Israel's new parliament was sworn in on Tuesday without a new government, after a deadlocked general election stripped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority but left his main rivals with no clear path to power.

Lawmakers elected in the 27 October vote took their oaths of office in Jerusalem as Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, sought to forge a coalition after President Isaac Herzog tasked him on Sunday with forming a government. Eisenkot's centre-right Yashar party and its patchwork partner factions hold 48 of the Knesset's 120 seats, while the bloc led by Netanyahu holds 53. The Arab-led parties, which hold a record 19 seats, are aligned with Eisenkot in opposing Netanyahu. A government needs 61 seats.

Herzog warns against another election

Presiding over the swearing-in ceremony, President Herzog told lawmakers they must do everything to avoid a repeat election. He urged them to reach out a hand for compromise, even between rivals, and said parliament was duty bound to leave no stone unturned in investigating the catastrophe of 7 October 2023, while Israel continues to face threats from Iran and its proxies.

Eisenkot initially has until 6 December to form a government, but he can seek a two-week extension to 20 December. He has acknowledged that his path to power is extraordinarily complex. His options include trying to form a minority government with Arab party support, bringing ultra-Orthodox parties into his camp despite years of mutual hostility, or forging a unity government with Netanyahu. All three paths face formidable obstacles, and the ultra-Orthodox parties have so far said they would not join an Eisenkot-led government.

Netanyahu calls for unity government

Speaking after parliament was sworn in, Netanyahu called for a unity government, warning that Iran was seeking to revive its nuclear programme and that Israel could come under growing international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran. He said only such a government would be capable of confronting challenges of that magnitude.

Moments after the official opening of parliament, Eisenkot and his allies submitted a series of bills, including legislation to establish a state commission of inquiry into the 7 October attacks and to impose term limits on the prime minister. They also proposed repealing the controversial judicial overhaul and other laws enacted under Netanyahu's government over the past four years. Eisenkot's bloc also says it has enough votes to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu ally, with Matan Kahana.

Among those sworn in on Tuesday was Elisha Madan, a military reservist who lost both legs fighting in Gaza. He received a standing ovation from lawmakers as he rose on his prosthetic legs to take the oath of office. If Eisenkot fails to form a government, Herzog would likely ask Netanyahu to try to build a coalition, and if he also fails, another candidate would get a chance before Israel would be forced into another election. Reuters reported the swearing-in from Jerusalem, and the BBC also covered the opening of the new parliament.