Israeli politician and lawyer, minister since 2022, leader of the Religious Zionist Party
Israel has ordered the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem after Britain announced sanctions on settlement goods and firms. London has said the building will remain a UK Mission and has warned it may expel Israeli diplomats if Israel forces the consulate to close. Talks and a quiet UK security adviser visit have not resolved the dispute ahead of Thursday's deadline.
A US-backed Board of Peace has presented a six-month, $2.45bn, 66-project recovery plan for Gaza but implementation has not started. Israel has expanded control over much of the Strip, Hamas has not fully disarmed, donor pledges remain largely unpaid and international forces and Palestinian technocrats have not entered to begin reconstruction.
A string of congressional actions signals renewed congressional scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Democrats push for human rights reporting and accountability, while Republican support for Israel persists ahead of midterms.
Palestinian communities face encroachment as Israeli settlers, backed by a hard‑line government, move to seize springs and designate heritage sites. Water diversions near Fasayil contribute to a new “Herod’s Pool,” while funding for archaeology signals a broader push to consolidate control over land and memory in the West Bank.
Israel has imposed countermeasures after the Netherlands banned settlement goods, ordering seven-day deadlines for Dutch diplomats to deliver Israeli papers and expiring immunity. France, Britain and Canada have taken similar steps. The moves reflect growing Western pressure over settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a co‑pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the plane. The injured captain, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, has been taken to hospital in Tabuk. Passengers and on‑duty crew have overpowered and restrained the attacker; all passengers have returned to Tel Aviv.
Birzeit University in the West Bank has been raided by Israeli forces, who demolished a memorial bearing the names of students killed in Israeli attacks. The raid followed earlier measurements of the monument and comes amid ongoing Israeli incursions into campuses in the occupied territories. The university notes this is part of a broader pattern and may escalate tensions around higher education.
Three years after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israel faces a pivotal election that could determine the future of Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership. Voters weigh accountability for security failures against a demand for stability as regional dynamics remain volatile and Gaza’s humanitarian toll persists.
A video shows Rabbi Dov Lando, 96, the spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah, condemning Zionism and questioning Israel’s state, while also saying ultra-Orthodox service exemptions are tied to politics. The remarks come three weeks before the October 27 election and add fuel to debates over Haredi military exemptions and the government’s stability.
Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem has been renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with a skeleton staff remaining after a last‑minute agreement with Israel. London says East Jerusalem remains occupied; Israel says the move is a response to sanctions on West Bank settlements. A wider standoff between the allies continues as talks proceed.
The European Parliament has awarded its 2026 Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court as the Hague tribunal has faced sweeping US financial sanctions announced in October. The EU and many member states have pledged support; the ICC and UN officials have condemned the US measures, while Israel and the Trump administration have welcomed them.
Since Monday, Israeli authorities have demolished homes in Umm Numaila and Abu Quraynat, reflecting a wider pattern of home demolitions in unrecognized Bedouin villages across the Negev as authorities press for building permits. The moves are part of a broader legal and political struggle over land and recognition in Israel’s southern desert.
Arab-Israeli voters are mobilising ahead of the October 27 election, with turnout surging among Palestinian citizens of Israel. Polls suggest Arab lists could be kingmakers, potentially shaping whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot leads the next government. The dynamic is redefining coalition math in a deeply divided Israel.
Palestinian olive harvests in the West Bank have been marred by escalating settler violence. Across multiple villages, harvesters are attacked, olives and property are damaged, and journalists and diplomats have been assaulted. Israeli authorities have faced calls for accountability as clashes intensify ahead of local elections.
Nachala’s outpost near the Gaza border has drawn international attention, with activists claiming to relocate settlements into Gaza and police enforcing a closed zone. Leaders from the far right advocate a permanent return to Gaza, while authorities guard the border amid tension.
Israel has approved budget cuts totaling around NIS 4.9 billion affecting education, health, welfare, and other ministries, while defense procurement proceeds with AH-64E Apache helicopters. The government argues the measures fund urgent projects and security needs, though opponents criticize the impact on public services and welfare programs. The debate centers on funding sources and the balance between defense and social spending.
President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and warning the United States would carry the fight against Iran if Israelis choose another leader. The endorsement has drawn praise from Netanyahu allies and criticism from US Democrats and liberal Israeli groups; polls still show no clear governing majority.
Israel has held tightly contested elections that have produced a record Arab-led Knesset presence: Ra’am has increased to eight seats and the Joint List to 11, giving Arab parties a combined 19 of 120 seats. Neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition has reached 61 seats, leaving Arab lists with potential leverage over coalition formation.
Israel has held a high-turnout election whose early counts and exit polls have shown Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition each winning roughly 50–52 Knesset seats, short of the 61 needed to form a government. Arab-led parties have surged to about 17–18 seats and are positioned to hold the balance of power as final results are completed.
