Israel’s opposition leader, Benny Gantz, has failed to form a coalition government after talks with Benjamin Netanyahu stalled, pushing the country further towards an unprecedented fourth round of elections.

Gantz had until midnight on Wednesday to build a majority government and now loses the mandate given to him by the president, Reuven Rivlin.

His failure does not automatically trigger fresh elections. Before that occurs, there will be a 21-day period in which the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, can vote to nominate any candidate to be prime minister.

“I hope that the Knesset members will be able to form a majority in such a way that a government can be formed as soon as possible, and to prevent a fourth round of elections,” Rivlin wrote in a letter to Gantz on Thursday.

Netanyahu and Gantz may continue negotiations to join forces during that time, as together they could probably muster enough votes for a coalition. The pair have been discussing power-sharing options in which they would take it in turns to be prime minister over a four-year term.

Netanyahu’s Likud and Gantz’s Blue and White said their negotiating teams would hold further talks on Thursday, and the two leaders may meet again in the evening.

It will not be easy to reach a deal. During the past year, the two rivals have battled through three inconclusive national votes. In that time, they have also made multiple failed attempts to forge a unity government.

Faced with the coronavirus pandemic, both have expressed a desire to come to an understanding.

Gantz took a significant risk in restarting talks with Netanyahu after so much distrust has built up during the year-long political crisis.

Over the course of three elections, the former army chief had promised his supporters that he would oust Netanyahu, and when he decided not to do so last month, he lost more than half of his vehemently anti-Netanyahu Blue and White legislators.

Blue and White had wanted to introduce term limits for prime ministers, and a ban on them serving while under indictment. Either restriction would have ended Netanyahu’s political career. Israel’s longest-serving leader is fighting three major corruption cases. Netanyahu denies all the allegations.

Gantz, who is also Speaker of the Knesset, still has the option to attempt to push those bills for leverage, but has so far held off in the hopes of a deal.

Rivlin agreed to extend a Monday deadline to Wednesday after it appeared as if progress had been made. The negotiating teams met again on Wednesday night but the deadline passed with neither side making any announcement.

Israeli media have speculated that Netanyahu might prefer to entice a couple of defectors from the opposition to give himself a clear majority, or even to hold an election: recent polling has shown that he would win more seats. Netanyahu has said publicly that he was working hard for a unity government.