Jewish leaders, administration officials, U.S. and foreign diplomats, and dozens of hostage family members gathered at the State Department on Wednesday to honor American citizens murdered in the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The memorial took place inside the U.S. State Department’s Benjamin Franklin Room in Washington, with remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his wife, Allison Lutnick, and U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper.

Photo: Provided to Belaaz

Photos were provided to Belaaz by Rabbi Levi Shemtov of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad). According to the account provided, the event had originally been scheduled for Sukkos.

Photo: Provided to Belaaz

Several parents and other relatives of hostages who were killed also addressed the gathering, remembering their loved ones before senior U.S. officials and members of the Jewish community.

Photo: Provided to Belaaz

The senior officials pledged to honor the victims’ memory. The event concluded with family members reciting Kaddish.

In an interview with Belaaz, Rabbi Mendy Uminer, rabbi of Chabad at Chestnut Hill, spoke about the Kraft family’s $5 million gift toward the community’s new home outside Boston. The building will be named the Kraft Family Chabad at Chestnut Hill.

He announced the gift on Wednesday with his wife, Grunie, who co-leads the community, and building chair David Frankel.

In a video message released with the announcement, Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and a longtime philanthropist, said Chestnut Hill is “where I raised my family,” and that having “a vibrant Chabad center right here in my hometown means a great deal to me and the Kraft family.”

“Spirituality and ruach are in such short supply in today’s world, and you all provide so much of it through your work, inspiration, warmth, and commitment to Jewish lives,” Kraft said. “We hope others will join us in this mission.”

Video: Courtesy of Rabbi Mendy Uminer

Photo: Courtesy of Rabbi Mendy Uminer

The 23,000-square-foot building is under construction. Rabbi Uminer told Belaaz it will house a preschool, a social hall, a teen center and a mikvah. Rabbi Uminer said about 150 people attend on Shabbos and the summer camp serves about 350 children. For the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays), he said, the community has had to rent venues because it only had a small space, and having its own place that everyone can call home is very special.

The campaign website lists a $25 million total goal and pairs the Kraft gift with a challenge for the community to raise $5 million of its own.

Rabbi Uminer told Belaaz the Kraft family has been close to the community for many years, and that over the last six or seven years Kraft’s children and grandchildren have become more involved.

Photo: Courtesy of Rabbi Mendy Uminer

Rabbi Uminer officiated at the wedding of Kraft’s granddaughter and at the brisim of his first two great-grandsons, and led the baby naming of his first great-granddaughter at the shul. Kraft was at each of those events.

Rabbi Uminer described Kraft as “the proudest Jew” who “wears his Judaism on his sleeve.” He said the community honored Kraft at its dinner, and that Kraft called a week later to say the family wanted to be a bigger part of its work.

Rabbi Uminer told Belaaz what moved him most was the way the family gave, and the response the announcement has drawn from around the world. He said he hopes it inspires other leaders to give to Jewish causes.

Construction is ongoing, he said. The community is working to get the roof wrapped to protect the building through the winter. Kraft comes to see the building often, Rabbi Uminer told Belaaz, and visited again this week.

Rendering: Courtesy of Chabad at Chestnut Hill

Rendering: Courtesy of Chabad at Chestnut Hill

“We look forward to sharing many simchas in this incredible new building,” Kraft said in his announcement video.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed on Thursday that he held a direct conversation with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa last year, at the height of the violence between Syrian government forces and the Druze community in Sweida.

The revelation came on the campaign trail, as Netanyahu spoke about his record ahead of the elections.

“I spoke with al-Sharaa. It was a very short conversation, very sharp, and the massacre stopped,” Netanyahu said. “I will do whatever is needed to protect our Druze brothers. There is more work to be done — I can’t tell everything.”

Background

The violence in Sweida, the heartland of Syria’s Druze community near the Israeli border, erupted on July 13, 2025, with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes. Syrian government forces entered the city, saying they were there to oversee a ceasefire, but according to witnesses, Druze armed groups and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, they fought alongside the Bedouin against the Druze.

More than 700 people were killed within a week, according to reports at the time, including 245 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed. Israeli Druze leaders also brought forward testimony of sexual crimes committed against Druze women.

Israel responded with airstrikes on Syrian tanks and forces heading toward Sweida, and later struck the Syrian army’s headquarters in Damascus. Defense Minister Israel Katz declared at the time that “Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have decided on.” Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze in Israel, called it “an existential battle for the Druze community.”

Syrian forces withdrew from Sweida days later, and a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria was announced by Washington’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack. Al-Sharaa pledged in a televised address to hold accountable those who harmed the Druze.

Until now, there had been no public confirmation that Netanyahu and al-Sharaa spoke directly during the crisis.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed an international summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday morning, prompting a walkout by several delegations as soon as he took the podium.

Representatives of Iran, Turkey, Kuwait, Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority rose and left the hall the moment Herzog began speaking.

One notable leader remained seated. Qatar’s Emir, who is attending the gathering, stayed in the room and listened to the Israeli president’s address from start to finish.

Herzog, who is in the Azerbaijani capital for the conference alongside heads of state from around the world, used his speech to stress Israel’s desire for regional cooperation while drawing a firm line on terrorism and boycotts.

“Israel strives and works to deepen cooperation and to expand our circle of peace. But it is important to be clear: peace cannot exist alongside terror, and cooperation cannot flourish alongside boycotts,” Herzog said.

He added: “Every sovereign state that is a member of this framework has the right to live in freedom and peace, without its very existence being subject to constant threat.”

LONDON, October 15, 2026 — AstraZeneca is expanding its use of artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical research through a new partnership with California-based biotechnology company Insitro, targeting difficult-to-treat diseases affecting the liver and heart.

The agreement provides Insitro with an initial payment of $40 million. Additional payments tied to development and commercial achievements could reach approximately $1.46 billion, alongside royalties representing a single-digit percentage of future product sales.

The collaboration will concentrate on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a serious liver condition, and cardiomyopathies, which affect the heart muscle. AstraZeneca said progress against both disease categories has been hindered by difficulties identifying the underlying biological mechanisms that drive them.

Insitro plans to apply its “Virtual Human” technology, which combines laboratory-grown cellular models with machine-learning systems, to investigate disease processes and identify promising therapeutic targets. AstraZeneca will select targets for the research, while Insitro will work to advance them toward development-candidate status. AstraZeneca will subsequently finance and oversee clinical trials under the multiyear arrangement.

The deal adds to Insitro’s growing relationships with major pharmaceutical companies. The biotechnology firm has broadened its work with Bristol Myers Squibb on potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has also partnered with Eli Lilly to develop AI models capable of forecasting how small-molecule compounds behave pharmacologically in living organisms.

AstraZeneca executive Sharon Barr, who leads biopharmaceutical research and development, said identifying worthwhile targets remains one of the most challenging aspects of bringing new medicines into development.

“Choosing the new targets that we ​want to put into ​our discovery pipeline is ⁠one of the hardest things we do across research and development,” Sharon Barr, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, ​told Reuters.

Barr emphasized that researchers can lose a competitive advantage when potential targets become widely known through scientific publications.

“By the time we read about a new pathway or ​target (in major ⁠scientific journals), it is no longer novel. It’s in the public domain and we’re already a few steps too late. But when we identify these unique connections early and test them ⁠in ​cellular systems, we’re ahead of the game.”

She added that combining artificial intelligence with scientific expertise could help AstraZeneca screen fewer compounds experimentally, limit reliance on guesswork and identify effective treatments more efficiently.

The partnership reflects the pharmaceutical industry’s broader push to use AI to improve early-stage drug research. By helping scientists identify disease mechanisms and prioritize potential treatments, these technologies could make laboratory research more targeted, although prospective medicines must still undergo clinical testing to establish their safety and effectiveness.

TIRANA, October 15, 2026 — Albania’s political tensions have escalated after several days of student-led demonstrations, with Prime Minister Edi Rama refusing to resign and insisting that his government’s authority comes from the ballot box.

Protests in the capital turned confrontational as demonstrators damaged property and police used water cannons to disperse crowds. The disruption was significant enough to force the cancellation of a parliamentary session.

The movement has centered on two major grievances: the increasing financial burden of education and concerns about corruption. Protesters have called for Rama to leave office, challenging a prime minister who won another term in last year’s election.

Rama dismissed the resignation demands in comments provided to Reuters, arguing that political leadership should change through elections rather than street pressure. He said he intended to address legitimate complaints while continuing negotiations aimed at securing Albania’s membership in the European Union.

While acknowledging concerns about education costs, Rama condemned attacks on public institutions and property, arguing that violence undermines the students’ stated objectives.

The demonstrations are unfolding against a broader backdrop of public opposition to a proposed luxury tourism development on Albania’s southern coast. The project, associated with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has encountered legal challenges and helped fuel months of largely peaceful protests.

Corruption remains another central issue in the political dispute. Rama defended his administration’s record, asserting that Albania is making progress in confronting the problem. He also warned that continued unrest should not jeopardize the country’s European ambitions.

Albania is pursuing EU membership alongside other Western Balkan countries, with its government targeting accession as early as 2028. Montenegro is also among the region’s leading candidates.

The immediate challenge for Rama is whether his government can contain the demonstrations, respond to public concerns and maintain momentum toward European integration as opposition to his leadership grows.

Source note: This report is a newly structured summary based on the supplied Reuters material. Statements attributed to Rama reflect his reported position; independent verification of the underlying claims is separate.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on Israelis to approach the upcoming national election as a democratic exercise rather than a source of internal conflict during an October 15 visit to Israel’s embassy in Baku, where diplomats began casting their ballots ahead of the October 27 election.

Herzog met with Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ronen Kraus as the embassy polling station opened. He noted that Israeli representatives serving overseas were among the first voters worldwide to participate in the election.

“The state’s representatives here are among the first people in the world to vote in the elections for Israel, and they are now about to cast their ballots properly and in accordance with the law as the polling station opens,” he said.

Herzog described the voting process as an expression of Israel’s democratic values and urged citizens to participate in deciding the country’s future.

“These elections are a celebration of democracy in Israel and at its embassies abroad,” he said, encouraging “all citizens of the state to exercise their right to vote and, of course, to help shape Israel’s future.”

The president emphasized that political disagreements should not turn the election into a struggle between fellow citizens, stressing the importance of democratic participation in determining Israel’s direction.

“Elections are not a civil war,” Herzog said. “On the contrary, this is our true process for influencing our lives and determining the direction in which the country is headed.”

A Chinese artificial intelligence company is pursuing a different path to developing capable humanoid robots, using computer-generated training environments to reduce the time and expense associated with teaching machines to perform physical tasks.

DexForce, a robotics startup headquartered in Shenzhen, creates virtual settings where robots can repeatedly practice activities under changing conditions. In demonstrations at its facilities, simulated machines sort and reposition objects while details such as their surroundings, colors and movements vary.

The strategy addresses a central problem for the robotics industry. While humanoid machines have demonstrated increasingly impressive physical abilities, teaching them to perform dependable, useful work outside controlled demonstrations remains a much harder challenge.

The company’s approach to robot training

Many robotics developers collect data by having people demonstrate tasks in actual workplaces. DexForce is placing greater emphasis on synthetic data generated through digital simulations, allowing machines to encounter numerous variations without requiring a person to physically repeat every action.

Chief Executive Jia Kui argues that collecting enough real-world examples to create broadly capable robots would be prohibitively demanding.

“Trying to achieve ‘physical artificial general intelligence’ purely through real-world data collection would require 10 trillion samples … manual (data) collection for infinite human tasks is ​fundamentally inefficient,”

Jia told Reuters, describing a future in which robots could follow instructions to complete tasks they had never encountered before.

Reaching that goal would require machines to interpret their surroundings, navigate different environments and adjust their behavior when conditions change. Jia believes advances in training methods could help produce a significant improvement in robotic intelligence, comparable in impact to ChatGPT’s emergence in 2022 and the subsequent expansion of generative AI.

DexForce builds digital representations of physical environments and uses models to predict how objects behave and interact. After a robot develops a skill in a simulated setting, the company transfers the learned behavior to a physical machine.

According to the startup, this process can reduce the cost of producing training data. Human demonstrations may need to be repeated more than 100 times to capture movements with sufficient precision.

The broader Chinese robotics sector is also investing heavily in training infrastructure. Numerous facilities designed to collect robot-training data are under development, with government subsidies helping support some projects. Despite widespread use of both simulated and real-world training, obtaining high-quality data remains a major obstacle for manufacturers.

Investment and commercial applications

Jia founded DexForce in 2021 while serving as a machine-learning professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. The business has grown to roughly 500 employees and received backing from Lenovo Capital, Lens Technology and several state-owned investment funds.

Its latest Series B funding round brought in 1 billion yuan, approximately $147 million, at a reported valuation exceeding 10 billion yuan.

Bloomberg has reported that the company was considering a Hong Kong stock-market listing. Jia declined to discuss the possibility.

DexForce is already targeting industrial and commercial customers rather than limiting its work to laboratory research. Its software is used by manufacturers including Toyota, Samsung, Panasonic, Foxconn, Haier and Hisense.

The company is also developing humanoid robots for service roles. Its machines have been used to prepare coffee and serve customers at shopping centers and tourist destinations in more than 15 Chinese cities.

Whether virtual training can consistently produce robots capable of handling unpredictable real-world situations remains an important test. For DexForce, the commercial opportunity lies in making robots adaptable enough for practical deployment without the enormous data-collection costs that could otherwise slow progress.

Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, has promised to end Hamas’s control of the Gaza Strip within 18 months of becoming prime minister. He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to deliver on his stated war objectives, nearly three years after the October 7 massacre.

“Within 18 months of taking office as prime minister, Hamas will no longer rule the Gaza Strip. We will bring about the destruction of Hamas’s military wing,” Eisenkot declares in a campaign statement delivered near the Gaza border.

Eisenkot says his government would pursue that goal either by implementing US President Donald Trump’s proposed framework for Gaza’s demilitarization and reconstruction, which the Netanyahu government has accepted, or by launching military operations.

Despite three years of fighting, Hamas continues to control approximately one-third of Gaza and retains military capabilities. Israel, meanwhile, holds more than 60% of the territory, according to IDF figures released in June.

“As long as Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power, Hamas will remain in power,” Eisenkot asserts. He accuses Netanyahu of wasting an unprecedented level of domestic and international support for military action while allowing Hamas to maintain its grip on Gaza and restore its military strength.

The Likud party responds with a pointed question: “How will you defeat Hamas without getting permission from your partners Mansour [Abbas] and [Ahmad] Tibi?” The remark refers to the leaders of Ra’am and Ta’al, two parties representing predominantly Arab voters.

With Netanyahu’s political bloc lacking a clear route to securing a governing majority, Likud has made the possibility of an Eisenkot-led government depending on Arab parties a major campaign issue. This criticism continues despite most parties aligned with Eisenkot rejecting such a partnership. Eisenkot has also stated that no Arab party currently satisfies his requirements for joining a coalition.

Yashar responds by accusing Netanyahu and Likud of helping Hamas grow stronger over the years. “For 17 years, Netanyahu and Likud have been deceiving Israeli citizens and strengthening Hamas,” the party says. “If you had focused a little more on your job and a little less on drafting talking points, perhaps October 7 could have been prevented.”

Anthropic’s revenue climbed 45% in the third quarter to $16.8 billion, up from $11.6 billion in the previous quarter, according to an investor who attended a meeting with company executives in San Francisco on Wednesday ahead of its anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

The artificial intelligence company generated $4.7 billion in revenue during the first quarter, followed by $11.6 billion in the second quarter, the investor said. Anthropic also told prospective investors that it had achieved profitability on an adjusted basis in the third quarter.

The company’s expected IPO could take place before rival OpenAI goes public, potentially making Anthropic an early indicator of how investors view AI developers that are spending heavily to expand their operations. Reuters has previously reported that Anthropic’s market debut is likely to occur after the U.S. midterm elections in November.

Financial scrutiny of artificial intelligence companies has increased as the industry commits enormous sums to semiconductors, data centers and computing capacity needed to develop and operate increasingly advanced AI systems.

Anthropic is pursuing a valuation exceeding $2 trillion and is seeking to demonstrate that its rapid revenue growth can eventually offset the substantial costs associated with developing and operating its technology.

In the previous year, Anthropic’s revenue increased twelvefold to nearly $4.6 billion. However, the company recorded an operating loss exceeding $8 billion, excluding write-downs of various liabilities, most of which were associated with earlier fundraising efforts, according to a Reuters investigation published last month.

Anthropic has also made long-term financial commitments totaling at least $518 billion over a decade for cloud computing, processing capacity and related infrastructure.

Established by former OpenAI executives, Anthropic has become a major player in generative AI through its Claude model family. Its growth has been supported by Alphabet’s Google and Amazon, which serve several roles as investors, computing infrastructure providers and distribution partners, while also competing in the AI market.

The company has sought to set itself apart by emphasizing AI safety. It has warned about the potential dangers of increasingly capable systems even as it competes to develop and bring more advanced models to market.

