Jerusalem

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a comeback with a decisive victory in the country's general elections, poll results showed on Thursday.

As the final thousands of votes were being tallied on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Yair Lapid called opposition leader Netanyahu to concede the race and congratulate him on his election victory.

"The State of Israel is above any political considerations," Lapid said in a statement. "I wish Netanyahu good luck for the people of Israel and the State of Israel."

Netanyahu will control not just the largest party in the Knesset (Israeli parliament), but is poised to return to power leading a 64-strong majority bloc of his religious and right-wing allies in the 120-member Israeli parliament.  

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party won 32 seats and his right-wing religious and nationalist bloc won 64 seats in the 120-member parliament.

Lapid's Yesh Atid party won 24 seats and his bloc of right-wing, left-wing and Arab parties secured 51 seats.

Reacting to Netanyahu's victory, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, said:

Mazel Tov my friend @netanyahu for your electoral success. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to deepen the India-Israel strategic partnership.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 3, 2022

Prime Minister Modi also thanked Lapid for giving priority to the India-Israel strategic partnership.

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