Israel’s opposition leader moved closer to unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he told the country’s president late on Wednesday that he has reached agreements with political allies to form a new government. Here is a timeline of events that led to the emerging coalition deal between centrist Yair Lapid and the far-right Naftali Bennett, and what happens next. March 23, 2021 - Israel holds its fourth inconclusive election in two years. As in every previous vote, no party won a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu"s right-wing Likud emerges as the biggest party. Lapid"s centrist Yesh Atid (There is a Future) comes second. Bennett"s Yamina (Rightwards) party wins just six seats, but he emerges as kingmaker. April 6 - President Reuven Rivlin gives Netanyahu 28 days to form a new government. He woos smaller right-wing and religious parties, including Yamina, but fails. May 5 - Rivlin turns to Lapid, who tries to form a "government of change" from an unlikely coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties. Such a coalition would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of Israel"s parliament, who oppose much of the right-wing agenda of some in the group. May 10 - Fighting erupts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and unrest breaks out in many mixed Jewish-Arab cities in Israel. Coalition talks break down. May 21 - Ceasefire declared. Coalition talks resume. May 30 - Bennett announces he will join centrist rivals to unseat Netanyahu. June 2 - The deadline for Lapid to announce whether he has formed a majority coalition was at midnight on Wednesday. About 30 minutes before the deadline Lapid told Rivlin he had succeeded in forming a government. Rivlin"s office issued a statement saying: "We expect the Knesset will convene as soon as possible to ratify the government, as required." Mid-June - The new government is expected to be sworn in.