Israeli forces have carried out sweeping operations across the West Bank after gunmen fired near Hebron, killing the attackers and wounding several. Troops have sealed Hebron, closed gates, and restricted Palestinian movement, displacing hundreds of families and blocking most permit-holding workers from entering Israeli communities until after Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
The Israeli military has launched a large-scale operation in Hebron following a deadly attack at a West Bank checkpoint. Netanyahu has ordered house-to-house searches and the demolition of suspected militant infrastructure, in a move framed as a security response ahead of elections. Palestinian residents face displacement and movement restrictions as tensions rise.
Israel faces a pivotal election since Hamas’s 2023 attacks, with Netanyahu’s Likud bloc opposed by Eisenkot’s Yashar-led alliance. Polls show a tight race, a fractured Knesset, and debates over security, settlements, and Arab-party leverage. Voters weigh wartime leadership, economic stability, and the path to a possible coalition.
Israeli forces have launched a large operation in Hebron after two soldiers were killed at a checkpoint, displacing roughly 3,000 people, demolishing homes and infrastructure, and imposing a citywide lockdown. Israeli leaders have defended the raids as counterterror measures; UN officials and rights groups have warned the steps amount to collective punishment and risk ethnic cleansing.
Since Friday, Israeli forces have escalated a major operation in Hebron and across the West Bank, displacing thousands, sealing districts and barring Palestinian workers from most areas on Election Day. The raids have disrupted education, damaged livelihoods and drawn international concern over collective punishment and rights abuses.
Muslim residents in Hebron are displaced as Israeli forces continue a focused operation following a deadly October attack. Troops have demolished homes and searched multiple sites, while thousands remain displaced and security measures extend across the city amid election-season tensions.
Israelis have voted in a pivotal general election. Exit polls show Netanyahu’s bloc and Eisenkot’s opposition are close, with neither securing a clear majority. Turnout is high as the country confronts its future security and political direction.
Israel’s election has produced no clear winner. Exit polls project Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc and Eisenkot’s Yashar alliance each short of 61 seats, with Arab parties seen as potential kingmakers. Final results are pending official tallies and coalition talks will determine the next government.
A UN-backed commission reports that Israeli forces are conducting a widespread and systematic attack on Palestinians in the West Bank, including extermination, torture and sexual violence. The findings describe displacement, land seizures and settler violence as part of a broader strategy, with Gaza also cited for genocidal acts; Israel denies the claims.
Palestinian citizens in Israel face potential intimidation as Likud and Religious Zionist activists plan to deploy about 2,000 observers to polling stations. Rights groups have filed petitions to ban armed polling officials, citing risk of violence and voter suppression ahead of Election Day.
Israelis vote in the first election since Hamas’s assault and Gaza war, with polls showing Netanyahu’s coalition facing a potential loss of majority. The campaign is dominated by security, governance, and the future of Palestinian policy as regional tensions escalate.
The 2026 elections are underway with high turnout across the country. Netanyahu and rival parties warn of irregularities, while Arab voters show strong engagement. Arabic-language ballot access and reports of arrests and suspected interference shape the day’s events.
Arab-led lists are projected to win a record number of seats in Israel’s Knesset, potentially making them kingmakers in a hung parliament. Netanyahu faces a coalition dilemma as exit polls show no clear majority, and opposition blocs weigh cooperation with Arab parties to form a government.
Gadi Eisenkot has been tasked with forming Israel's next government after securing endorsements that give his bloc a parliamentary lead. He has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid major national security moves during the transition and has requested regular security briefings and a state inquiry into failures before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Coalition arithmetic remains deadlocked with Arab-led parties holding a record 19 Knesset seats.
Israel has confirmed an ongoing Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign interference in the vote. Officials say suspicions are being thoroughly reviewed, and that the integrity of the electoral process remains intact. Arab-led parties achieved a record 19 seats, broadening coalition considerations amid a defused but tense political landscape.
Palestinian parties in Israel have secured a historic 19 seats in the Knesset amid record turnout, challenging the Jewish political establishment and complicating coalition talks. Netanyahu’s bloc remains short of a majority, while Arab lists push for influence without entering a formal government coalition.
Israel has seen its long-standing security partnership with the United States come under renewed scrutiny as the US midterm results shift political dynamics. Netanyahu’s government is facing pressure to realign policy following a wave of criticism over military aid and regional policy.
Gadi Eisenkot has formally received the mandate to form Israel’s next government after polls indicated a fragmented Knesset. He is pursuing a national emergency government, seeking backing from Likud, Arab parties, and ultra-Orthodox groups, while avoiding another election and aiming to address Israel’s security and domestic challenges.
Israel’s longest-serving leader has seen his religious-nationalist coalition lose its majority in the October elections while remaining the largest bloc. Former military chief Eisenkot is poised to try forming a government, but faces a path that may require unusual coalitions or a unity approach. Arab parties hold the balance as negotiations unfold; the process has a defined deadline and could lead to a snap election if no government forms.
Witnesses say settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank as Israeli forces evacuated illegal outposts near Atara, Wadi al-Rahim and Jalud. The operation follows a string of confrontations, demolitions, and arrests linked to the outpost network, while violence from settlers has drawn international scrutiny and sanctions.