An Israeli lawmaker left the government's ruling coalition over a religious dispute, which robbed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of a majority in parliament, AP reports.

The departure of Idit Silman raises the possibility of new parliamentary elections less than a year after the Bennett government came to power, now limited to a 120-seat parliament and likely to struggle to keep itself functioning.

Silman of Bennett's religious-nationalist Yamina party has opposed the distribution of yeast bread and food in public hospitals, which is a violation of religious traditions during Passover, the public broadcaster Kan said.

Bennett's coalition of eight political parties ranging from Islamists to radical nationalists to liberals, united solely by their opposition to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now has 60 seats in the Knesset.

The Knesset is currently in recess, and it is unclear if the opposition will now have enough support to force a no-confidence vote and send Israelis to the polls for the fifth time in just over three years.

Silman said she would work to form a right-wing government, Kahn said.

In Israel, in two years, in the context of a protracted political crisis, elections were held 4 times.

The stalled election was finally broken in June when Bennett and his allies toppled Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years in power, creating a coalition of unlikely allies.

Netanyahu, now the leader of the opposition, congratulated Silman and "welcomed her return home to the nationalist camp."