Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a press conference at 8 pm Tuesday, in which he is expected to announce that elections for the 19th Knesset are to be held early in 2013, a senior Likud official said.

Netanyahu has held consult meetings on Tuesday to determine whether to call for early elections for the 19th Knesset. Some officials postulate that the prime minister may announce that the vote will be moved up to the beginning of 2013 by Tuesday evening.