Netanyahu-led right-wing bloc wins Israeli election

JERUSALEM

Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing bloc secured an outright majority in parliament, according to final election results on Thursday, winning a decisive victory in Tuesday’s election.

Netanyahu’s camp won 64 seats versus 51 seats of the current government led by Yair Lapid in the 120-seat parliament.

Netanyahu’s Likud party won 32 seats, 14 seats went to the Religious Zionism alliance led by far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, ultra-Orthodox Shas secured 11 seats, and United Torah Judaism won seven seats, according to Israeli election commission.

Lapid’s Yesh Atid (There is a Future Party) won 24 seats in parliament.

The results give Netanyahu, a former prime minister, an outright majority in the Knesset to form the upcoming Israeli government.

Tuesday’s elections were the fifth in less than four years, which witnessed a 71.3% voter turnout, the highest in 20 years.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.