Anthropic’s own research has identified concerning conduct by its AI agents in controlled testing environments, including the disclosure of sensitive information and the sabotage of code. The company has said, however, that it has not found evidence of comparable misalignment in real-world deployments.

Voting for Israel’s next Knesset has officially begun, with the first polling station opening Wednesday evening at the Israeli Embassy in New Zealand.

Israel’s official emissaries serving overseas, along with their families, are the first to vote. More than 4,800 diplomats, state envoys and family members are eligible to cast ballots at 101 polling stations across 99 Israeli missions worldwide.

Voting abroad will wrap up on the U.S. West Coast, with the final polls closing at Israel’s missions in San Francisco and Los Angeles at 6:00 a.m. Friday, Israel time.

Under Israeli law, voting at overseas missions is held 12 days before election day in Israel and is limited to state employees posted abroad for work and their eligible family members. Israelis abroad for travel, study or private business cannot vote there.

Gur, the largest Chassidus within United Torah Judaism, is threatening to withhold its support from the UTJ list just 13 days before Israel’s election, senior figures in the Chassidus tell Belaaz. Its voting power is estimated at roughly one Knesset seat.

Unlike the other communities, Gur has yet to publish a declaration from the Gerrer Rebbe instructing his followers to vote for the list, and it has not set up campaign headquarters ahead of Election Day. Its representative, Yitzchak Goldknopf, who holds the No. 2 slot on the list, has not appeared at a single campaign rally.

The dispute stems from a last-minute split within Agudas Yisroel. Meir Porush and Elyakim Stark, the representative of Belz, broke away in a technical move and formed a separate party, which then joined the UTJ list.

The result is that Goldknopf, who until recently led all of UTJ, is set to represent a one-man faction in the next Knesset. Gur sees the move as affecting how positions will be divided after the election, if there are positions to divide.

Normally, the division of positions is settled before the lists are submitted. That did not happen this time, raising suspicions within Gur of a coordinated move between Yaakov Asher and Porush to leave Goldknopf without a significant role.

Senior figures in Gur tell Belaaz that they are demanding an agreement on the division of positions before the election. Otherwise, they say, the Chassidus will not issue an instruction to vote for UTJ.

Gur sources tell Belaaz that the Chassidim will vote either way. If not for UTJ, they say, a quiet instruction will go out to vote for Tzeva Shachor, a party campaigning for a sweeping IDF draft exemption for all frum Jews, in line with the Gerrer Rebbe’s position.

The threat could affect the political strength of the frum parties and the balance between the blocs, particularly Netanyahu’s chances of defeating the opposing bloc.

Could the Rebbe ultimately instruct his followers not to vote for UTJ? The 2008 Jerusalem mayoral race offers a precedent. Meir Porush ran as the agreed-upon frum candidate, but amid internal disagreements, Gur broke with much of the frum public and backed the secular candidate, Nir Barkat, despite harsh criticism from within the community.

The Pashkaner Rebbe, Rav Hoshea Friedman Ben Shalom, led a tish in honor of the yahrzeit of the Saba Kadisha of Ruzhin zy”a, which falls today, 3 Cheshvan. Video from the tish began circulating Wednesday.

Online, the clip went around with the label “Eisenkot’s Rebbe.” The Rebbe is a retired IDF brigadier general, and in August he publicly backed former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who now heads the Yashar! party.

Speaking at a conference at the World Center for North African Jewish Heritage in Jerusalem, the Rebbe said he has known Eisenkot for 46 years and that the two served together under fire. He also served as the IDF’s chief reserve officer while Eisenkot was Chief of Staff.

The Rebbe said he was not telling anyone how to vote, chalilah. He praised Eisenkot as brave, upright, wise and even a genius, adding that “b’ezras Hashem, Gadi will be prime minister.”

The Pashkan court stands apart in the chassidishe world. It is a Ruzhiner dynasty with a strong Mizrachi, Religious Zionist leaning. The Rebbe’s father, Rav Yisrael Sholom Yosef Friedman zt”l, was the elder of the Ruzhiner Rebbes and a son-in-law of the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz zy”a. Widely known as the “Srugi Rebbe” and the “Zionist Rebbe,” he celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut and was niftar at 94.

Rav Hoshea stood at his father’s side at every tish and succeeded him as Rebbe. He also heads the Beit Yisrael pre-military mechina in Jerusalem, a rare combination for a chassidishe Rebbe.

A 10-year-old boy from Beitar Illit has passed away from injuries he suffered Wednesday afternoon in an explosion during a garbage fire on HaRebbe MiNadvorna Street.

Magen David Adom received the call at 4:56 p.m. Paramedics found the boy unconscious with multi-system trauma and began treating him at the scene.

Moshe Fordsham, an Ichud Hatzalah ambulance driver who was nearby, said he heard the blast and found the boy unconscious with serious injuries. He performed CPR before the boy was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in critical condition, where he later passed away.

Boy arriving at the hospital

Firefighters and volunteers from the Judea regional fire station extinguished the blaze. Fire crews said the explosion occurred while the trash was burning.

In an initial statement, police said a garbage bin caught fire for an unknown reason, and an unidentified object flew out and struck the boy. Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances.

Early reports suggested children had lit the fire and an aerosol can inside the bin exploded from the heat. Police have not confirmed those reports.

Israel’s Defense Ministry and the Pentagon have signed a deal for 12 advanced Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the IDF. The ministry announced the signing Wednesday.

Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram instructed the ministry’s delegation in the US to sign after the government approved the deal earlier in the day. The signing comes after Israel asked Washington several times to postpone the deal because of the country’s budget situation, and Washington agreed each time.

The helicopters are the “Echo” variant, the newest and most advanced version of the Apache. They are scheduled for delivery at the start of the next decade.

According to the ministry, Israeli and American officials worked together to shape the deal around Israel’s operational needs and its current budget constraints. The ministry’s US delegation and its Budget Division led the negotiations and the financing plan. The ministry thanked the US administration for its “uncompromising support” and for its flexibility in agreeing to postpone the deal several times. It said those delays made it possible to close the budget gaps.

MADRID, October 14, 2026 (Reuters) — Spain’s governing Socialist Party (PSOE), led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, would receive 34% of the vote if a national election were held today, according to a survey released Wednesday by the government-run Centre for Sociological Research (CIS). The opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) was projected to win 22.2%.

The poll was conducted ahead of next month’s snap election, which Sánchez called after parliament rejected housing measures proposed by his minority government.

The CIS results differ sharply from most other recent surveys, which have suggested that the PP and the far-right Vox party could secure a combined parliamentary majority.

Researchers surveyed 5,025 people during the first week of October, as demonstrations over Spain’s housing crisis were taking place nationwide. The polling preceded the October 7 death in hospital of housing activist Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction had helped spark the protests.

Vox placed third in the survey with 17.1% support. Sumar, the PSOE’s far-left governing coalition partner, received 6.1% as it continued discussions with other left-wing parties about potential electoral alliances.

Sánchez was also the leading choice for prime minister, favored by 39.3% of respondents. That put him 24.6 percentage points ahead of PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who received 14.7%. Vox leader Santiago Abascal was preferred by 13.8% of those surveyed.

Housing has become the country’s most prominent public concern, with 55.7% identifying it as Spain’s biggest problem. That was a record level and represented a 20-percentage-point increase from the previous month. Immigration ranked second at 20.9%, followed closely by the economy at 20.3%.

Iran’s central bank governor pushed back Wednesday against claims that the country’s economy is nearing collapse, arguing that the situation has been overstated. Speaking at an International Monetary Fund gathering in Bangkok, he defended Iran’s economic position as US maritime restrictions continue to threaten its oil income and government finances.

The confrontation has intensified since Washington restored restrictions on Iranian ports in July. On August 24, the US launched a campaign called “Operation Economic Outcast,” seeking to further isolate Iran from international trade and financial networks.

The impact on oil shipments has been severe. Energy intelligence company Vortexa reported that Iran’s seaborne crude exports fell to zero during the second week of September. Shipments had averaged approximately 230,000 barrels daily over a 14-day period at the start of the month, and the reported halt continued through October 5.

Currency Slide and Inflation Add to Economic Strain

Washington expanded its pressure campaign in September by targeting additional Iranian airlines, adding to the difficulties facing the country’s international commerce and transportation links.

Iran’s currency has also come under significant pressure. Exchange-rate figures published by Bonbast indicate that the rial has depreciated by almost 35% against the dollar since July, highlighting the financial challenges facing households and businesses.

Central bank governor Hemmati outlined several priorities for monetary authorities, including controlling rising prices, preventing inflation expectations from worsening, protecting the financial system and keeping banking and payment services functioning. He also emphasized the need to obtain foreign currency to purchase medicines and other essential supplies from abroad.

Official figures from Iran’s Statistical Center put annual inflation at 73.6% in September, underscoring the severity of the country’s cost-of-living pressures.

Iranian authorities have also moved to support the rial through the banking system. In late September, the central bank introduced a plan to sell up to $2 billion in foreign currency through state-owned banks.

The competing assessments highlight the challenge facing Tehran: officials are seeking to project confidence in the economy while declining oil exports, currency depreciation and exceptionally high inflation place mounting pressure on the country.

Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, is restoring diplomatic and economic ties with Israel after his predecessor severed relations over the Gaza war and repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Colombia officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, October 14, becoming the 10th country to establish its embassy in the Israeli capital. The move marks a significant policy reversal under President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has also restored a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Most countries continue to maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Former Colombian president Gustavo Petro severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024, citing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. He had also been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Petro ordered the closure of Colombia’s embassy in Tel Aviv and recalled the country’s ambassador. Israel condemned the decision, describing it as antisemitic and arguing that it rewarded Hamas terrorists.

De la Espriella, a right-wing politician who took office in August, has since moved to reverse his predecessor’s approach to Israel.

The free trade agreement between the two countries, which Petro had terminated, was reinstated on Tuesday, one day before the embassy’s inauguration.

Sa’ar Praises Renewed Israel-Colombia Relations

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the improvement in relations and credited the new Colombian administration with rapidly reversing the previous government’s policies.

“In just two months, we have reversed most of the negative consequences of the Petro administration for Israel-Colombia relations and have even broken new ground… I thank… Abelardo de la Espriella for his determination to bring Israel-Colombia relations to an all-time high.”

Colombia’s Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar attended the embassy’s inauguration ceremony in Jerusalem alongside Sa’ar.

The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, prompting several other countries to follow suit. Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Somaliland are among those that have also established diplomatic missions in the city.

The emergency funding will finance 12 attack helicopters as officials scramble to meet a US deadline, with much of the money coming from a five-year program aimed at improving Arab society.

The Israeli government approved a transfer of slightly more than NIS 1 billion (over $300 million) to the Defense Ministry in a telephone vote Wednesday morning. The funds were designated for an “urgent classified procurement.”

The approved NIS 1.03 billion will help finance 12 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the Israeli Air Force, which has pursued the acquisition for several years. In January, the United States authorized a potential $3.8 billion sale to Israel involving 30 Apache helicopters and associated equipment.

Under a draft government resolution, the money will be obtained by reducing allocations to a five-year program supporting Israel’s Arab communities. The planned reductions include NIS 169 million ($55 million) in 2027, NIS 342 million ($111 million) in 2028, and NIS 453 million ($147 million) in 2029.

The decision follows weeks of intense budget disagreements between the Defense and Finance ministries. Media reports, apparently based on briefings from defense officials, had indicated that Israel missed the deadline for finalizing its Apache agreement with Boeing. As a result, delivery could be postponed by several years, with another buyer potentially taking Israel’s place in the production schedule.

According to Channel 12, Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed his ministry’s director general last Thursday to contact the US Defense Department and request another extension for the helicopter purchase. The request followed four previous extensions, with the latest deadline expiring last week. American officials reportedly told Jerusalem it had until Wednesday to finalize the agreement, prompting an urgent effort to secure the necessary funding.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed the budget changes despite reportedly opposing the helicopter purchase.

Speaking at a summit organized by the Association of Investment Houses, Smotrich described the agreement as a “mistake,” according to the business publication Globes, and said he had expressed his opposition to fellow cabinet ministers.

Smotrich argued that sophisticated drones could perform the missions assigned to attack helicopters. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on proceeding with the Apache acquisition.

The finance minister said the government had approved the purchase in August based on a financial plan. However, the sudden need to make the payment forced officials to find an immediate funding solution. He explained that “we found a temporary budget source,” while also pointing out that the current government had never endorsed the five-year development plan for Arab society.

The NIS 30 billion ($8.3 billion) initiative was launched in 2021 under the short-lived government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. The Social Equality Ministry was assigned primary responsibility for implementing the program, which sought to narrow longstanding disparities between Arab and Jewish communities in areas including housing, law enforcement and economic development after decades of neglect.

The program has already faced funding reductions. Last December, the government redirected NIS 220 million ($68.5 million) from the initiative to the police to address what officials described as “severe nationalistic crime” in Arab communities.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military expenditures have climbed sharply as the country continues costly fighting in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, alongside operations in Yemen. These military commitments followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, assault. The Israel Defense Forces has also pushed to expand its personnel and capabilities after deficiencies were exposed during the attack and the subsequent conflicts.

The national budget approved in March allocated a record NIS 143 billion ($45.8 billion) to the Defense Ministry, representing approximately 17 percent of total government spending.

In July, the Finance Ministry announced an agreement with the Defense Ministry to immediately provide the military with another NIS 15 billion ($5.01 billion). The additional funding followed IDF warnings that numerous military units were at risk of being grounded because of financial constraints.

Channel 12 has also reported that the government is considering cutting another NIS 2.5 billion from ministries across the board to finance defense procurement.

The network, citing sources, reported that the defense establishment faces a NIS 40 billion shortfall in its 2026 budget, adding to pressure on the government to find additional money for military needs.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that Israel could seize additional territory in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack against Israel.

Katz, who is known for his blunt public statements, has made increasingly forceful remarks in recent weeks as Israel approaches its October 27 election.

“If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will be dealt a heavy blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone,” Katz says during a visit to the IDF’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon this morning.

Katz says the military is ready to launch a ground offensive if necessary. He warns that Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, “will also be evacuated, and its terror infrastructure will be struck, and more than one million Shiites will become displaced in Lebanon.”

“Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon’s Shiite community before he was eliminated, and Naim Qassem could annihilate it completely, until he too is eliminated,” he adds.

Speaking at an event last night, Katz said that “we are identifying attempts by our enemies, led by Iran and its proxies, to carry out attacks that will influence the resultsof the election in Israel.”

Inset: Netanyahu, U.S. Department of Defense

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign has zeroed in on Ofer Winter, pressing him to drop out of the race so that he doesn’t waste right-wing votes and cost Netanyahu the election.

In recent days, Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Winter must withdraw, calling him “Bennett No. 2.” Street ads have also gone up targeting Winter’s candidates and urging them to quit the race.

Sources tell Belaaz that over the past several days, several attempts have been made to set up a call between Netanyahu and Rabbi Benayahu Shmueli, the kabbalist known as Ofer Winter’s rabbi. Netanyahu wants to speak with him so that he will persuade his student, Winter, to pull out of the race.

However, Belaaz is told that Rabbi Shmueli is refusing to take Netanyahu’s calls, and is declining to get involved in the election altogether.

Ofer Winter is a retired IDF brigadier general who launched his right-wing party, Amcha Yisrael, in August. He has said the party is part of the right-wing camp and will recommend only Netanyahu for prime minister. Likud fears his run will split the right-wing vote, and Netanyahu has warned it could even push Smotrich’s Religious Zionism below the electoral threshold. According to previous reports, Netanyahu offered Winter a reserved slot on the Likud list, and Winter turned it down.

The pressure is expected to intensify as election day approaches.

For the second time recently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a possible attack against Israel ahead of the election in two weeks — potentially as an attempt to influence the vote.

Speaking during a tour today, the Prime Minister said: “There are warnings here. Our enemies are thinking of testing us in these days ahead of the election. I warn them that we are prepared for every scenario.”

Netanyahu said Israel is prepared, “including for what is called ‘turning of the barrels.’ The IDF presented me and the Defense Minister with a bold and powerful plan. In such a case, I don’t advise our enemies to test us. You will meet a force here that you never dreamed of.”

Photo collage: U.S. Embassy in Greece / White House / Nishkid64

The Trump administration has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to step down as U.S. ambassador to Greece, new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia announced Tuesday.

The move follows reports that Guilfoyle, who was engaged to Donald Trump Jr. for four years before her appointment to Athens, sought a $100,000 payment from a Trump donor in return for access to figures in the administration – conduct that allegedly took place before she was confirmed for the post.

Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly. Her lawyer told the Wall Street Journal, which first published the messages at the center of the story, that she disputes their authenticity and that she did nothing wrong. She separately denied to administration officials last week that she had sent them.

Pressure had been building on the ambassador for weeks. Since late September, the Journal has run a series of reports on her conduct both before and during her time in Athens, including allegations that she accepted lavish gifts in the job.

By Sunday, an administration official said President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “extremely pissed off” over the reported conduct and were expected to decide on a course of action this week, once the Columbus Day holiday had passed. Trump offered no defense of Guilfoyle when CNN asked him about the allegations on Friday.

