There is intense speculation in Israel that the country is heading for an early general election.
Tensions between the parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-of-centre coalition government have apparently reached breaking point.
Talks on Monday between Mr Netanyahu and his Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who leads the second largest party in the coalition, ended without agreement.
The two men are divided over a series of economic and political policies.
Under Israel's political rules Mr Netanyahu could attempt to form an alternative coalition from within the current parliament.
But senior figures in most major parties believe a fresh election is likely.
'Amateurish antics'The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem says Israeli voters are no strangers to transitory coalition administrations.
The current government is the 32nd they have seen in the 67 years since the foundation of the state.
But, our correspondent adds, it is almost certainly destined to be one of the shortest-lived. The last election was in January 2013.
Likud and Yesh Atid disagree about a bill designed to strengthen the Jewish nature of the Israeli state The last few weeks have seen a sharp rise in tensions between key partners in the current coalition government - Mr Netanyahu and Mr Lapid, a former TV presenter who is serving his first parliamentary term.
They have disagreed about the content of a bill designed to strengthen the Jewish nature of the Israeli state and over a proposed tax break for first-time home buyers, which Mr Lapid regards as his signature issue.
Our correspondent says Mr Netanyahu is thought to regard the finance minister as being too ambitious for comfort.
Following Monday night's talks, Mr Lapid told an economic conference that Mr Netanyahu had "decided to take Israel to unnecessary elections".
The chairman of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party blamed "the amateurish antics of Yair Lapid".
"After the Likud is victorious at the ballot box, we must be sure not to repeat mistakes of the past and form the next coalition government with loyal and like-minded parties that are interested in serving as true partners in leading our great country," he said.
The prime minister may be hoping to return to power at the head of a re-formulated coalition in which Mr Lapid's secular Yesh Atid party would be replaced with a religious bloc representing the interest of ultra-Orthodox Jews, our correspondent says.
Under Israeli electoral law voting would probably take place in mid-March if the parliament, the Knesset, were to be dissolved this week, he adds.
Israel 'set for early elections'
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