the Israeli elections, telling reporters, "Netanyahu does not have 61 votes to form a government."

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that Netanyahu met Tuesday in his office in occupied Jerusalem, the leader of the religious "Shas" party and Interior Minister Arieh Deri.

She added that Netanyahu will meet later Tuesday with the heads of the right-wing parties that won the elections to discuss the next step.

Attention is now turning to the leader of the right-wing "Our Home Israel" party and former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Lieberman, speaking to reporters in front of his house in the settlement "Nikodim" (south of the West Bank), renewed his refusal to join a Likud-led government that includes Israeli religious parties.