Rubio, who had initially backed her – telling reporters last week that she had been a strong ambassador – later stopped commenting publicly as the allegations mounted.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: “Kimberly Guilfoyle was not a member of my family. I guess she dated my son a long time ago, but she wasn’t. She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Representative Robert Garcia of California, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, had already called for an investigation.

Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host and California prosecutor, was named ambassador to Greece by Trump shortly after the 2024 election, in the same period reports emerged that her engagement to Trump Jr. had ended.

Photo: Sbl770/Wikimedia Commons ©

An incident at Ramon that initially raised fears of a terror attack turned out to be an accident, Israeli outlets reported Tuesday.

First reports said a vehicle had apparently attempted to force its way into the grounds of Ramon Airport and was stopped without any shots being fired. No injuries were reported.

Updated reports said the vehicle had overturned and gone into the perimeter fence at Ramon. Security officials said there was no suspicion of a terror attack.

Iran is increasing efforts to target more sensitive locations in Britain, including military installations, while Russia is expanding its hybrid warfare operations against countries supporting Ukraine, according to the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service.

In his annual address outlining the security challenges facing the United Kingdom, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum also warned that the most alarming potential misuse of artificial intelligence involved terrorists using the technology to develop biological weapons or engineer entirely new pathogens.

McCallum said threats posed by hostile states have quadrupled over the past decade. As a result, MI5 is now allocating more resources to countering state-backed threats than it did during the Cold War.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Tehran was “highly likely” responsible for a suspected plot targeting RAF Fairford, a British air base previously used by American bombers to conduct strikes against Iran. The incident triggered a major security response and prompted US President Donald Trump to withdraw aircraft from the base.

McCallum declined to discuss the Fairford case because the investigation remains ongoing. However, he pointed to a significant change this year in “Iranian ambitions to come at harder targets, like military sites.”

“The RAF Fairfield incident… is not unique. There have been other examples, not just in the UK but around the world,” he says.

Turning to Russia, which also rejects allegations that it has carried out hostile operations in Britain, McCallum described Moscow as the “aggressor number one.”

Iran has warned that it could expand a conflict with the United States beyond its borders, including possible ground operations in neighboring countries, if Washington launches another round of military strikes, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with messages delivered by Tehran. The warnings appear intended to discourage the Trump administration from resuming attacks following the November 3 midterm elections.

According to the report, Iranian officials have suggested that Iranian forces could enter neighboring countries as part of a broader military response. The officials did not identify which countries might face ground incursions. Tehran has also privately cautioned Arab governments that renewed hostilities could lead to attacks on Saudi oil installations and other critical infrastructure throughout the Gulf region.

Iranian national security official Mohsen Rezaei warned Sunday that the United Arab Emirates could also become a target, despite having largely avoided attacks since late spring. He additionally threatened regional data centers and internet cables. Separately, Iranian officials reportedly told mediators that Tehran could escalate attacks against American forces, potentially including efforts to sink US warships operating in the Middle East and kill their crews, according to people familiar with the warnings cited by the Journal.

The warnings come amid a growing wave of regional violence. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that at least three commercial vessels were hit over the weekend in and around the Strait of Hormuz. An attack by a drone also ignited an Emirati tanker near Oman, leaving two Indian sailors missing. Meanwhile, a Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday reportedly killed at least 13 people and injured hundreds more.

Washington is meanwhile strengthening its military posture in anticipation of a possible return to hostilities. A third US aircraft carrier strike group and an additional Marine expeditionary unit are heading toward the Middle East. The Pentagon is also weighing the deployment of more air-defense systems and ammunition to bases in the region. President Donald Trump has ruled out attacking Iran before the midterm elections, although he has openly discussed striking Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.

The Journal also reported that the Pentagon relocated approximately 12 B-1 bombers from a British military base last week amid concerns that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was preparing a drone attack. Iranian missiles had previously come close to US warships during attacks in September, underscoring the potential danger to American forces stationed throughout the region.

At the same time, Iran has taken advantage of the relative lull in direct fighting to restore missile and drone manufacturing capacity, replenish its weapons stockpiles and strengthen defenses around sensitive locations. Satellite images reviewed by the Institute for Science and International Security show recently constructed earthen barriers around the Pickaxe Mountain and Natanz nuclear facilities. The barriers appear designed to make potential ground raids more difficult.

Tehran’s preparations also include efforts to mobilize public support and promote civilian participation in national defense. State media has increased its coverage of pro-government demonstrations, while billboards in the capital advertise civilian instruction in shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles and sniper rifles. The Revolutionary Guard has publicized training exercises involving female commando units. In another initiative, personnel visited a kindergarten in Sabzevar, where they described their wartime experiences and displayed what they identified as a neutralized American Tomahawk missile.

Despite these preparations, the Journal reported that Iran remains limited in its ability to defend against advanced US aircraft and cruise missiles. Threatening to widen any conflict across the region has therefore become a central part of Tehran’s deterrence strategy. Iran appears to be pursuing two objectives simultaneously: persuading Washington to refrain from renewed military action while preparing for the possibility of a confrontation that could spread well beyond its own territory.

SpaceXAI will appear before the New York City Council after initially skipping a scheduled hearing, preventing a potential court dispute over its refusal to comply with a subpoena. The agreement gives council members an opportunity to question the company publicly about the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

The dispute follows a lengthy council hearing last Monday, during which AI industry representatives and former employees discussed potential dangers posed by increasingly advanced systems. Topics included the possibility of humans losing control over AI and the risk of catastrophic consequences. SpaceXAI, led by Elon Musk, did not participate despite being summoned to testify.

On Tuesday, Council Speaker Julie Menin said the council had warned SpaceXAI that it intended to seek judicial enforcement of the subpoena. The company subsequently contacted the council to arrange a meeting.

New York law provides several possible consequences for failing to obey a subpoena, including monetary penalties and measures to compel a witness to appear. Continued defiance can carry additional legal consequences, potentially including imprisonment.

Menin criticized the company’s absence and stressed the importance of public accountability for businesses developing powerful AI systems. She said: “Conspicuously absent was SpaceXAI, which is unacceptable. New Yorkers and the public at large deserve to hear directly from the companies developing this powerful technology,” Menin said. “Self-regulation is not enough, and I am glad that we have now secured SpaceXAI’s commitment to appear before the public in the coming week.”

Three former employees of leading AI research organizations testified at the hearing: Jacob Coxon, previously with Anthropic; Daniel Kokotajlo, formerly of OpenAI; and Alex Turner, formerly of Google DeepMind. Their testimony raised concerns about whether the industry can adequately manage the pace and potential consequences of AI development.

Coxon warned that humanity could eventually lose control of advanced AI systems. “On the current path … it is more likely than not that humanity loses control to these AIs, and it could end in human extinction,” Coxon said. Turner placed the odds of an “AI takeover” at approximately one in three.

Representatives from Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google also faced questions from council members about how they evaluate and address severe AI-related threats. Menin has pointed to an exchange about how companies measure the possibility of the worst-case outcomes associated with the technology.

Morgan Dwyer of OpenAI responded: “I don’t know. I also don’t think it matters whether it’s 1%, 10%, or 20% chance.” She maintained that catastrophic risks should not be accepted, regardless of the estimated likelihood.

SpaceXAI is expected to appear before the council on Friday at 10 a.m. Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, who chairs the technology committee, said scrutiny of the company is especially significant because Musk’s technology businesses have an expanding presence in the federal government.

De La Rosa said the council plans to revisit questions raised during the earlier hearing while seeking more detailed answers about the company’s practices. She emphasized the need for information about personal data protection, safety measures and safeguards for employees who report concerns about their organizations.

A major cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France caused temperatures to soar overnight, triggering fires and forcing retailers to discard large quantities of food. Investigators are examining whether the incident exploited weaknesses in remotely accessible equipment used to control commercial refrigerators and freezers.

The Paris prosecutor’s office described the incident as a “large-scale” attack “affecting connected refrigerators in several major food retailers across France,” resulting in fires and spoiled merchandise.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu directed France’s National Cybersecurity Agency, known as ANSSI, to investigate, according to a source in his office.

French authorities were also working with their European counterparts because the attack may have crossed national borders. Officials were examining whether additional businesses in France could be vulnerable, the source said.

Felix Aime, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said the incident had also affected Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium.

Carrefour reported that 80 of its supermarkets were impacted. Monoprix, which operates approximately 490 locations in France, said the attack affected about 5% of its stores.

Les Mousquetaires, the company behind the Intermarche supermarket chain, said refrigeration units at approximately 150 stores had been heated to 50 C for six hours overnight. A company spokesperson said all affected food was thrown away as a precaution against potential health hazards.

In central Paris, resident Geert de Clercq saw Intermarche employees disposing of cartloads of thawed frozen products in a large waste container. Melted ice cream spilled from damaged tubs onto the street.

Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher said the incident affected 80 of the group’s roughly 2,000 stores.

“It affected a minority of our stores,” he told RTL radio.

Schelcher said the company had not yet calculated its total losses. He estimated that damage at a smaller supermarket could reach tens of thousands of euros, while losses at a larger hypermarket could climb to €200,000 ($223,480).

E.Leclerc and Auchan, two other major French supermarket operators, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Although the overall financial damage across the retail industry remained unclear, Intermarche CEO Thierry Cotillard told BFM TV that the “unprecedented” attack would result in losses amounting to “tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day.”

Christel Delberghe, director general of European retail association Eurocommerce, said, “This incident underlines the importance of resilience across the entire supply chain.”

Supermarket refrigeration systems are commonly managed through centralized control panels that regulate refrigerators and freezers throughout a store. These systems can be connected to the internet, allowing maintenance providers to monitor and adjust equipment remotely.

Software Vulnerability Under Investigation

A source close to Lecornu said ANSSI had identified a vulnerability involving software provided by Danish engineering company Danfoss.

Danfoss confirmed that it was investigating the situation, saying it was “aware of incidents in France affecting a limited number of refrigeration management systems.”

The company said the affected equipment “were running outdated firmware,” adding that it had “long advised customers to keep supported systems updated with the latest firmware and to migrate legacy systems to current-generation solutions.”

On August 9, cybersecurity company Claroty published research through its Team82 security research division describing vulnerabilities in a Danfoss controller. The report said software patches released by Danfoss addressed flaws that could have enabled attackers to circumvent authentication protections and run code on compromised devices.

The French incident bears similarities to disruptions reported at roughly a dozen U.S. military commissaries in late August, when refrigeration problems caused food losses.

France’s retail trade association, Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution, called on Danfoss to provide “full transparency” about the incident. The organization said retailers were working to safeguard consumers and restore normal operations as quickly as possible. It also reported that some affected supermarkets had already resumed normal activity.

Dutch Supermarket Group Reports Separate Cybersecurity Incident

Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch retail group that operates Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, and maintains substantial operations in the United States, said it was addressing a “security issue” affecting its network. The company temporarily disconnected several systems as a precaution.

A notification on Albert Heijn’s mobile app said grocery deliveries were unavailable because of a “cybersecurity incident.”

Online purchases account for approximately 10% of Albert Heijn’s sales. Its physical supermarkets remained open, while Dutch news agency ANP reported that competing retailers experienced a surge in delivery orders.

Ahold Delhaize said there was no basis at that point to conclude that its incident was connected to the attacks affecting French supermarkets.

The company ranks as the fourth-largest grocery retailer in the United States. Websites operated by its Stop & Shop, Giant, Hannaford and Food Lion chains displayed messages stating “site temporarily down.”

It remained unclear whether the disruption had affected any other parts of the company’s operations.

Israel’s Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee has approved construction plans for a permanent United Arab Emirates embassy in Herzliya Pituah, marking a significant step forward six years after Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations under the Abraham Accords.

The approved proposal permits a building of up to 15 floors, accommodating embassy offices alongside residential quarters for the UAE ambassador and diplomatic personnel. The decision paves the way for the establishment of a permanent headquarters for the UAE’s diplomatic mission in Israel, as regional tensions continue to pose challenges for relations between the two countries.

The Israeli government is spending more than NIS 50 million ($16.2 million) on replacement membranes intended for emergency use at privately operated desalination facilities, as the country continues to deal with a major disruption caused by microalgae contamination.

The expenditure comes after five of Israel’s six desalination plants were forced to shut down last month when Mediterranean currents carried microalgae northward from the Nile Delta toward Israel’s southern and central-southern coastlines. The disruption temporarily halted irrigation for agricultural crops in the south, along with watering for parks and gardens across the country. Drinking water deliveries to residential consumers, however, remained uninterrupted.

As of Tuesday, the Ashdod and Palmachim facilities were operating at approximately 80% capacity because of elevated seawater turbidity caused by the continuing microalgae contamination. The suspended particles can interfere with pretreatment systems and potentially damage the delicate membranes used to filter seawater under high pressure.

The Sorek A and Ashkelon desalination plants were functioning at full capacity. Sorek B was operating at approximately 50% capacity because of a technical malfunction.

The Hadera facility was the only desalination plant along Israel’s Mediterranean coastline to remain operational throughout the disruption, owing to its location north of the affected microalgae.

All six desalination facilities are privately operated. Asked why public funds were being used to purchase emergency equipment for privately run plants, a spokesperson for the Water Authority explained, “Should there be a need to use the emergency membranes, state authorization is required. This involves building an emergency stock in case damage accumulates on the membranes, and they require replacement.”

The spokesperson said the government had already allocated approximately NIS 23.6 million ($7.66 million) for the purchase of new membranes, with an additional NIS 27 million ($8.77 million) expected to be spent by the end of the year.

Desalination facilities supply as much as 80% of Israel’s drinking water, making them a critical component of the country’s water infrastructure in a region regularly threatened by severe water shortages and drought.

Eli Levon, a 21-year-old American Yeshiva Bochur charged with carrying out tasks for Iranian intelligence, has been cleared for release to house arrest after roughly four months behind bars, Tzedek Association announced.

According to the organization, Supreme Court President Justice Yitzchak Amit signed off on the release following its intervention. Tzedek said it brought in attorney Uri Korb to handle the case alongside attorney Menachem Stauber.

Attorneys Uri Korb and Menachem Stauber

To secure the release, the association said it deposited a NIS 1 million check with the court as a guarantee. Rabbi Shimon Shisha, chairman of Merkaz Ezra Vayoetz, offered his own apartment as the location where Levon will serve his house arrest, Tzedek said.

Levon, a US citizen who learned at the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, was taken into custody on June 9. On July 3, prosecutors filed an indictment in Jerusalem District Court charging him with contact with a foreign agent and passing along information that could aid an enemy, and asked that he remain jailed until the case concluded.

Neither the court nor the State Prosecutor’s Office has independently confirmed the release terms.

The allegations

Prosecutors say the case began in November 2025, when Levon, home in the US visiting family, responded to a job listing posted in a Telegram channel called “Yeshivot Telegram.” Two accounts going by “Sina” and “Alecsander,” which the State says were fronts for Iranian intelligence, then reached out to him. Over time, he allegedly received about $1,379 in cryptocurrency.

The indictment lists a series of assignments: snapping photos of Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station and of a deserted building in the Bukharan Quarter, leaving a cigarette pack at the Hadar Mall with a note saying “the work is done,” and stashing a USB drive wrapped in a NIS 50 bill inside a restaurant in central Jerusalem.

According to prosecutors, Levon also sent his handlers a picture of himself holding his passport. At one point, they say, he turned down a request for a list of his fellow Mir Bochurim, and he eventually blocked one of the accounts out of concern his personal details could be exploited.

The State contends he had a “reasonable basis” to believe he was dealing with Iranian agents. Levon has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations.

Background

Levon is among dozens of people, the vast majority of them Israelis, arrested in recent months on suspicion of taking money from Iranian handlers they met online. Security officials say these handlers typically open with small, harmless-seeming requests before ramping up.

At the time of the indictment, a Jerusalem prosecutor said: “Sometimes all it takes is one message on Telegram and the promise of easy money.” The investigation was carried out by the Jerusalem District Police Major Crimes Unit together with the Shin Bet.

Eli Levon, a 21-year-old American Yeshiva Bochur charged with carrying out tasks for Iranian intelligence, has been cleared for release to house arrest after roughly four months behind bars, Tzedek Association announced.

According to the organization, Supreme Court President Justice Yitzchak Amit signed off on the release following its intervention. Tzedek said it brought in attorney Uri Korb to handle the case alongside attorney Menachem Stauber.

Attorneys Uri Korb and Menachem Stauber

To secure the release, the association said it deposited a NIS 1 million check with the court as a guarantee. Rabbi Shimon Shisha, chairman of Merkaz Ezra Vayoetz, offered his own apartment as the location where Levon will serve his house arrest, Tzedek said.

Levon, a US citizen who learned at the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, was taken into custody on June 9. On July 3, prosecutors filed an indictment in Jerusalem District Court charging him with contact with a foreign agent and passing along information that could aid an enemy, and asked that he remain jailed until the case concluded.

Neither the court nor the State Prosecutor’s Office has independently confirmed the release terms.

