Israeli PM's party seeks swift coalition
Party officials said Kadima has widespread support in parliament and would seek to finalise its withdrawal plans within a year.
Kadima won 28 seats in the election, less than the 35 it had hoped for, but is still the largest party in the 120-seat parliament. It will have to form a coalition government.
Haim Ramon, a senior Kadima lawmaker, told Israel Radio the party is confident it will get broad backing for its withdrawal plan in parliament.
"I believe we will have more than 70 legislators who will support the disengagement plan."
He said he expects Mr Olmert to have a government in place after the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins in mid-April.
Meanwhile, Hamas formally took power in the Palestinian territories, including 14 ministers who served time in Israeli prisons. The ceremony came two months after Hamas' election victory.
Hamas insists it will not soften its violent ideology toward the Jewish state.
Mr Olmert renewed his call for peace talks with the Palestinians and said he was prepared to make painful compromises, such as uprooting some Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
He said: "In the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the state of Israel, a Jewish state with a Jewish majority. We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians."
But he said Israel will act on its own if it cannot reach peace with the Palestinians.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Al-Jazeera television: "Such a plan definitely won't be accepted by the Palestinian people or the Palestinian government."
With 99.7% of the votes counted in the Israeli election, the centre-left Labour captured 20 seats and the hawkish Likud plummeted from 38 to 11 seats.
For the first time, Israel will not be led by Labour or Likud. The results showed voters turning away from conventional parties to an assortment of third parties.
Among them were Shas, a party catering to Orthodox Jews of Middle Eastern ancestry that won 13 seats; Yisrael Beitenu, a Russian immigrants' party that wants to redraw Israel's map by transferring Arab towns to Palestinian control, with 12 seats; and the Pensioners' Party, which won seven.
Mr Olmert has said he would govern only with parties that accept his program. Likely partners include Labour, the Pensioners' Party, and the dovish Meretz party.
Kadima also will likely target an ultra-Orthodox party, and receive tacit support from Arab parties that won 10 seats.
Here are brief profiles of Israel's parties who could make up a coalition:
A centrist party formed by Ariel Sharon and now led by Ehud Olmert, Kadima wants to draw Israel's final borders and ensure the country's Jewish majority by giving up parts of the West Bank.
The party won 28 of parliament's 120 seats.
A centre-left party, whose leader Amir Peretz, wants a more egalitarian economy. Labour, which won 20 seats, is likely to receive top cabinet jobs.
The surprise winner yesterday, taking seven seats just weeks after forming. Demands improved rights for seniors.
Founded in the early 1980s by ultra-Orthodox Jews of Sephardi origin. It won 13 seats.
An ultra Orthodox Jewish party that won six seats.
A dovish party led by Yossi Beilin, Meretz is ready to give up most of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem. Four seats.
Israel's dominant party for three decades, once led by Mr Sharon, now headed by Benjamin Netanyahu. If Netanyahu is ousted Likud could be a potential coalition partner. Likud took 11 seats.
Led by Avigdor Lieberman. Mr Lieberman opposes territorial concessions to Palestinians. His party won 11 seats.
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