Benjamin Netanyahu claims victory in Israel's third election in under a year

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the country's third general election in under a year, after exit polls suggested a strong showing for his Likud party.

کد خبر: ۹۶۳۳۷۳

تاریخ: ۱۳ اسفند ۱۳۹۸ - ۱۲:۳۳

However it is unclear whether the embattled leader will secure a parliamentary majority as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges later this month.

Israel's three main TV channels initially projected that Likud and like-minded parties would capture 60 of parliament's 120 seats.

Mr Netanyahu claimed victory over his main challenger Benny Gantz, of the centrist Blue and White party, based on the initial projections by the television channels.

He said in a Twitter post early on Tuesday: "We won thanks to our belief in our path and thanks to the people of Israel."
Advertisement

However updated exit polls showed Mr Netanyahu two seat short of a majority in Israel's parliament, a gap signalling possible deadlock, with actual results trickling in throughout Tuesday.

A win for the 70-year-old politician would come after inconclusive general elections in April and September 2019.