The allegations

Prosecutors say the case began in November 2025, when Levon, home in the US visiting family, responded to a job listing posted in a Telegram channel called “Yeshivot Telegram.” Two accounts going by “Sina” and “Alecsander,” which the State says were fronts for Iranian intelligence, then reached out to him. Over time, he allegedly received about $1,379 in cryptocurrency.

The indictment lists a series of assignments: snapping photos of Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station and of a deserted building in the Bukharan Quarter, leaving a cigarette pack at the Hadar Mall with a note saying “the work is done,” and stashing a USB drive wrapped in a NIS 50 bill inside a restaurant in central Jerusalem.

According to prosecutors, Levon also sent his handlers a picture of himself holding his passport. At one point, they say, he turned down a request for a list of his fellow Mir Bochurim, and he eventually blocked one of the accounts out of concern his personal details could be exploited.

The State contends he had a “reasonable basis” to believe he was dealing with Iranian agents. Levon has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations.

Background

Levon is among dozens of people, the vast majority of them Israelis, arrested in recent months on suspicion of taking money from Iranian handlers they met online. Security officials say these handlers typically open with small, harmless-seeming requests before ramping up.

At the time of the indictment, a Jerusalem prosecutor said: “Sometimes all it takes is one message on Telegram and the promise of easy money.” The investigation was carried out by the Jerusalem District Police Major Crimes Unit together with the Shin Bet.

At the center of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s and the Likud’s election campaign stands none other than New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

In recent days, Likud has rolled out street ads featuring Israel’s enemies, with Mamdani among them.

Under the slogan “They want Netanyahu to lose,” the ads show Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei, Hezbollah’s Qassem Soleimani, Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Turkey’s Erdogan, and New York’s Zohran Mamdani.

Likud also launched an AI-generated video in which Mamdani invites Israel’s enemies to a party celebrating Netanyahu’s defeat, only for them to realize that Netanyahu is actually winning.

With polls showing a dead heat in the upcoming election and neither bloc on track for a decisive win, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is working to form a unity government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot once the votes are counted.

In an interview today, Herzog said he will do everything in his power to prevent repeat elections, recalling 2019, when Israel was dragged through three rounds of voting before a winner emerged.

After the election, Herzog plans to push for a joint government between Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s Yashar! party, built on a rotation model in which the two would take turns serving as prime minister.

Satmar philanthropist Yoily Landau has committed to supporting Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman’s campaign, Belaaz is told, following a meeting in Williamsburg on Sunday.

Blakeman’s campaign told Belaaz that the discussion focused on expanding housing opportunities, making homeownership more affordable, protecting yeshiva education, increasing school choice and keeping neighborhood streets safe.

The campaign said Blakeman’s priorities include preventing families from being priced out of Williamsburg, safeguarding religious institutions from government intrusion and ensuring children can grow up in safe neighborhoods.

A school trip in northern Israel ended in tragedy on Monday when an explosion tore through a group of students from the Ort religious yeshiva in Ma’alot who were hiking in the Upper Galilee.

Close to 20 students were wounded in the blast, some of them seriously.

The incident took place in the early afternoon on the Ramim Ridge near Kiryat Shmona. The students apparently came upon a rocket that Hezbollah had fired during the war but that never detonated.

Of the roughly 20 students hurt, one young student was pronounced dead at the scene. Several others are in serious condition and were evacuated to hospitals in the north.

Helicopters from rescue teams and the Israeli Air Force arrived at the scene to help evacuate the wounded.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he has seen no evidence of an energy ceasefire by Russia, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement a day earlier that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.

Macron stressed that progress would require “if there is a real truce on both sides,” arguing that recent events contradict claims of a pause in Russian attacks. He said “the facts show Russia has continued to bomb energy infrastructure [in Ukraine] in the last hours.”

“There is currently no factual reason to change our position. Russia is continuing to bomb both civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine,” he added.

“We say ‘yes’ to seeking an energy ceasefire and resuming peace talks…. but ‘no’ to giving in to the Russian threat,” Macron said.

Trump’s announcement reportedly surprised officials in Kyiv, while Moscow offered no immediate public response. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces attacked several Ukrainian power facilities on Sunday, including plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv, triggering electricity outages.

Iran has offered to help facilitate political talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement as tensions intensify following deadly attacks on Saudi territory. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed Tehran’s willingness to assist in opening a diplomatic channel during a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed regional developments during a call held the previous night, including efforts to find a political resolution to the growing crisis. Araghchi voiced concern over the rising tensions, cautioning that continued military action and the absence of meaningful diplomatic engagement could make the situation increasingly difficult to resolve.

Although the Persian-language version of Iran’s official statement referred to dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Tehran’s proposal specifically involved helping arrange negotiations between Riyadh and the Houthis.

Riyadh Confirms Call but Makes No Commitment to Negotiations

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the conversation between the two foreign ministers had taken place. According to Riyadh, the discussion focused on the latest regional escalation and ongoing efforts to address it.

However, Saudi officials have not publicly outlined the details of those efforts or announced any agreement to begin negotiations with the Houthis. No timetable or formal framework for potential talks has been disclosed.

Iran’s offer comes as Saudi Arabia faces mounting security concerns following attacks attributed to the Houthis, a group supported by Tehran. The initiative raises questions about whether diplomatic engagement can resume and whether negotiations could help prevent further escalation.

First Publicly Announced Contact Since Houthi Attacks Intensified

According to Reuters, the phone call marks the first publicly announced communication between the two foreign ministers since the Houthis stepped up their attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The conversation followed Houthi strikes targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday. The attacks reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300, making the incident the deadliest attack inside Saudi Arabia in over a decade.

Despite Iran’s stated willingness to facilitate dialogue, it remains uncertain whether the proposal will lead to formal negotiations. Saudi Arabia has not publicly accepted Tehran’s offer of mediation or confirmed plans for direct talks with the Houthi movement.

President Isaac Herzog has sharply criticized the Israel Police’s ability to confront the country’s growing crime problems, saying the force lacks the capacity and manpower needed to meet the challenges facing Israel.

Speaking at a conference organized by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Herzog said: “Our police force, which is doing the best it can, is a little out of its depth in this country. We need a stronger police force — and a much larger one, because there are so many challenges here.”

Herzog also highlighted the continuing wave of deadly violence in Arab communities, where criminal activity and killings have risen dramatically in recent years.

“Crime in Arab society is a disaster,” he says, as quoted by Ynet. “We’re talking about a huge number of citizens — more than 1.3 million people living under terror, day and night.”

Turning to Israel’s upcoming election, Herzog pledged to make every effort to prevent the country from being forced into another election cycle. His remarks come as polls suggest that the October 27 vote could produce a political stalemate, leaving no candidate with sufficient support to form a government.

Herzog said he would “really, truly do everything in my power to prevent another round of elections,” stressing the importance of political stability as Israel confronts significant national challenges.

“We need to understand that our national challenges are enormous. We need to wait for the results rather than pass judgment, but we must do everything possible to avoid going back to this again and again and again.”

A Melbourne-based Islamic preacher has rejected what he called “false accusations” after prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates identified his community center as a place frequented by the Omani copilot accused of attempting to hijack a flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv.

Hamam al-Hammami, who is being held in the UAE, allegedly drew inspiration from al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks before attempting to kill the captain and bring down the plane. Emirati prosecutors said the suspect acted “with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life,” according to findings published by state media last week.

Investigators said Hammami became radicalized while studying in Australia, “through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks.”

According to the prosecution, he had contact with an organization called “My Center,” an Islamic community center managed by a man known as Abu Hamza. Local media have identified the preacher as Samir Mohtadi, who is of Lebanese background.

Mohtadi has delivered sermons sharply criticizing Israel. In previous remarks, he described Zionists as “scavengers” and “bloodsuckers” who needed to be defeated.

Neither Mohtadi nor “My Center” has been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the alleged plot.

In a video circulated on social media, Mohtadi pushed back against what he described as “false accusations.”

“Right through the ages… those who’re righteous, they’ve always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned — and this is the way it is,” he said.

“The best thing sometimes is not to say anything,” he added. “They’re going to continue accusing you… making false accusations.”

Mohtadi did not directly address the UAE prosecutor’s allegations concerning Hammami or the community center.

Passengers and crew thwart alleged cockpit attack

The incident took place on September 30, while the aircraft was flying through Saudi Arabian airspace. Hammami allegedly attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, using a crash axe normally kept in the cockpit for emergencies.

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Israeli passengers and two additional pilots aboard the aircraft then helped overpower Hammami, allowing the plane to land safely in Saudi Arabia. The suspect was subsequently transferred to the UAE, where flydubai is based.

During the confrontation, the aircraft reportedly lost 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) of altitude in just 30 seconds. Investigators and accounts from passengers suggest Hammami may have deliberately sent the plane into a dive after realizing he would not reach Tel Aviv. Passengers also described him trying to damage cockpit equipment while they struggled to restrain him.

Hebrew-language media have reported that Hammami visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times in recent months while traveling to Israel on flydubai flights. According to those reports, he told investigators that during a June visit, he concentrated on gathering intelligence and preparing for an attack.

Reports also indicate that he planned to carry out an attack in July but abandoned the attempt at the last moment because he was friends with a member of that flight’s crew.

Australian police and intelligence agencies have confirmed that they are examining Hammami’s connections to Australia.

New Zealand police have also been looking into his time in the country. National broadcaster RNZ reported last week that Hammami had spent time there on a six-month student visa and completed part of his flight training in New Zealand.

Reported cancellation of Israel-UAE meeting raises questions over investigation

Separately, a scheduled meeting between Israeli Transportation Ministry representatives and officials from the UAE was reportedly canceled this week.

Channel 13 news reported that the cancellation meant Israeli officials would not receive a presentation of the Emirati investigation’s findings into the thwarted flydubai attack, which took place approximately two weeks earlier.

The broadcaster said it had received conflicting accounts of why the meeting was called off.

One account suggested that the UAE canceled the meeting because it did not want the participation of Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev to be interpreted as a political gesture. Another version indicated that Regev herself canceled the meeting, although the reason was not known.

The circumstances surrounding the cancellation remain unclear, as do the details of any eventual briefing Israeli officials may receive on the UAE investigation.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly running short of interceptor missiles used to defend against continued attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing Saudi officials.

The newspaper, citing individuals familiar with Riyadh’s thinking, reports that the kingdom is “struggling to cover the vast country with air defense.” Saudi authorities are reportedly repositioning missile defense batteries to prioritize protection for critical energy facilities and royal palaces.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also taking precautions amid the threat, with the WSJ reporting that he is moving cautiously between “heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers” while accompanied by a select group of security personnel.

WARSAW, Poland — Polish authorities have arrested a man suspected of threatening and preparing an attack against Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced Sunday. Officials have not disclosed the suspect’s identity or provided details about the alleged plan.

The arrest comes as Poland faces growing security concerns, fueled by several recent school attacks and warnings about potential Russian hybrid operations intended to undermine Western backing for Ukraine.

“The man who threatened an attack was detained,” Tusk wrote on X. “Thanks to the police for fast and decisive action.”

Earlier Sunday, Polish police disclosed that security officials had received intelligence about a possible plot targeting both Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

“We take this matter extremely seriously,” said Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the minister responsible for overseeing Poland’s intelligence services. He added that authorities believed there was a “high probability” the threats would be carried out.

Dobrzyński made the remarks following an emergency meeting attended by security officials, police and Interior Ministry representatives. According to him, the initial warning was received by the state protection service, which subsequently notified the police.

Although officials have withheld further information about the suspected plot, Dobrzyński said intelligence agencies have been confronting a growing volume of threats each month.

Government spokesperson Adam Szłapka said Tusk was informed of the threat early Sunday morning. While threats against public officials are not unprecedented, Szłapka described this particular case as “exceptionally concerning.”

The arrest also comes against the backdrop of a series of violent incidents at schools in the central Polish province of Mazovia. Three attacks occurred over four days this week, leaving one person dead and numerous others injured, including children.

Polish officials have separately warned of the possibility of escalating Russian efforts to destabilize NATO’s eastern members. In September, Tusk said Moscow was preparing to intensify hybrid operations against countries supporting Ukraine.

He warned that Russia could target European countries, including Poland, with drones or rockets in an effort to weaken Western assistance to Kyiv as it continues fighting Russia’s invasion. Moscow has denied planning such attacks.

The latest arrest underscores Poland’s concerns about threats against senior government officials as the country continues to monitor potential security risks linked to the war in Ukraine and tensions with Russia.

Beyachad chairman Naftali Bennett set off a fresh fight inside the opposition bloc Sunday after saying he would be willing to have Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu serve as a minister in a government he leads. Hours later, he reversed course.

Speaking at an election conference hosted by the newspaper Hador, Bennett said he was not ruling out political cooperation with the prime minister.

“As long as our founding principles are accepted — I have no problem with Netanyahu being a minister in our government,” Bennett said. “By the way, in 2003 Mr. Netanyahu, truly, I say this to his credit, was one of the best finance ministers the State of Israel has had.”

He added: “I don’t know whether a Jew approaching 80 still has the energy for this, but if he accepts all of our central principles — an immediate state commission of inquiry, a draft for all, a constitution for Israel — he should pick up the phone.”

The pushback from his own camp came fast.

Democrats chairman Yair Golan wrote on X: “Netanyahu will not sit in any government as long as it depends on the Democrats. Not as finance minister, not as water minister and not as minister without portfolio. The man responsible for the October 7 failure, who led a government that advanced mass draft-dodging during wartime and the regime coup, will not receive any legitimacy from us to return to power. We will not sit with Netanyahu and his partners. Period.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman said: “I call on my colleagues in the Zionist bloc to make it unequivocally clear — the world can turn upside down and we will not sit with Netanyahu. In the next government, Netanyahu will not be able to serve even as minister for regional cooperation.”

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, who also addressed the conference, rejected the idea as well: “I don’t accept that. Anyone who held office on October 7 is not fit to serve in positions of command and leadership, including as finance minister.”

Several hours later, Bennett issued a clarification: “I suggest everyone calm down. I have said a thousand times that Netanyahu bears direct and personal responsibility for the October 7 massacre and therefore he must go home. We will not sit with him in any constellation.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday sent a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet Director David Zini, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding an urgent criminal investigation into those who took part in the documentary “NAZA.”

“The film embodies a false, misleading and tendentious libel, which spreads slander against the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces around the world and severely harms Israel’s standing in the world,” Netanyahu wrote.

He added that there is concern those involved “committed serious criminal offenses of exposing top-secret information and created a breach in the information security of a highly sensitive intelligence unit.”

Netanyahu instructed the three officials to urgently identify everyone involved in the film and those appearing in it, and to open a criminal investigation into information security offenses, criminal defamation, and harm to the state’s diplomatic and security interests.

Background: “NAZA” is a one-sided documentary against the IDF’s Gaza operations, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced with The Guardian. It features accounts from 24 soldiers said to have served in Unit 8200. Zamir previously ordered a review of possible legal action and a probe into the suspected leak of classified material, calling the film’s claims “blood libels.”

Ukraine is linking any suspension of its attacks on Russian oil refineries to a reciprocal commitment from Moscow to stop striking Ukrainian energy facilities, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday. His position puts Kyiv at odds with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called on Ukraine to end its refinery campaign.

The disagreement has expanded beyond battlefield strategy into a dispute over fuel costs, sanctions policy and Washington’s approach to the war. Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks for contributing to higher American diesel prices and has questioned Zelenskyy’s leadership.

On Saturday, Trump said Zelenskyy had “better damn well stop” the attacks and argued that Ukraine’s president had failed to seize previous opportunities to negotiate with Russia. Trump’s comments came as rising energy costs threaten to become a liability for Republicans before November’s congressional elections.

Zelenskyy maintains that Ukraine cannot be expected to suspend its operations while Russian forces continue targeting the country’s energy network. He said any understanding with Moscow would need enforceable assurances rather than promises alone.

“The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so.”

The Ukrainian president also criticized Trump’s announcement of a diesel supply arrangement involving Russia. Zelenskyy warned that providing Moscow with an economic opening could encourage further attacks against Ukraine.

Whether the arrangement will substantially ease fuel prices remains uncertain. Analysts have noted that Russian supplies are still below normal levels because attacks on refinery facilities have disrupted production and exports. That shortfall could limit the deal’s effect on international markets.

The proposal has also encountered resistance among U.S. lawmakers. Republican Representative Don Bacon called for Washington to tighten economic restrictions on Russia instead of relaxing them, highlighting divisions over how the administration should handle Moscow.

In Kyiv, Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should replace its president prompted objections from residents who believe leadership decisions should be made domestically. The issue is particularly sensitive because Ukraine’s wartime legal framework prevents elections from being held under martial law.

Sabina, a 40-year-old primary school teacher, defended Ukraine’s right to determine its own political future.

“No one has the right to tell us what to do, especially since elections cannot be held during wartime,” she said.

“In my view, it is a betrayal by our partners,” she said of Trump’s remarks.

Beyond the dispute with Washington, Kyiv continues to seek greater military support from European partners. Zelenskyy said consultations with European leaders would continue Sunday, with discussions focused in part on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. The assistance under consideration includes ammunition for aircraft used to intercept Russian jet-powered drones.

