Netanyahu among first to congratulate Trump on victory

Congratulatory messages from world leaders began pouring in shortly after Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 US Election, with Israeli PM Netanyahu one of the first.

"Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America," Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said. 

Meanwhile, Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that Donald Trump will be tested on his statements that he can stop the war within hours as US president.

"We urge Trump to learn from (President Joe) Biden's mistakes," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Trump had said the war would not have started if he was in power, saying he would have prevented the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israeli. 

In his victory declaration speech to his supporters, Trump recalled his previous tenure as president did not see any wars, except "defeating ISIS in record time."

His anticipated comeback to the White House comes at a particularly sensitive time in the Middle East, with Israel waging accelerating wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and exchanging fire with Iran. 

"The US elections are not really our business. Our policies are steady and don't change based on individuals. We made the necessary predictions before and there will not be change in people's livelihoods," Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Arab and Western officials have said Trump may reimpose his "maximum pressure policy" through heightened sanctions on Iran's oil industry and empower Israel to strike its nuclear sites and conduct "targeted assassinations". 

The Republican candidate is the assumed winner after clenching three swing states-Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. He currently has 267 of the 270 required electoral college votes, and is expected to be declared the official winner of the 2024 US Election over the coming hours. 

The inauguration of the next US president will take place in January.