Israel appears headed for another impasse following Tuesday’s general election , with early counts leaving both prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot short of a governing majority.

With roughly 85 per cent of votes counted by Wednesday afternoon, neither the incumbent’s right-wing religious bloc nor the broad coalition aligned behind Mr Eisenkot commanded the 61 seats required to form an administration in the 120-seat Knesset.

Because key parties have ruled out working with one another on ideological or personal grounds, political analysts note that forming an administration will require at least one faction to reverse its campaign commitments.…