Ukraine’s diplomatic agenda will continue Monday, when Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. The gathering is set to address additional sanctions against Russia and efforts to move Ukraine’s EU membership process forward.

The central question remains whether Moscow and Kyiv can agree to reciprocal limits on attacks against energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy’s position is that Ukraine is prepared to stop targeting Russian refineries, but only if Russia also ends its campaign against Ukraine’s energy system.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing growing criticism from progressive allies demanding the dismissal of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The dispute has brought tensions over policing, immigration enforcement and Israel into sharper focus within the coalition that helped elect him.

The controversy intensified after an ICE agent shot and wounded Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican national, during a federal enforcement operation in New York City’s Marble Hill neighborhood on October 8. Belgal was in a vehicle with his five-year-old son, who was unharmed. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Belgal had a criminal history and links to the Trinitarios street gang, a criminal organization with roots in the Dominican Republic. Those allegations should not be treated as independent confirmation of gang membership. The shooting remains under investigation.

The incident renewed calls for the NYPD to limit its involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Activists have directed much of their criticism at Tisch, although ICE operates under federal authority and the NYPD commissioner cannot independently halt the agency’s activities in New York.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who won her Democratic primary with Mamdani’s endorsement and is expected to enter Congress next year, has called for the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group to be disbanded and Tisch to resign.

“The NYPD’s Strategic Response Group must be disbanded as quickly as possible, and Commissioner Tisch must step down,” she said, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has also called for Tisch’s removal, arguing that the city must end police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement that the group considers unjust. The demands put Mamdani under pressure from allies seeking faster action on his policing agenda.

Tisch’s Retention Divides Supporters

Mamdani announced in November 2025 that he would retain Tisch, who was appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams. The decision preserved continuity in police leadership but drew sharply different reactions from groups with competing expectations of the new administration.

Tisch has described herself as a “proud Zionist” and has criticized some campus protests over Israel. Mamdani, by contrast, has been a prominent advocate for Palestinians and a critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council were among the established Jewish organizations that welcomed the decision to retain Tisch. Some progressive activists, however, questioned her ties to the Adams administration and her positions on Israel-related demonstrations.

The anti-Israel organization Jewish Voice for Peace, which supported Mamdani during his earlier campaign for the New York State Legislature, has also called for Tisch’s dismissal.

In a statement, the group said that “Jessica Tisch’s virulent Zionist politics, connection to big tech surveillance, and commitment to sharing tactics between the NYPD and Israeli military should have led to her immediately being fired at the start of the new mayoral administration.”

These are the organization’s allegations and political assessments. The dispute reflects broader disagreements over surveillance, police practices and the relationship between American law enforcement and Israel.

Police Reform Remains a Point of Contention

Tisch’s position is not the only issue driving criticism of Mamdani. Activists have also challenged his administration over the continued existence of the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, a unit deployed during demonstrations and other major incidents that has faced criticism from police reform advocates.

Mamdani campaigned on dismantling the unit, and its continued operation has become a measure for some supporters of whether he is delivering on his promises. Abolishing it, however, would not resolve every disagreement over police tactics or the NYPD’s relationship with federal authorities.

October 7 Protest Highlights Israel-Related Tensions

Mamdani also faced protests on October 7 after attending a memorial gathering honoring victims of the Hamas-led attacks in Israel and recognizing the loss of Jewish and Palestinian lives.

Some demonstrators called the mayor a “traitor” and “Ziohran,” a derogatory combination of his name and the word “Zionist.” Protesters accused him of failing to advance the pro-Palestinian positions associated with his political career and criticized his decision to retain Tisch.

Chants included, “Mayor Mamdani, you can’t hide, we accuse you of genocide.” The disruption reportedly prompted organizers to move the gathering behind police barricades.

The protest illustrated the depth of disagreement among some activists over Mamdani’s approach to Israel. It does not, however, establish that the demonstrators represent the views of his entire electoral coalition.

Antisemitism Policy Adds to the Debate

Mamdani has also faced criticism over his approach to combating antisemitism and his response to Israeli real estate events held at synagogues. Some anti-Israel activists object to potential public funding for organizations they identify as pro Israel.

The debate highlights competing demands on the mayor: addressing antisemitism and protecting Jewish New Yorkers while navigating disagreements over Zionism, Israel and public funding. Jewish organizations and activists hold differing views on these issues, and no single position represents the entire community.

A Test of Mamdani’s Campaign Commitments

The calls to remove Tisch have brought several disputes into a single political confrontation: the response to federal immigration enforcement, the future of a controversial police unit and disagreements over Israel.

Mamdani now faces demands from some of his supporters to accelerate policing reforms while managing a department whose leadership he chose to retain. Whether he changes course on Tisch or the Strategic Response Group remains unresolved, but his decisions will determine how his administration addresses these competing demands.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing growing pressure from progressive allies who want him to remove Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, exposing tensions within his political coalition over policing, immigration enforcement and Israel.

The dispute intensified following an October 8 incident in Marble Hill, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and wounded Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican national. Belgal was reportedly in a vehicle with his five-year-old son, who was not injured. The Department of Homeland Security cited Belgal’s alleged criminal history and claimed connections to the Trinitarios street gang. Those allegations have not been independently established here, and the shooting remains under investigation.

The incident has renewed calls from activists for New York City to restrict police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Much of their criticism has focused on Tisch, although ICE operates under federal authority and the NYPD commissioner cannot independently suspend ICE operations.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist candidate who won her Democratic primary with Mamdani’s endorsement and is expected to enter Congress next year, has called for the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group to be dismantled and for Tisch to resign.

“The NYPD’s Strategic Response Group must be disbanded as quickly as possible, and Commissioner Tisch must step down,” she said, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has also demanded Tisch’s removal, arguing that the city should end police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement practices the organization considers unjust.

Tisch’s Retention Divides Supporters

Mamdani chose to retain Tisch in November 2025, despite her having been appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams. The decision has become a source of friction between the mayor and some of the progressive groups that helped propel his political rise.

Tisch has described herself as a “proud Zionist” and has criticized certain campus demonstrations related to Israel. Mamdani, meanwhile, has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and a critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Jewish communal organizations, including UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, welcomed Tisch’s continued leadership. Some progressive activists have objected to her ties to the previous administration and her public positions on Israel.

Jewish Voice for Peace has been particularly critical of the commissioner, stating: “Jessica Tisch’s virulent Zionist politics, connection to big tech surveillance, and commitment to sharing tactics between the NYPD and Israeli military should have led to her immediately being fired at the start of the new mayoral administration.”

The statement reflects the organization’s assessment of Tisch and her record; its characterizations are disputed political claims rather than established findings.

Police Reform Remains a Point of Contention

The NYPD’s Strategic Response Group has been deployed at protests and other major incidents, making it a longstanding target of police-reform advocates. Mamdani campaigned on dismantling the unit, and its continued existence has become a test of whether his administration will follow through on that commitment.

For critics, the unit represents a broader concern about the department’s approach to demonstrations and public order. For the mayor, the issue presents a challenge: responding to demands from supporters while managing a police department responsible for public safety across the city.

October 7 Protest Highlights Israel-Related Tensions

Mamdani also faced demonstrators at a memorial gathering honoring victims of the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and recognizing Jewish and Palestinian lives. Protesters denounced the mayor, calling him a “traitor” and “Ziohran,” while accusing him of failing to advance a pro-Palestinian agenda.

Some demonstrators chanted, “Mayor Mamdani, you can’t hide, we accuse you of genocide.” The event was moved behind police barricades as the disruption continued.

The protest illustrated the competing expectations placed on Mamdani by activists who broadly share his political outlook but disagree over how he should address Israel, antisemitism and the war in Gaza. The demonstrators’ views should not be taken as representative of all his voters or supporters.

Antisemitism Policy Adds to the Debate

Mamdani has also faced criticism over his approach to combating antisemitism and over Israeli real estate events held at synagogues. Some anti-Zionist activists oppose public funding for organizations they identify as pro Israel, while Jewish communal groups and other advocates have emphasized the need to protect Jewish New Yorkers and confront antisemitism.

Photo: Hossein Zohrevand/Tasnim

Iran remains “well-stocked” with ballistic missiles and some anti-ship weapons despite months of U.S. and Israeli strikes, Bloomberg reported, citing a Western official familiar with the assessments.

Western officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private assessments, said Tehran has also preserved its missile and drone production capacity, allowing it to replenish its arsenal.

The official who described Iran’s stockpiles also said Russia is supplying Iran with missiles. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.

The White House rejected the assessment. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told Bloomberg that U.S. operations had destroyed Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities and navy, along with the conventional defenses surrounding its nuclear program.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has urged airlines, maritime operators and travelers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace following a deadly attack in Riyadh that reportedly killed 12 people and injured hundreds more.

“The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all aviation and navigation companies, experts, staff, workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says on X.

“The airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces, with the exception of the airports of Mecca and Medina,” the spokesman adds, identifying the two important Islamic cities as exceptions to the warning.

Polish security officials are examining a reported threat involving Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, following information received by police, the Interior Ministry announced Sunday.

The investigation comes amid heightened security concerns in Poland after a series of violent incidents at schools, including one on Thursday that claimed the life of a school caretaker.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Karolina Galecka said senior government officials had instructed the relevant security services to take action in response to the reported threat.

She identified Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński and special services coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak among the officials overseeing the response, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Authorities scheduled a meeting for 11 a.m. Sunday at the Internal Security Agency’s Counter-Terrorism Centre to address the matter.

Officials have not yet publicly disclosed further details about the nature or credibility of the suspected threat. The investigation remains ongoing.

A woman believed to be around 60 died Sunday after firefighters rescued her from a burning two-story home in Mas’ada, a village in Israel’s Golan Heights. The fire had reportedly been burning for approximately an hour before she was pulled from the building, according to Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority.

When firefighters arrived, they found smoke pouring out of the house and were informed that someone might still be trapped inside.

Crews entered the smoke-filled residence and discovered the woman unconscious and in critical condition. After carrying her outside, firefighters attempted resuscitation until Magen David Adom (MDA) medical teams arrived. Paramedics subsequently pronounced her dead at the scene.

Fire Officials Stress Importance of Smoke Detectors

Galilee-Golan District Deputy Fire Chief Eli Mor described the emergency response and renewed his call for households to install smoke detectors.

“The team rushed to the scene following a report received directly from a citizen regarding a fire and a concern that someone was trapped inside a house in the village,” Mor said. “The team entered the smoke-filled structure and rescued a woman in critical condition. The firefighters performed resuscitation efforts until medical personnel arrived.”

“I reiterate the crucial importance of installing smoke detectors in homes to provide early warning of a fire and save lives.”

Following the fatal incident, the Northern District Commander ordered a dedicated investigative team from the Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how the fire started and establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

President Donald Trump has publicly urged Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman to switch political parties and join the Republican Party, raising the prospect of a significant political realignment as November’s midterm elections approach and control of the Senate hangs in the balance.

“I’d love to see him as a Republican,” Trump told reporters Saturday at Joint Base Andrews after returning to Washington from a campaign rally in Tennessee. “He does better as a Republican than he does as a Democrat.”

Trump’s remarks represent a direct effort to attract Fetterman to the Republican Party at a time when maintaining control of the Senate has become a major concern for GOP leaders. Fetterman, who won his Senate seat in 2022, initially emerged as a prominent Democratic figure with an unconventional, working-class political image. Since arriving in Washington, however, he has increasingly broken with members of his party on issues including immigration and Israel, fueling questions about his political future.

A spokesperson for Fetterman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fetterman has previously dismissed the idea of joining the Republican Party. In a May opinion piece for The Washington Post, he described himself as a “terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.” Tensions with fellow Democrats have grown following his appearance in a video played at a Republican midterm convention last month, in which he praised Pennsylvania’s Republican senator, Dave McCormick, and criticized ideological extremism within his own party.

“I’m always going to stand with America,” Fetterman said in the video. “I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”

Fetterman’s willingness to appear at a Republican political gathering could complicate his efforts to secure the Democratic nomination for another Senate term. Trump raised that possibility Saturday while making his pitch for the senator to change parties.

Democrats are seeking to gain four Senate seats to establish a 51-seat majority. Although that goal remains difficult, Trump’s low approval ratings and economic pressures linked to the war with Iran have given Democrats greater confidence that they could make substantial gains in November.

A Democratic Senate majority could also give Fetterman greater influence within the chamber, potentially making a move to the Republican Party less attractive.

Party switches have previously altered the balance of power in the Senate. In 2001, Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party and became an independent, allowing Democrats to take control of the chamber. In 2009, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s departure from the GOP and move to the Democratic Party helped Democrats secure a supermajority.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has ignited a dispute involving Israel, the United States and international legal institutions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the selection, while US President Donald Trump used the announcement to renew his criticism of the Nobel process and argue that his own diplomatic record deserved recognition.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Pillay was selected “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” The decision has placed renewed attention on her work in human rights, international justice and investigations into alleged violations in Gaza.

Pillay, a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights and International Criminal Court (ICC) judge, chaired a UN commission investigating events in the Palestinian territories. Its conclusions, particularly its finding that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, have been strongly disputed by Israeli officials.

A Nobel decision deepens Israel’s dispute with international investigators

The commission Pillay led, formally known as the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including east Jerusalem, concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and alleged that senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, had incited such acts. Israel has rejected the findings and accused the commission of political bias.

The Nobel Committee presented a contrasting assessment of Pillay’s career, emphasizing her efforts to advance accountability and defend human rights across several decades of legal and public service.

“A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time,” the committee said.

Netanyahu’s office responded with a strongly worded statement attacking both Pillay and the committee, accusing them of perpetuating what it described as false and antisemitic allegations against Israel.

“The Nobel Prize committee has lost its moral compass,” the Prime Minister’s Office wrote on X/Twitter. “It has awarded its highest honor to a bigot who built her career around inventing and propagating blood libels against the only Jewish state.”

The statement also connected the dispute to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and legal proceedings involving Israel. Khan has faced allegations of sexual misconduct from ICC employees, which he has denied. The allegations are separate from the court’s proceedings concerning Israel.

Pillay’s “proudest achievement was to legitimize a corrupt prosecutor who turned to her fabrications against Israel, hoping that by joining her bigoted lynch mob, [ICC prosecutor Karim Khan] would beat a rape charge,” the post went on to say.

“Khan, who his own ICC employees accused of raping and sexually molesting them, used Pillay’s lies to build a fake case against Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office continued.

“Now, the misguided members of the Nobel committee are honoring the woman who propagated this demonization of the Jews and this travesty of justice,” it said.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry also challenged the award, arguing that Pillay’s work had contributed to an unfair international campaign against the country.

“If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn’t just be a contender. She’d be a front-runner,” the ministry said.

The ministry dismissed the commission’s genocide conclusion, calling it “the biggest lie of the 21st century,” and adding, “[Nazi propagandist] Joseph Goebbels is certainly applauding from hell.”

The competing positions underscore the broader conflict over international accountability for the Gaza war: the Nobel Committee has recognized Pillay’s work in international law, while Israel’s leadership argues that her findings undermine the legitimacy of its actions and unfairly target the Jewish state.

Trump turns the Nobel announcement into a dispute over US diplomacy

Trump added his own criticism on Friday, questioning Pillay’s prominence and arguing that his administration’s diplomatic efforts merited the peace prize.

“Despite … [America’s] unbelievable accomplishments, the Nobel Prize was given out today to a liberal person who works at the United Nations, who nobody has ever heard of. I’ve never heard of that person,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Syracuse, New York.

“I know a lot of people. I’ve never heard of this particular person, but congratulations anyway,” he added.

Trump also questioned the United Nations’ role in resolving conflicts, claiming that his efforts had proceeded without the organization’s involvement.

“In all of the wars that I have settled, I never spoke to the United Nations. They were of no help to me,” Trump said. “The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t.”

He subsequently criticized Norway, where the Nobel Peace Prize committee is based, over the selection.

“This is an indelible stain on the country of Norway and those people who made such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision,” Trump said.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really, enemies of civilization. And we will not forget Norway,” he said.

US sanctions put the ICC under renewed pressure

The controversy over Pillay’s award coincided with a separate escalation in the Trump administration’s confrontation with the ICC. Hours after the Nobel announcement, Washington imposed new sanctions against the tribunal, raising the prospect of further friction with European allies.

The court’s deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, criticized the sanctions and said the tribunal would continue its investigations and prosecutions.

Established in 2002, the ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Trump administration has previously targeted court officials with sanctions. The latest measures could extend the restrictions to companies and organizations that provide services to the court.

“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement first reported by Reuters.

“That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off its resources and crippling its ability to operate,” Rubio said.

Khan told Reuters that the sanctions “must be condemned.”

“The sanctions are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing,” Khan said. “Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations, and our prosecutions.”

The ICC warned that Washington’s action threatened its independence and the wider framework of international justice.

The sanctions are “an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the court from doing what it was created to do,” the ICC said in a statement.

“It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order which strikes at the simple principle that no one stands above the law,” it said.

