Italy’s foreign minister hopes next Israeli government will work for peace

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday he hopes whoever forms Israel's next government will work for peace, calling for an agreement guaranteeing Israel's security and the creation of a Palestinian state.

"Let's see the final results," Tajani said when asked about Israel's elections at the Confindustria Energia assembly in Rome, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Tajani said he hoped the incoming government would work toward an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz and a lasting arrangement ensuring Israel's security.

He also called for a Palestinian state that lives peacefully alongside Israel, with mutual recognition between the two states.

With 84.5% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset, seven short of the 61 needed for a governing majority, according to The Times of Israel, citing the Central Elections Committee.

The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot was projected to secure 49 seats, while predominantly Arab parties were expected to take the remaining 17.

Of those, the Joint List was projected to win 11 seats and the United Arab List, known as Ra'am, six.