TEL AVIV [Israel]: Shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu won Israel’s election, four rockets were fired and one of which was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system.Initially, the Israeli Defence Forces said that they were not clear about the Iron Dome system but later on confirmed their statement, The Times of Israel reported.
After 9 pm, the incoming rocket sirens alarmed the towns of Kissufim, Ein HaShlosha, and Nirim, near the Gaza border, as one rocket was launched from the Strip.Till now, there are no reports of casualties after the rocket attack, reported The Times of Israel.
About an hour later, three more rockets were launched from Gaza at southern Israel, but fell short in the Strip, the military said.Earlier, a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad was killed during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to The Times of Israel.
In a joint statement, the IDF and Border Police said Farouk Salameh, who was identified as a “commander” in the terror group, was involved in killing a veteran police commando earlier this year and had been planning further attacks.
This comes after Netanyahu and his allies have won enough seats to form a majority government in Israel’s parliament. The result will not just secure Netanyahu’s comeback, but underscore the country’s rightward shift, reported NBC News.
“We have received a huge vote of confidence and we are on the verge of a very big victory,” Netanyahu had told his supporters during an early morning speech at a victory rally in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Israel’s caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid also congratulated former PM Netanyahu.Lapid told Netanyahu, he’s instructed all departments of the Prime Minister’s Office to prepare for an orderly power transfer.
“The State of Israel is above any political consideration. I wish Netanyahu luck for the sake of the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” Yair Lapid said, according to Times of Israel.
Israelis headed to the ballots in the unprecedented fifth election since 2019, as the country’s political system has been immobilized for almost four years. The parliament has 120 seats.
Over 6.7 million eligible voters cast their votes in 12,495 ballots, according to figures issued by the Central Elections Committee. Some 18,000 police officers were deployed throughout the country to prevent fraud attempts, manage traffic and keep security.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, sought to return to power with his right-wing Likud party and a far-right and Jewish ultra-Orthodox coalition.
Netanyahu had served as prime minister for 12 consecutive years before being ousted in June 2021 by a cross-partisan coalition led by current PM Yair Lapid. (ANI)