“The designation is aimed at disrupting the court’s operations and at intimidating those who work for or cooperate with the court. The court, for its part, will not be deterred … Yet the court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it,” the ICC continued.

Washington’s opposition to the court stems in part from its actions involving Israel, including arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. The United States has also challenged the ICC over a now-closed investigation into alleged crimes by American military personnel in Afghanistan.

Netanyahu welcomed the latest sanctions, praising Trump and Rubio for what he called the “critical decision.”

“The ICC is not a court,” he said. “It is a political body that poses a mortal threat to law-abiding democracies worldwide and to the very idea of national sovereignty. Thank you for your leadership.”

The Nobel controversy and the new sanctions highlight the widening divide between Israel and the United States on one side and international institutions seeking to hold states and individuals accountable under international law on the other. While the Nobel Committee has presented Pillay’s career as a contribution to peace and justice, Israeli and US leaders have framed her recognition and the ICC’s work as evidence of institutional bias.

A Republican lawmaker is preparing a legislative challenge to President Donald Trump’s agreement with Russia on diesel supplies, arguing for restrictions on Russian oil purchases. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania announced Saturday that he intends to force a House vote, potentially putting him at odds with the president.

The dispute centers on competing priorities: reducing energy costs and preventing Moscow from benefiting financially while its war against Ukraine continues.

Fitzpatrick, who co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, plans to introduce a proposal titled the “Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act.” He aims to advance the bill through a discharge petition, a procedure that can bring legislation to the House floor without approval from congressional leadership.

“It will be forced to the Floor via discharge and it will pass overwhelmingly,” Fitzpatrick wrote on X.

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is leaving Congress, has also indicated his support. He told Axios he has “already agreed” to sign the petition.

The controversy follows Trump’s announcement Friday that Russia would begin supplying more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States and international markets, with further deliveries planned. The administration has promoted the arrangement as a potential way to ease fuel costs, but energy analysts doubt the additional supply will have a substantial effect on prices.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sharply criticized the agreement. He described it as “not fair and not honest” and told Axios that the arrangement effectively benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump added to the tensions Saturday by urging Ukraine to replace Zelensky with a leader willing to reach an agreement with Moscow.

The White House had not provided a response to Axios’ request for comment on Fitzpatrick’s proposed legislation.

The initiative also highlights divisions within the Republican Party as lawmakers face the approaching midterm elections. Fitzpatrick joins a growing number of Republicans willing to challenge Trump publicly, at a time when the party is working to preserve its congressional majority amid declining approval of the president.

Fitzpatrick’s strategy relies on a procedural tool that lawmakers have increasingly used to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana. A discharge petition needs 218 signatures to bring a bill to the floor without leadership’s authorization.

Fitzpatrick and Bacon previously worked to force a House vote on Ukraine aid and Russia-related sanctions. That measure passed the House but failed to advance in the Senate.

The latest effort faces a difficult timetable. The current Congress is due to end in January, and the House is not scheduled to return to voting until after the November 3 midterm elections. Any proposal that passes the House would still have to clear the Senate and could face a presidential veto.

Support for the petition remains uncertain on both sides of the aisle. One Republican lawmaker, speaking anonymously to Axios, questioned whether colleagues should commit to the effort so far in advance.

“Being that Congress won’t be in session for another four weeks, any prudent lawmaker would probably not make a commitment to this prematurely.”

A Democratic House member told Axios that they intend to sign the petition and expect “most” fellow Democrats to support it. However, the lawmaker cautioned that party-wide agreement is not certain.

“Leadership may not want people to help him,” the Democrat said, adding that political calculations could shift after the midterm elections.

US President Donald Trump called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave office, arguing that Ukraine’s leader has repeatedly rejected opportunities to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.

“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Saturday. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” he said, adding: “For some reason he never does.”

Trump also urged Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries, claiming the attacks were contributing to a worldwide diesel shortage and increasing expenses for American farmers and ranchers. “He better damn well stop,” Trump said.

His comments came a day after he unexpectedly announced a diesel supply arrangement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under the proposed deal, Russia would deliver more than 300,000 tons immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and another 1 million tons afterward. An additional 3 million tons would depend on the condition of Russian refineries.

The United States temporarily relaxed sanctions on Russian diesel exports to facilitate the shipments, easing restrictions originally imposed to limit the energy income Moscow uses to finance its war against Ukraine.

Zelensky told Axios that the arrangement had taken him by surprise, calling it “not fair and not honest” and describing it as an unjustified concession to Putin.

According to Axios, citing a US official familiar with the matter, Trump pursued the agreement after Zelensky disregarded six American requests to stop attacks on Russian refineries. Kyiv had proposed a mutual suspension of such strikes, with Zelensky telling Trump and his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, that Ukraine would cease targeting Russian refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukrainian power plants.

A Ukrainian official separately told Axios that Witkoff and Kushner had threatened to suspend US intelligence sharing if Ukraine continued the attacks. However, a US official disputed that account, saying the envoys had stressed Washington’s military assistance to Kyiv while encouraging Ukrainian leaders to avoid actions that could raise costs for American consumers.

Hamas is under pressure on multiple fronts, with Israeli intelligence detecting signs of possible attacks against Israeli troops and the group facing challenges to its authority inside Gaza, according to a report by Walla citing a senior Israeli security official.

The official said Hamas faces tensions between its leadership outside Gaza, led by Khalil al-Hayya, and commanders inside the territory over the group’s approach toward Israel. Israeli intelligence has also identified indications of possible confrontations involving IDF forces and rival Palestinian clans.

The potential flashpoints include the Yellow Line, which separates areas under Israeli military control from other parts of Gaza, as well as local clans that have repeatedly clashed with Hamas.

“We are identifying offensive intentions in general. To confront the IDF along the Yellow Line and to confront the clans,” the official said.

According to the official, Hamas is finding it difficult to restore its military capabilities while Israeli operations continue and opposition to its rule grows. The group is reportedly focused on recovering existing weapons rather than significantly expanding its arsenal.

“Hamas is paying the price of defeat every day. On average, three to four targeted eliminations occur every day. Hamas is very concerned about the clans and internal stability. They can’t build up their strength, only restore existing weapons. We are not seeing anything coming in from outside. There is very effective threat-removal activity.”

Israeli air operations have been directed at disrupting Hamas efforts to organize attacks and challenge Israeli forces along the Yellow Line, the official said.

Senior Hamas security figure’s capture may provide Israel with intelligence

The official also highlighted the September 1 capture of Muin al-Arabid, who led Hamas’s internal security organization in Gaza. The operation, the official said, dealt a blow to Hamas’s confidence in its ability to shield its personnel from Israeli intelligence and military activity.

Al-Arabid was initially unable to speak because of his physical condition, but his health has reportedly improved. The official suggested he may now be providing information to Israeli interrogators.

The official attributed Israel’s improved operational performance to expanded intelligence resources, stronger cooperation among security agencies, better information gathering and the establishment of additional operations centers. These developments have helped Israeli forces carry out more precise operations against suspected threats.

Major escalation before October 27 vote considered unlikely

Despite the reported preparations for possible attacks, the official assessed that a large-scale confrontation with Hamas before Israel’s October 27 elections was unlikely.

The longer-term outlook remains uncertain, however, because Hamas has shown no apparent willingness to surrender its weapons. The official warned that the dispute over disarmament could eventually trigger another military campaign.

“Hamas is supposed to hand over its weapons. I don’t see that happening. And there is no intention to do so. We need to apply more pressure. Either this will lead to a military campaign of various kinds, or it will lead to Hamas disarming,” the official said.

The report also revisited a major intelligence gap before the October 7, 2023, attacks. At the time, neither the Shin Bet nor the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate maintained human intelligence sources inside Gaza, leaving Israeli agencies without on-the-ground informants who might have warned of the unfolding threat.

Israeli defense officials have since reported progress in establishing human intelligence networks inside the territory. They say the expanded capabilities have helped support significant military and intelligence operations.

Western officials say Tehran has rebuilt its arsenal and can rapidly replenish supplies, while a separate report claims Washington urged Israel to strike Iran without US military support.

Iran has preserved its missile and drone production facilities and can replenish its weapons stockpiles, according to unnamed Western officials cited by Bloomberg on Saturday. One official also said Russia was supplying missiles to the Islamic Republic.

Iran has used recent months of relative calm to rebuild its damaged weapons industry and replenish its arsenal. The country remains “well-stocked” with ballistic missiles and anti-ship weapons and can “quickly add more,” the officials said.

They assessed that Tehran retains sufficient firepower to retaliate effectively if Washington resumes its strikes.

One official said Moscow was providing Iran with missiles. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.

The assessment contrasts with statements by US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. On September 30, Hegseth said American strikes had destroyed Iran’s “military industrial capacity” and “their entire defense base.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly “rejected that assessment,” Bloomberg reported.

“First, President Trump obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer,” Bloomberg quoted Kelly as saying, referring to US strikes during the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025.

“Then, Operation Epic Fury successfully destroyed the conventional shield that Iran sought to create over a nuclear program, including their ballistic missiles, production facilities, and navy,” Kelly said, referring to the US-Israeli war launched against Iran on February 28 this year.

Report: US Pressed Israel to Strike Iran Alone

The Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported Saturday that Washington had recently urged Israel to attack Iran without direct US military involvement.

The newspaper, which cited no sources, said Trump wanted Israel to lead the operation to avoid domestic political backlash from restarting the war shortly before the November 3 US midterm elections.

According to the report, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir opposed the proposal, warning that an Israeli strike could force the postponement of the country’s October 27 Knesset election. Washington has reportedly shelved the idea for now.

The report followed a Channel 12 broadcast Friday saying senior US military officers had told Zamir that the White House and Pentagon had ordered preparations for a major attack on Iran within three weeks, placing the potential operation shortly before the midterm elections.

Channel 12, citing a senior US official and another unnamed official, also reported that Zamir had warned his American counterparts that an attack could delay Israel’s election.

Israeli officials reportedly believe Iran would retaliate against a US strike with a massive missile barrage targeting Israel.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that the cause of pneumonia that killed an employee at a plague research facility in Siberia remains unknown. Russian authorities have reported no confirmed cases of plague connected to the incident.

The WHO said Russia’s health regulator reported that tests conducted on the deceased worker and people who had contact with her came back negative for the high-risk pathogens examined. Those contacts have not developed symptoms, and officials have found no additional cases of severe pneumonia linked to the death.

“Based on the information provided … (the) WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event. A key uncertainty remains ​the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker,” the organization said in a statement.

The 28-year-old laboratory employee, identified by Russian media as Darya Shipilova, became ill and died on October 2 under circumstances that have not been disclosed. Her death prompted authorities to quarantine approximately 200 people and sparked concerns about a possible outbreak on social media.

Health officials worldwide have remained particularly vigilant about unexplained fatal pneumonia cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began with a cluster of rapidly spreading respiratory illnesses in China. However, the precise cause of an individual pneumonia case is not always identifiable.

Russian officials have stated that the employee had received the appropriate vaccinations. They also said no microorganisms associated with her laboratory work were detected in her body.

On Thursday, Russian authorities announced that medical checks of everyone who had contact with the employee had been completed. Moscow also said it had shared all relevant information with the WHO in accordance with established procedures.

A deadly assault on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has intensified concerns over Saudi Arabia’s ability to protect critical infrastructure. Three people familiar with the incident told Reuters that Saturday’s attack killed 12 people and injured dozens. The figures have not been officially confirmed and may change.

Airport operations were temporarily halted, and flights were redirected or cancelled. Several Western diplomatic missions advised their citizens to avoid the airport and nearby areas.

The incident marks the third reported attack on the facility this week. Yemen’s Houthi movement, which receives support from Iran, claimed responsibility for two previous strikes but had not immediately taken responsibility for Saturday’s incident.

The repeated attacks come as Saudi Arabia conducts airstrikes against the Houthis in support of a Yemeni government offensive against the group. The latest violence has raised questions about the effectiveness of the kingdom’s air-defense and early-warning systems. Sources familiar with Saturday’s incident said no warning was issued before the strike.

Emergency crews transported casualties to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter. Some victims were reportedly in critical condition. Witnesses described seeing injured people inside the airport, while footage verified by Reuters showed emergency vehicles arriving at the scene. One injured traveler said an object had crossed the sky before part of a ceiling near a departure gate gave way.

Saudi authorities had not published an official casualty count at the time of reporting. The government’s media office did not immediately respond to inquiries.

The Houthi military spokesperson drew attention to an earlier social media message following the incident. The post had said that only previously approved humanitarian flights could land at Riyadh airport, ending with the words: “a reminder.”

Previous Houthi attacks this week reportedly killed four people and badly damaged a Saudi passenger aircraft.

Trump Weighs Possible U.S. Involvement

President Donald Trump was asked outside the White House whether the United States might join Saudi military operations against the Houthis.

“We ​may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack, so we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly,” he said.

The prospect of additional U.S. involvement comes amid an expanding security crisis linked to the conflict in Yemen and repeated threats to Saudi territory.

Airlines Suspend Service as Embassies Issue Warnings

The disruption extended across regional aviation networks. Flightradar24 data showed flights bound for Riyadh being cancelled or diverted, while Kuwait Airways announced that it was suspending service to and from the Saudi capital because of the “security situation.”

Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways also cancelled multiple services linking Riyadh with their respective hubs. Some cancellations were scheduled to continue into Monday.

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said it was “aware of attacks” and “strongly recommends all US citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas.”

British and Irish diplomatic missions reported a “serious incident” at the airport. Canada’s embassy separately warned that “ongoing military activity” was affecting airport operations.

The interruptions pose a challenge for Riyadh as it prepares to host major energy and investment gatherings. Despite Saturday’s attack, conference organizers said the events would continue according to schedule and sought to reassure prospective attendees about safety measures.

Conflict in Yemen Adds to Regional Uncertainty

The Houthis have urged airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, describing it as a military operations zone following a new offensive by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Developments on the ground in Yemen have also complicated the situation for forces aligned with Riyadh. The Houthis have tightened their encirclement of Taiz, the country’s third-largest city.

Saudi and Yemeni authorities, meanwhile, said their forces had regained control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime passage that the Houthis captured during a rapid advance last month.

The combination of attacks on Saudi infrastructure, aviation disruptions and shifting battlefield conditions underscores the growing regional consequences of the Yemen conflict.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have confirmed, for the first time, new details from the interrogation of the Omani co-pilot who planned to crash a flydubai plane in Israel. The co-pilot told investigators he was inspired by the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers and sought to kill himself and his passengers over Israel.

His target was the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. The Omani co-pilot planned to take control of the aircraft and crash it into the building in order to cause as many deaths as possible.

According to his confession, the idea of carrying out an attack with an airplane was tied to his decision to become a pilot in the first place. Signs of radicalization began in 2017, while he was studying in Australia.

The co-pilot described his preparations for the attack, which included consuming content that encourages terrorism and boxing training with a private coach. Two earlier flights to Tel Aviv served as a way for him to study the route and the airport.

The Emiratis say he met flydubai’s professional and security requirements.

Officials also shared details of what happened in the air close to Israel. The co-pilot attacked the captain with the cockpit’s emergency crash axe before passengers and crew overpowered him. A reserve flydubai pilot who was traveling on the flight then took control and landed the plane in Saudi Arabia.

The co-pilot gave a detailed confession in the presence of his lawyer and claimed he acted alone. Investigators are continuing to examine whether there were accomplices or additional connections.

President Isaac Herzog has sent a letter to Captain Smit Machchhar, expressing the deep gratitude of the State of Israel for his exceptional courage and determination, shown in the brave actions that prevented a major disaster.

In the letter, the President wished Captain Machchhar a speedy recovery and invited him to visit Jerusalem once his rehabilitation is complete. Captain Machchhar received the letter in person at the hospital.

The President also announced that Captain Machchhar will be awarded the President’s Medal for Civilian Heroism.

“I wish to express my appreciation and esteem for the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, who fought fiercely despite his severe injury and managed, with his last remaining strength, to open the cockpit door,” Herzog said. “From here I send him, on behalf of all of us, wishes for a full and speedy recovery. I intend to honor him as well, as the committee also recommended, with the President’s Medal for Civilian Heroism.”

In his letter to the pilot, Herzog wrote: “Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, to face the immediate threat to your life and to exercise judgment, testifies to the strength of your character and to the great courage of spirit with which you are blessed.”

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Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz delivered a special statement on Motzei Shabbos announcing that he is staying in the race, despite polls showing his party failing to cross the electoral threshold.

“I’m running until the end. Whoever votes for me is voting for unity, not for blocs,” Gantz said.

The announcement comes amid concern in the Eisenkot-Bennett bloc that Gantz will cost them a victory by sending votes to waste.

“We are on the way to disaster. We must stop and save the country,” Gantz said. “The politicians from both blocs oppose the unity I am advancing with my heart’s blood. They want a decisive outcome. The rift serves them politically. They are leading Israel to more elections, to narrow governments that will tear us apart from within, that will cause our enemies to attack us again.”

