Live Updates: After Trump's victory, Biden vows peaceful transfer of power

Former US President Donald Trump has won the 2024 presidential election in a victory that could have major implications for the Middle East.

At 78, Trump is the second US president to lose a reelection bid and later win a second term. He defeated his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, in both the electoral college and in the popular vote. The Associated Press reports Trump’s vote count at around 72.6 million so far and Harris at 67.9 million, or 51% and 47.6%, respectively.

Harris gave a concession speech on Wednesday, committing to a peaceful transition of power and saying, “We will never give up the fight for our democracy.”

President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday morning, promising a peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 20 and reassuring many disappointed Americans that “a defeat does not mean we are defeated" and "The American experiment endures; we’re going to be okay.”

Trump will inherit a complex situation in the region, with Israel’s ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon as well as escalating tit-for-tat exchanges between Israel and Iran.

While the United States sees mixed reactions from its electorate, Israel shows widespread support for Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s win “history’s greatest comeback” in a post on X. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir as well as members of the ultra-Orthodox and settler communities in Israel also welcomed Trump’s victory.