Far-right coalition to bring Bibi back

JERUSALEM: Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sealed his return to power, as the final vote count from elections this week gave him and his far-right allies a clear majority in parliament.

Results released by the electoral commission said that with 99 per cent of votes counted, Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party had secured 32 seats in Israel’s 120seat parliament, the Knesset.

When combined with 18 for two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties and 14 for the rising extreme-right alliance called Religious Zionism, the bloc supporting Mr Netanyahu has 64 seats.

The parties backing centrist caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid won 51 seats, a definitive win for Mr Netanyahu (pictured) that spells an end to Israel’s unprecedented era of political deadlock, which forced five elections to be held in four years.

The hawkish ex-premier, knows as “Bibi”, has overseen multiple offensives against Palestinian armed groups in Gaza and, hours after his election win was confirmed, militants in the blockaded strip fired four rockets towards Israel, the army said.

One was intercepted and three others “exploded inside the Gaza Strip”, the army further said, confirming the first launches from the territory since a three-day conflict in August between Israel and the Islamic Jihad armed group.

Mr Lapid called Mr Netanyahu to congratulate him and told “his entire office to prepare an organised transition of power”, a statement from his office said.

The result sets up Mr Netanyahu to form what may be the most right-wing government in Israeli history.

The 73-year-old Mr Netanyahu secured his comeback after spending 14 months in opposition.

He is surrounded by controversy and remains on trial over corruption allegations, which he denies, with the case scheduled to return to court on Monday.