He continued: “I have decided not to surrender to our enemies. In order to fight our enemies, I must fight for the unity among us, and that is why I am running until the end.”

Gantz also appealed directly to undecided supporters. “There are at least six seats’ worth of voters who want to vote for us. To you I say: you are not alone. Vote, and we will save the country.”

Blue and White will run a broad campaign until election day under the slogan “Choosing Unity, Saving the Country.” The campaign is meant to stress to voters that there is no solution other than unity, and that Blue and White is the only party on the political map committed to it.

​French airport staff have declined to load a package of military components meant for the Israeli defense supplier Elbit Systems onto a Saturday El Al departure out of Paris. The boycott follows a coordinated push by labor unions and pro-Palestinian advocacy organizations aiming to block the materials from reaching Israel.

​The action was initiated by a labor representative body at a cargo handling firm operating out of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Meanwhile, Israeli security personnel are actively working to untangle the standoff and clear the shipment for transfer to Israel.

​A report released Friday by The New Arab indicates that French labor unions and pro-Palestinian campaigners had already successfully stalled the delivery when it was originally slate to depart on an Air France flight Thursday morning.

​A spokesperson for the activist group Urgence Palestine stated that the freight, which was addressed to Elbit Systems Land, stayed grounded in France after airport staff and activists intervened to stop its transport. The group further asserted that Air France voided the transport agreement following the incident, despite the airline publicly denying that the cargo was ever assigned to one of its planes.

​The organization asserted that it holds documentation confirming the initial booking, as well as the tracking details and waybill for the newly scheduled transport.

​In a joint press release, trade unions stated that French manufacturing firm Mijno alongside global logistics operator DSV rescheduled the freight onto an El Al departure set to leave Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday. The unions urged both airport managers and French government officials to step in and prohibit the shipment from leaving French territory.

​The shipment reportedly consists of mechanical parts utilized in military vehicle systems, meant for delivery to Elbit Systems Land, an operating division of Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems.

​For its part, Air France issued a denial on Thursday regarding any prior booking for the shipment, adding that the carrier strictly refrains from shipping weaponry or munitions to Israel.

​Addressing the situation on Thursday, France’s Foreign Ministry stood by the nation’s military export framework, clarifying that military-grade parts bound for Israel are authorized for export only if they are strictly intended for defensive operations or meant to be integrated into equipment slated for export to third-party nations.

​A ministry representative stated that France strictly adheres to its international commitments and that all military hardware exports undergo stringent monitoring and verification regarding their final application.

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Panama’s southern coast on Friday at a depth of 12.6 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake damaged buildings but did not disrupt the vital Panama Canal shipping route.

Earthquakes of this strength are uncommon in Panama. Television footage showed elderly residents crying in the streets as a series of smaller aftershocks continued to shake the country.

“We’re scared. It’s just the two of us old folks here. The house has cracked, and we’re afraid it could fall on us,” said Ricardo Brown, 74, in a telephone interview from the Las Minas area of Herrera province in southern Panama. He said the earthquake had damaged several homes in the area.

The epicenter was near La Pitaloza, a rural community in a sparsely populated part of Herrera province close to the Pacific coast. A Reuters witness reported that the shaking was also felt in San Jose, the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.

Omar Smith, head of Panama’s civil protection agency, told local broadcaster Telemetro Reporta that damage and other effects had been reported in Chitre, the capital of Herrera province, as well as along the coast of Los Santos province.

Historic Building Tower and Residential Balconies Collapse

Videos published by the newspaper La Prensa showed the tower of a historic building collapsing, along with several balconies on a residential building in Penonome, a city located roughly between the earthquake’s epicenter and Panama City.

In Panama’s capital, operations on two lines of the Panama City Metro were temporarily halted as a precaution, according to the transit operator. The country’s Ministry of Education also ordered schools nationwide to close.

Following the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System cautioned that potentially dangerous tsunami waves could reach coastal areas of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico within three hours. The system also warned of a possible tsunami threat to Hawaii, while Chile’s navy issued its own tsunami alert.

Panama had already scheduled a nationwide evacuation exercise for the following Monday, intended to test the country’s preparedness and emergency response procedures for earthquakes.

President Donald Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to release substantial quantities of diesel fuel into American and international markets, saying the move could help ease soaring energy prices amid the ongoing war with Iran.

“Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November,” Trump says on social media following talks with Putin.

The US Treasury Department said it is granting a temporary license allowing Russian diesel fuel to enter global markets, facilitating the planned shipments.

Two men accused of conducting surveillance on behalf of Iran against the Israeli Embassy in London, Britain’s oldest synagogue, and other Israeli and Jewish targets entered not-guilty pleas on Friday.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 41, a dual Iranian-British citizen, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, appeared before London’s Old Bailey court, where both denied a charge brought under the National Security Act.

Prosecutors allege that the two men collected information and carried out reconnaissance during July and August 2025. The reported list of targets included the Israeli Embassy, the Israeli Consulate, and Bevis Marks Synagogue in London.

Iran-Linked Surveillance Allegations Included Individual of Intelligence Interest

Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said the alleged surveillance targets also included an unnamed individual described as being “of intelligence interest” to Iran.

Both defendants were remanded in custody pending their next court appearance, scheduled for February. Their trial is expected to begin in April.

Iran has repeatedly rejected allegations that it is involved in hostile activities in Britain. However, British authorities say such activity has increased significantly since Hamas’s October 2023 attacks on Israel, which led to the subsequent war in Gaza.

Democrat accuses Israel of dragging America into war with Iran, while Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff says Israeli forces violated international law in Gaza

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declined to say whether Iran or Israel poses a greater threat to the United States during his first debate Thursday against Republican Mike Rogers, highlighting sharp divisions over Middle East policy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

El-Sayed called the question a “ridiculous hypothetical,” saying both countries “have proven dangerous in their own way.” He accused Israel of drawing Washington into a “stupid war” with Iran that was driving up US gasoline prices.

“They wanted us to go to war with [Iran] and their war aims were what? The annexation of southern Lebanon,” El-Sayed claimed. Israel has made no territorial claim to southern Lebanon and entered the area after Hezbollah launched an attack from there during the conflict.

Asked whether he would support defensive weapons for Israel if it came under attack, El-Sayed suggested he would not. Rogers, meanwhile, said he “staunchly” supported “the right to exist for the Jewish state, and the right to defend itself in a very difficult neighborhood.”

Rogers also accused El-Sayed’s backers of having links to extremist organizations, alleging that “his biggest funders are from a group that supports the Muslim Brotherhood.” He further claimed the candidate received money from people who openly support Hamas, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.

The remarks appeared to reference donors associated with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), whose leader praised Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel before the organization later condemned attacks on civilians. CAIR denies allegations of Muslim Brotherhood ties. Rogers also criticized El-Sayed’s family connections to Islamic organizations and an aid group cited in legal proceedings, though no evidence was presented that El-Sayed’s biological mother knew of wrongdoing by the organization.

Asked about reports that his campaign had requested that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee not advertise on his behalf, Rogers did not directly deny the claim. Instead, he said, “Anybody that wants to help my campaign… I’ll take all of that help.”

Rogers accused El-Sayed of failing to acknowledge the suffering caused by the October 7 massacre, citing rape, murders and other atrocities. El-Sayed, who faced criticism for not issuing a statement on the attack’s third anniversary, responded: “I’ve condemned that. I didn’t turn it into political theater like you just did.”

Rogers also questioned El-Sayed’s property ownership in Dubai and India.

After the debate, El-Sayed defended his relationship with online commentator Hasan Piker, who has expressed support for Hamas and other Iran-backed terror groups and argued that the US is a greater terrorist, “pound for pound,” than al-Qaeda. El-Sayed, who previously invited Piker to campaign with him, dismissed comparisons between Piker and President Donald Trump, saying, “To equate the most powerful person in the world with a streamer in California seems to me to just be — I’m not going to use the word — but silly.”

Ossoff: ‘No doubt’ Israel violated laws of war in Gaza

In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff declined to definitively characterize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, saying the question hinged on intent.

“The question of genocide is a question of whether a government has the specific intent to destroy a national or ethnic group, and that is a question for the International Criminal Court,” Ossoff said.

The International Criminal Court has sought Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrest over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel and the US reject the court’s jurisdiction, and Washington has imposed sanctions on it, a move supported by Ossoff’s Republican challenger, Mike Collins.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Israeli forces prosecuting the war in Gaza violated the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law,” Ossoff said.

“I care deeply about the security of the Israeli people, among whom are members of my family,” he added. “I also care about innocent Palestinian life, and make no apology for my votes.”

Israel maintains that its military operations comply with international law, citing evacuation warnings and humanitarian aid as efforts to protect civilians. Ossoff did not directly say whether he would support the latest military aid package for Israel.

Ossoff attacks Collins over alleged extremist ties

The Georgia debate also featured a dispute over the war with Iran. Ossoff called the conflict a “disaster” and accused the Trump administration of entering the war based on “lies.”

Collins defended Trump’s decision, arguing that Iran was approaching nuclear weapons capability. He said international monitors “had already sounded the bells, the alarms that Iran was close to getting a nuclear weapon,” adding that “Iran doesn’t only want to decimate and kill Israel, they want us as well.”

Ossoff also attacked Collins over white supremacist material posted online by a former aide and his son-in-law.

“You’ve hired half the Third Reich to staff your congressional office and you have promoted neo-Nazi content online,” Ossoff charged. Invoking late civil rights leader John Lewis, he added, “If [civil rights icon and late US congressman] John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery, Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club.”

Collins said he had dismissed employees when necessary, stating, “when I had things happen — I’m a businessman — I fired ‘em,” and insisting that he has “condemned racism, antisemitism, hate.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone last night with Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Netanyahu congratulated Bolsonaro on finishing first in the opening round of Brazil’s presidential election this week, the PMO said.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian president and outspoken Israel supporter Jair Bolsonaro, is set to face incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a runoff election on October 25. A Bolsonaro victory could restore Brazil’s position as one of Israel’s closest allies, as conservative and pro-Israel political movements gain ground across Latin America.

Netanyahu invited Bolsonaro to visit Israel, and the Brazilian candidate extended an invitation for Netanyahu to visit Brazil as well.

“The two intend to renew the deep friendship between the two countries,” says the Israeli readout, “as part of the transformation taking place in Israel’s relations with South American countries.”

Former United Nations human rights chief Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, who served as a judge on the International Court of Justice and led a UN commission that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, has won the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

Pillay, 85, who was born in South Africa, is being honored for her work advancing peace and international law, according to Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

“At a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising, and when judges and institutions of international law are under political attack, the Nobel Committee wishes to issue a reminder that the ability to resolve conflicts without force or violence is dependent on the international rule of law,” the committee states in its announcement.

“An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world.”

Pillay served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 through 2014, a period during which she repeatedly criticized Israeli policies and military actions.

In 2014, more than 100 members of the US Congress signed a letter criticizing Pillay over what they described as anti-Israel bias at the UN Human Rights Council during her tenure. The lawmakers argued that the council “simply cannot be taken seriously as a human rights organization” while investigating Israel but not Hamas.

Pillay later chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry examining the Palestinian territories. In 2025, the commission accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, alleging an effort to “destroy the Palestinians.”

Israel has firmly rejected allegations that its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza constitutes genocide.

At the time, Pillay stated, “It is that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”

Attempts to contact Pillay by telephone following the Nobel announcement were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

The Nobel Peace Prize is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the world.

South Korean and Japanese businesses are moving quickly to reinforce their cybersecurity systems as a growing number of attacks raises concerns that artificial intelligence is making cybercrime more accessible to people with limited technical expertise.

Nine South Korean banks and two large churches are investigating cyberattacks that may have involved AI tools. In Japan, a series of recent incidents has affected companies including Daiwa Securities, SoftBank and convenience store operator Lawson.

Investigators have yet to establish precisely whether AI played a role in many of these cases or how it may have been used. Cybersecurity experts, however, warn that AI can automate activities such as identifying software weaknesses and developing phishing campaigns, allowing criminals to operate more quickly, at lower cost and with a reduced chance of detection.

“AI doesn’t get tired … My view is that Japan is essentially being subjected to carpet bombing,” said Nobuo Miwa, president of Tokyo-based cybersecurity company S&J Corp.

Japan experienced more cybersecurity incidents during the first nine months of this year than throughout the entirety of last year, according to TrendAI data. The number climbed to 86 in September, approximately 18% higher than August and 37% above July.

Miwa said the increase indicates that attackers have reached a new level of “effort, motivation and technical capability.” He added that AI has largely eliminated language and other obstacles that previously made it more difficult for foreign hackers to conduct operations.

U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said a 26-year-old attacker based in China, suspected of involvement in the attacks against South Korean banks, probably could not have executed the campaign without AI assistance.

According to CrowdStrike, the individual appeared to be motivated by financial gain and used an AI agent developed in China alongside Anthropic’s Claude Code.

“While (the hacker’s) capabilities were not terribly sophisticated, they were effective,” said Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike’s senior vice president of counter adversary operations.

AI tools are also complicating the work of cybersecurity professionals trying to identify suspicious activity, according to Choi Kyoungjin, director of the Center for AI, Data and Policy at Gachon University near Seoul.

“With general-purpose AI models, even ordinary users with malicious intent can ask the system to look for vulnerabilities and it will do much of that work for them,” he said.

South Korea recorded 1,236 cyber incidents during the first six months of the year, a 20% increase compared with the same period a year earlier. Government figures show that although server-hacking incidents declined, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks increased by 56.7%, while ransomware cases rose 76.8%.

Meyers said the attacks targeting South Korean banks demonstrate why organizations need stronger security safeguards and more thorough testing as AI technology advances. “The genie is out of the bottle, so to speak.”

Although the incidents have not yet caused significant financial losses, the potential consequences could grow if stolen information is used in phishing operations or fraudulent text-message campaigns known as “smishing,” Karen Wu, a senior analyst at Fitch, wrote in a note.

“We expect the incidents to result in regulatory penalties, customer compensation costs, and a sector-wide increase in cybersecurity spending,” Wu said.

Concerns over AI’s expanding role in cybercrime are also being voiced by companies developing the technology itself.

Anthropic and Google, the technology company owned by Alphabet, have both cautioned that AI-assisted cyberattacks are becoming increasingly widespread around the world.

“At this point, we can assume that all threat actors are using AI in some capacity and their operations have benefited,” John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group, said last month.

Governments Begin Strengthening Cybersecurity Measures

Authorities in both South Korea and Japan have started taking steps to address the growing threat.

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has instructed financial industry associations, regulators and executives at affected institutions to complete a cybersecurity self-assessment covering 12 specific areas.

In Japan, digital transformation minister Toshiharu Furukawa brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies on Thursday in response to the recent attacks. The National Cybersecurity Office is preparing to issue warnings to businesses.

Miwa of S&J expects cyberattacks to remain elevated, warning that the rapid advances available to attackers have fundamentally changed the cybersecurity landscape.

“The attackers have experienced a breakthrough that has rendered many of the old assumptions obsolete,” he said.

“Our defenses need their own breakthrough as well.”

Nigel Farage’s personal assistant told Belaaz that she met Yair Netanyahu on Thursday as part of an effort to strengthen the relationship between the Reform UK leader and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The assistant said she is working to strengthen the relationship between the two leaders. Yair Netanyahu is the prime minister’s son. Farage, who leads Reform UK, is seeking to become Britain’s next prime minister.

The outreach comes as Farage has publicly called for closer ties between Britain and Israel. In September, he spoke by phone with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, discussing the relationship between the two countries.

Following that conversation, Farage told The Jerusalem Post that he had reaffirmed his “strong support for Israel” and stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in trade, security, technology and innovation.

“I made clear that a Reform government would undo the damage done to this important relationship under Labour and rebuild it on the basis of shared interests and mutual respect,” Farage told the Jerusalem Post.

The assistant’s account to Belaaz points to an effort to strengthen ties with the Israeli prime minister through his son.

Israel has raised its alert level and stepped up security preparations for a possible Iranian attack, Army sources tell Belaaz. This comes just hours after President Trump’s Truth Social post in which he said the US won’t attack Iran before the midterm elections.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

President Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Thursday that the United States will not attack Iran before the midterm elections.

"We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said his administration was having "productive discussions" with Tehran.

Trump also said the U.S. blockade would remain in place and reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s last reported direct attack on Israel came on June 8, 2026, during an exchange of fire that began the previous night. Tehran launched missiles on June 7 and fired further barrages the following morning, before the two sides said they were halting attacks. The BBC reported that the June 8 launches were directed toward Jerusalem and central and southern Israel.

The IDF announced that Capt. Eliav Chaim Tzaflamus, 21, from Haifa, a combat officer in the 603rd Battalion of the 7th Brigade, fell in southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF, the incident occurred when a military Humvee overturned during operational activity by 7th Brigade forces in the Litani area of southern Lebanon.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

Three additional soldiers were lightly injured in the incident. They were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families have been notified.

The IDF said the incident is under investigation.

Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed condolences to Tzaflamus’s family on behalf of the entire defense establishment and offered support to his commanders and fellow soldiers. “At this difficult hour, my heart is with the family,” Katz said, wishing the wounded soldiers a speedy and full recovery. “May his memory be a blessing.”

