Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday congratulated Friedrich Merz, German opposition leader and head of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), for taking the lead in the German legislative elections. In a statement, Netanyahu congratulated Merz and the CDU "on their clear election victory today."

According to Anadolu Agency, earlier in the day, German opposition leader Merz declared victory after his Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) won nearly 29% of the votes in Sunday's federal election, securing a clear lead over other parties.

Netanyahu expressed his anticipation of working closely with the upcoming German government led by Merz to further strengthen the partnership between Israel and Germany.