Overnight Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won the country’s national election, securing a record fifth term in office despite polling showing him running neck-and-neck with his challenger Benny Gantz. Gantz declared a premature victory at the beginning of the night…

Bibi’s Likud party and the new centrist Blue and White party both won 35 seats, according to the Knesset website. That would mean a five-seat gain for Likud. “It is a night of colossal victory,” according to Bibi who ran on a strong on security platform. Final results are expected by Friday, though the forecast results showed 65 of the Knesset’s 120 seats would go to the right-wing bloc of parties led by Bibi, against a total of 55 seats for centre-left factions. Mazel tov!