Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled his new government that includes religious and nationalist parties.

Women fill five posts in his 31-strong cabinet, which is said to be one of Israel's largest in the country's history.

The oldest cabinet official is Avi Dichter, 75, belonging to the Likud party while the youngest is Yitzhak Wasserlauf, 30. Dichter has been appointed as the minister of agriculture, while Wasserlauf has been named minister for the development of the Negev and the Galilee.

The top cabinet members, who were announced on Thursday, include:

FOREIGN MINISTER ELI COHEN

A former Israeli intelligence minister and member of the Likud party. Cohen, 50, previously worked under Netanyahu, playing an influential role in the normalisation deals between Israel and several Arab countries. 

In 2020 the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, all normalised relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.

DEFENCE MINISTER YOAV GALANT

A member of Netanyahu's conservative Likud party, Galant, 64, began his military service as a navy frogman and had been slated to become armed forces chief in 2011, but stepped aside over allegations that he carried out building work on his home without a permit.

NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER ITAMAR BEN-GVIR

A West Bank Settler who oversees the far-right Jewish Power parity. He is expected to focus hard on law and order after the Knesset recently voted to expand the powers of the national security minister. 

He reportedly previously belonged to Kahane Chai, a Jewish military group that is blacklisted in Israel and the United States. 

He was slammed by the US for attending the memorial service of Meir Kahane - a convicted terrorist. He has since disavowed some Kahane views.

Ben-Gvir also stands opposed to Palestinian statehood and has reportedly championed open-fire measures by security forces. In 2007, he was convicted of incitement against Arabs and support for terrorism. He is now a lawyer.

FINANCE MINISTER BEZALEL SMOTRICH

A hardline West Bank settler overseeing the Religious Zionism party is now tasked with overseeing the Treasury. 

The 42-year-old opposes Palestinian statehood. He previously appeared to express support for Baruch Goldstein, a Jewish Israeli who killed 29 Palestinians during a 1994 shooting at Ibrahimi Mosque.

His new cabinet duties include a role within the Defence Ministry overseeing the occupied West Bank settlements, which he wants to see expanded and, eventually, annexed by Israel. He previously served as transport minister.

INTERIOR AND HEALTH MINISTER ARYEH DERI

The 63-year-old is a key ally from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. His appointment was challenged at Israel's Supreme Court after he had pleaded guilty to tax offences. He was previously sentenced to jail for receiving bribes in 1999.

He returned to politics in 2012. Under his coalition deal, he will become finance minister in two years.

Shas, along with another ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism, has long raised concerns among secular liberals by demanding welfare benefits and military draft exemptions for its constituents.

HOUSING MINISTER YITSHAK GOLDKNOP

A leader of United Torah Judaism, which draws support from religious Jews of European descent, 72-year-old Golfknopf is a newcomer to national politics. 

He made headlines when he denied knowledge of a crisis over a shortage of housing that has priced out many Israelis.

STRATEGIC AFFAIRS MINISTER RON DERMER

A former ambassador to Washington, Dermer was key to forging Israeli relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020 in a diplomatic drive by the Republican administration of then-US President Donald Trump. 

But Dermer, 51, had cooler ties with the previous Democratic administration, some of whose members serve under current US President Joe Biden.