Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to quickly form a government after final results of the general elections were released.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to quickly form a government after final results of the general elections were released.

With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's Likud party is set to emerge as the election's big winner with 30 seats. The Zionist Union trails behind with 24 seats, Haaretz Israeli daily reported.

The paper added that the Joint List of Arab parties is the third-largest party at this point, followed by Yesh Atid, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi, Shas, Yisrael Beiteinu, United Torah Judaism, Meretz and Yahad.

A Likud statement said that Netanyahu intends to immediately begin forming a government in order to complete this task within two to three weeks".

The Israeli premier had met with various party leaders, the statement released on Wednesday added.

"Reality will not wait for us," Netanyahu said.

"Reality will not take a time out. The citizens of Israel expect us to quickly put together a leadership that will work for them regarding security, economy and society as we committed to do - and we will do so."

Meanwhile, Zionist Union Chairman Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu's main rival in the elections, said  he had spoken with Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory.

"A few minutes ago I spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on his achievement and wished him luck," Herzog told reporters.

He said his center-left Zionist Union party would continue to be an alternative to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud.

"I think that right now what Israel needs most of all is another voice, a voice that provides an alternative and a voice that still tells the truth -- our real truth, a truth that received truly huge support, a truth that has not won such support in nearly a generation," said Herzog, according to Ynet.