Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid received a mandate to form a government Wednesday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failed effort following the nation's fourth inconclusive vote in less than two years. 

President Reuven Rivlin made the announcement after consultations with party leaders to determine if any lawmaker had a path to clinch a coalition and end an unprecedented era of political gridlock. 

Israel's president on Wednesday signaled he would move quickly to task a new candidate with forming a government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to do so ahead of a midnight deadline.

President Reuven Rivlin will meet with the two main candidates for forming a government — opposition leader Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally — on Wednesday morning. He asked parties to make their positions known before 2 p.m. (1100 GMT).

Turkey and Egypt have begun slowly warming ties as they vie for regional primacy a decade after the Arab Spring, but analysts say deep-seated mistrust means full normalisation will take time.

One civilian was killed and six wounded after a rare Israeli air raid on a northeastern Syrian region home to the longtime ruling Assad family, Syria's state media said Wednesday.

Israel's longest serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until midnight Tuesday to form a new government if he is to hang onto power.

The United Nations said Tuesday that thousands of families across war-torn Yemen have been hit by torrential rains and deadly floods since mid-April that destroyed homes and shelters. 

The Iraqi army said two rockets were fired Tuesday at a base hosting Americans, in the third such attack in three days and as a U.S. government delegation is visiting the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a midnight deadline Tuesday to form a government, a daunting task that would likely require convincing the Jewish far-right to cooperate with an Islamic party. 

Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, was given a 28-day window to forge a majority coalition following a March 23 general election, Israel's fourth inconclusive vote in less than two years. 

Egypt's military has confirmed it ordered 30 Rafale jets from French defence firm Dassault Aviation to shore up "national security".

Two Palestinians were arrested and ten people injured in clashes in east Jerusalem, according to Israeli police and the Palestinian Red Crescent.