(Reuters) LONDON, Oct. 8 — British counter-terrorism officers are investigating the arrests of two Latvian nationals who were detained near a Royal Air Force facility in Cambridgeshire early Thursday, police said.

Authorities said there is currently no evidence connecting the arrests to an alleged plan targeting another British military installation in western England. That base, RAF Fairford, had been used by U.S. forces to conduct bombing operations against Iran.

The two men came to police attention after Ministry of Defence Police discovered an unattended vehicle during a security patrol at RAF Molesworth, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of London. Officers subsequently identified a small opening in the base’s perimeter fence and arrested the men, aged 32 and 36, inside the military facility.

The pair were initially detained on suspicion of trespassing at a prohibited location and causing criminal damage. Police later arrested them again under the National Security Act 2023 on suspicion of “entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK”.

The arrests come after several men were detained last month in connection with an alleged plan to attack RAF Fairford, located about 145 kilometers (90 miles) west of London. The British government has associated that suspected plot with Iran, although Tehran has rejected any involvement.

The latest incident has heightened scrutiny of security at British military installations, particularly facilities used by U.S. forces. U.S. officials said Monday that concerns about an Iran-linked threat had led Washington to withdraw its bombers from Fairford.

“We’re ⁠very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest ​this incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford ​last week,” Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement on Thursday.

As part of the investigation into Thursday’s arrests, police said officers were conducting searches at two properties in the Peterborough area.

The abandoned vehicle found near the base was also examined by bomb disposal specialists after being recovered by police. Officers said the inspection found nothing suspicious or concerning.

British police said Thursday that a 22-year-old British man suspected of preparing terrorist acts against an airbase has been released on bail. He is the seventh person arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged plot targeting RAF Fairford.

Counter Terrorism Policing said the man was arrested in Westminster, where officers also searched a property. The investigation centers on suspected terrorist activity connected to the Gloucestershire airbase.

The United States said Monday that an Iran-linked threat led to the withdrawal of American bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford. The US has previously used the British base in military operations against Iran.

Six other men arrested in connection with the investigation have also been released on bail by British authorities.

US officials told Reuters that the bombers were redeployed because of concerns over a suspected Iranian plan to conduct a sophisticated drone attack against the facility. Many details surrounding the alleged plot, however, have not been publicly disclosed.

British-Iranian National Among Those Arrested

Five of the suspects were arrested near RAF Fairford on September 27. All five were British nationals. A dual British-Iranian citizen was arrested later that week and subsequently released on bail.

Counter-terrorism police said the latest suspect was released under strict conditions while the investigation continues.

The arrests followed a major police response at RAF Fairford, a facility that hosts US Air Force personnel and has played an important role in American military operations.

Authorities have not publicly provided detailed evidence describing the alleged plot or explained precisely what actions the suspects are accused of taking. The investigation remains active.

Prosecutors have charged a 22-year-old pharmacology student at Palestinian al-Quds University in East Jerusalem with allegedly preparing explosives and chemical weapons for an attack targeting Jews. According to the indictment, his initial plan involved attacking law enforcement officers in response to parking tickets issued to worshipers at his mosque.

Muhammad Shalbi faces charges in Jerusalem District Court of preparing to commit murder with a terror motive, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison, as well as receiving training for terrorist purposes, which carries a potential seven-year sentence.

Shalbi was arrested on August 30. Prosecutors say that after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, he “underwent a process of religious revival and ideological radicalization,” according to the indictment filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators allege that Shalbi began attending a mosque regularly in Beit Hanina, an East Jerusalem neighborhood, while consuming online material “identified with the terrorist groups Hamas and ISIS.” Prosecutors say he eventually resolved to “act against the State of Israel and security forces.”

According to the indictment, sometime around the beginning of 2025, Shalbi allegedly planned to detonate an explosive near the mosque and target police officers. Prosecutors say he was motivated by anger over parking tickets issued to vehicles belonging to worshipers who had parked near the mosque during prayers.

The indictment alleges that Shalbi monitored the officers for roughly two months while downloading instructional material concerning explosives. Prosecutors say he eventually abandoned that plan after the officers stopped appearing at the location.

Investigators allege that Shalbi subsequently developed a broader plan that continued until his arrest. Prosecutors say he “planned to carry out a terrorist attack in preparation for the ‘Day of Judgment,’ in which, according to his view, Jerusalem would be conquered.” During interrogation, the suspect allegedly said his objective was to kill “a ton of Jews.”

Around September 2025, prosecutors allege that Shalbi made two trips to Ramallah to obtain various laboratory and chemical materials. The indictment says the purchases included a thermometer, measuring cup, half a liter of hydrochloric acid, and several grams each of potassium permanganate, potassium chlorate, sodium sulfate and sodium hydroxide. Prosecutors noted that some of these substances can be used to generate chlorine gas, a choking agent that has been employed as a chemical weapon.

The indictment further alleges that Shalbi conducted an experiment in his bathtub involving potassium chlorate and sugar, a combination that can produce a highly combustible substance.

Prosecutors also accuse him of researching methods for creating an explosive using acetylsalicylic acid, a substance commonly sold in pharmacies as aspirin.

As part of what prosecutors describe as preparations for the planned “Day of Judgment” attack, Shalbi allegedly downloaded dozens of files containing information about producing explosives and chemical weapons from a Telegram group associated with ISIS. According to the indictment, he subsequently erased the files and his search history “with the aim of covering up his actions.”

The indictment also alleges that Shalbi wrote two recipes in a notebook for “toxins that can kill people through touch or taste.” Prosecutors say the notebook additionally contained a list of materials that could potentially be used in explosive devices, including substances obtainable from pharmacies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been “a cooperative partner” in the US-led effort to rebuild Gaza, a senior US official tells The Washington Post.

“He has done a number of things to aggravate the situation,” alleges the official.

The official cited the slow pace of the Israel Defense Forces’ advance in Gaza, saying Israeli forces have taken control of an additional 10 percent of the Strip beyond the area stipulated in the 2025 ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan has largely stalled as the Board, Hamas and Israel remain divided over the terms and timing of Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israeli officials have repeatedly maintained that Gaza reconstruction cannot begin until Hamas gives up its weapons.

Hamas continues to maintain effective control over Gaza after three years of war and is reportedly generating millions of dollars each day by taxing goods entering the Strip and selling humanitarian aid on the black market at inflated prices, according to Neomi Neumann, the former head of research for the Shin Bet.

“Everything that enters the Strip becomes a source of income for Hamas,” Neumann told the Kan public broadcaster. She said Hamas uses its economic influence to deepen its dependence among Gaza’s population while maintaining order through a decentralized governing structure.

Neumann estimates that Hamas brings in between $2 million and $5 million in revenue each day. She said the income allows the organization to preserve its influence over Gaza’s residents while also financing its ongoing operations.

Neumann expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, but argued that both Israel and Hamas are currently standing in the way of its implementation.

“Hamas says Israel must withdraw first, while Israel demands that Hamas disarm,” she says.

“The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the International Stabilization Force must enter the Strip so that Hamas loses strength,” Neumann says.

She said that, over time, the Palestinian Authority should assume responsibility for governing Gaza and ultimately replace Hamas as the territory’s governing authority.

The standoff that has played out between Jerusalem and London over recent months reached a calm this morning with a compromise deal: a diplomatic mission will remain in Jerusalem, and in return, Israeli diplomats will not be expelled from England.

The confrontation began with Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, followed by sanctions against businesses and individuals in Judea and Samaria and against political figures.

Following that decision, Israel’s Foreign Minister announced last month that, with the Prime Minister’s approval, he had decided to close the British Consulate in Jerusalem and expel all of the diplomats working there.

Britain’s response was not long in coming, with London recently announcing the expulsion of Israeli diplomats in response to the Israeli government’s moves.

This morning, however, the sides reached understandings to calm the ongoing dispute. The consulate in Jerusalem is indeed closing in its current form. The sign has already been removed and its consular status has been revoked. In practice, though, Israel is allowing the British to keep a reduced diplomatic mission at the site under a different name.

Of the consulate’s 27 staff members, 20 will leave Israel. Seven diplomats will stay and continue operating under the name UK Mission.

The compromise comes as part of the continuing dialogue between Jerusalem and London, aimed in part at preventing an escalation of British measures against Israel, including possible sanctions.

The Pentagon has instructed US Central Command to complete preparations for a return to major combat operations against Iran, Axios reported Wednesday, citing US officials.

According to the report by Barak Ravid, the order was issued several days ago and carries no date for launching strikes. President Trump has not made a final decision.

US and Israeli sources told Axios that strikes could come before the US midterm elections, and possibly before Israel’s elections a week earlier. One Israeli official cautioned that the odds of action before the vote are low but not ruled out, and rise sharply after the midterms.

A renewed campaign would reportedly involve heavy bombing of Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear targets, carried out jointly with Israel, with the IDF taking part.

A White House official told Axios that all options remain available to the president and that the situation will be resolved “the easy way or the hard way.”

The report follows a Camp David meeting of Trump’s national security team on Friday and a Wednesday call between Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, their second in days. Talks with Tehran remain stalled, with Qatari mediators still awaiting Iran’s answer to a US counterproposal.

Two Israeli officials told Axios the Iranian regime is desperate and may strike first.

President Trump will award Elon Musk the National Medal of Science at the White House on Thursday, Fox News reported.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su will also receive the science medal, according to the report. Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the technology medal.

It will be Trump’s first time presenting the awards in either of his administrations.

Israel recently marked two years since Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, September 27, 2024.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York for the UN General Assembly when he authorized the strike.

At 6:21 p.m., Israeli Air Force jets struck Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district with 83 bombs, according to the IDF. Israel announced Nasrallah’s death the following day, and Hezbollah confirmed it.

Belaaz can now reveal a previously unreported detail about the intelligence behind the operation: information about Nasrallah’s whereabouts also came through the Israel Prison Service, where Chareidim serve in key intelligence roles.

As part of reforms in recent years, the Prison Service has strengthened its intelligence wing, which gathers information from security prisoners and shares it with Israel’s defense establishment.

A number of Chareidim hold key positions in the unit, which works regularly with the Shin Bet and Mossad.

According to a senior Israel Prison Service official who spoke with Belaaz News, a prisoner affiliated with Hezbollah disclosed information about Nasrallah’s location. The information was passed to Israel’s political and military leadership while Netanyahu was abroad.

Israel seized the opportunity and carried out the strike that killed Nasrallah.

Police have reportedly launched investigations into two senior Transportation Ministry officials following security failures connected to last week’s attempted attack aboard flydubai Flight 1073 en route to Tel Aviv, according to Hebrew-language media reports.

Haaretz and Channel 12 reported Wednesday that investigators are examining possible conflicts of interest involving Dvir Rubinstein and Avri Cohen, whose outside activities allegedly overlapped with their official responsibilities at the ministry.

Rubinstein has served for 19 years as the ministry’s aviation security director. Channel 12 reported that he is responsible for issuing security clearances and permits to foreign airlines and flights operating into Israel, including flydubai. The airline’s Dubai-to-Tel Aviv service was targeted last week when its Omani copilot allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft in what was described as a thwarted terror attack.

At the same time, Rubinstein reportedly carried out paid consulting and training for airlines under his oversight, including flydubai and Emirates. According to Channel 12, he traveled to the United Arab Emirates to conduct some of that work. The report also showed certificates from airlines acknowledging training he had provided.

The report raised concerns about the potential conflict created by Rubinstein privately working for airlines whose operations he was officially responsible for supervising.

The Transportation Ministry responded that Rubinstein is an outside contractor rather than a civil servant and said that “his outside business was approved in accordance with the law, and was performed outside the hours of his work for the ministry.”

Cohen, meanwhile, reportedly worked outside his government position as a “reserve security officer” for Israeli airlines at an overseas airport. Haaretz said the outside position was unrelated to his official duties, prompting questions about his ability to focus on a ministry role that includes oversight of foreign airline crews.

Cohen has said that he obtained authorization in 2018 from the ministry’s director at the time to perform outside work. However, Keren Terner, who held that position then, along with two other officials familiar with the matter, told Haaretz that no such approval had been granted. Haaretz also requested documentation from Cohen supporting his claim but did not receive a response.

According to Haaretz, the ministry did not learn about Cohen’s outside employment until approximately eight months ago, when an anonymous complaint prompted an internal inquiry. That investigation reportedly determined that Cohen had been performing outside work since 2018 without authorization.

In a statement issued Monday and quoted by Globes, the ministry said Cohen was required to obtain authorization from the Civil Service Commission before taking outside employment. The ministry said “the ministry’s administration did not pass along any such request with respect to [Cohen], and in any event he didn’t receive permission.”

The ministry further stated that “from the moment the ministry was notified that the employee was involved in outside work, it was made clear to him, in no uncertain terms, that he must immediately stop all outside work as long as he lacks approval.”

The reported police investigations followed additional revelations Tuesday concerning the ministry’s handling of aviation security. Those reports included claims that security officials had offered to increase monitoring of foreign flights but that the proposals were rejected.

Earlier this year, the Transportation Ministry also held internal discussions over which government division should be responsible for security involving foreign and charter flights. The Shin Bet and National Security Council reportedly advocated transferring the responsibility to the Civil Aviation Authority, which is larger and considered better equipped for the task than the ministry’s Security Division. Transportation Minister Miri Regev reportedly rejected the proposal.

The Transportation Ministry and Israel’s security establishment have faced mounting criticism following the attack, particularly over the monitoring of pilots and crew members from countries considered hostile to Israel who were permitted to operate flights into the country.

On September 30, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, the copilot of flydubai Flight 1073, allegedly attacked the aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar. Investigators say al-Hammami attempted to bring down the plane, potentially killing roughly 180 passengers and crew members, most of whom were Israelis.

The attack was ultimately stopped after Machchhar and several Israeli passengers intervened and managed to overpower al-Hammami.

The US-backed Board of Peace marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 attack by honoring those killed and abducted while acknowledging the extensive suffering experienced by Israelis and Palestinians during the ensuing war. The organization also reaffirmed its support for advancing the US-backed initiative aimed at achieving Gaza’s “demilitarization and deradicalization.”

“We remember those murdered and taken from us, and we will not allow their loss to be forgotten,” the Board said in a lengthy statement posted on X. “We also lament the immense loss of life and profound suffering endured by Israelis and Palestinians in the war unleashed by Hamas on October 7. That suffering has left deep wounds across the region,” it added.

The international body praised US President Donald Trump for his “commitment to the people of Israel” and credited his administration with helping secure the return of the remaining hostages from Gaza last year. The Board said it intends to use its mandate from the United Nations Security Council to help implement Trump’s 20-point proposal for Gaza.

“Genuine and durable security for Israel is the foundation on which any peace must be built, and it is the surest guarantee that no October 7 will ever happen again,” the Board wrote.

Iran is preparing to shut down several transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz that it considers unauthorized, according to an adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who spoke to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Mohammadreza Naqdi said the routes were established after sections of the strategic waterway’s rocky passages were blasted and damaged. He said the channels have been used by small vessels involved in oil smuggling.

The reported move comes as questions persist over the volume of oil and other commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the routes could further restrict maritime movement through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

Naqdi’s comments challenge claims that oil shipments through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are returning to levels seen before the war, suggesting that some of the reported traffic may instead be connected to unauthorized or illicit routes.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday that they had launched attacks against military installations and airports in neighboring Saudi Arabia, adding another dangerous dimension to the expanding regional conflict involving Iran. The attacks also threatened a key alternative shipping route near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, amid continued disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on social media that the group had fired ballistic missiles and launched drones toward King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. He offered no evidence to substantiate the claim.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported brief disruptions to flights arriving at and departing from the Riyadh airport.

Saree also said Houthi forces targeted Abha airport, which has repeatedly come under attack from Houthi missiles and drones. The rebels further claimed strikes against an air base in Khamis Mushait and military facilities in Najran and Asir. The sites are located in southwestern Saudi Arabia near Yemen’s border.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, said coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile north of Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces have launched an extensive ground and air campaign against the Houthis in recent days, seeking to recover territory the rebels captured roughly a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Control of those areas has strengthened the Houthis’ ability to monitor maritime traffic as they seek to disrupt Saudi shipping.

Coalition officials said Monday that their forces had retaken several strategically important positions near the strait.

Since then, much of the fighting has focused on Dhubab, a strategically located town roughly 30 miles south of the port city of Mokha, according to both Houthi representatives and Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Fighting has also been reported in Waziayah district in southwestern Taiz province. The area connects Yemen’s mountainous interior with the Red Sea and provides views toward routes leading to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis separately claimed early Wednesday that they had launched a missile attack on Aden, the southern port city that serves as the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. An Associated Press journalist reported hearing explosions at approximately 2 a.m. local time, or 7 p.m. Tuesday Eastern Time.

Saree said ballistic missiles struck a military camp near Aden’s airport.

Security officials in Aden said two missiles were fired toward the airport but caused no casualties. The facility is located close to government offices.

“The targeting of this vital civilian facility represents a direct threat to the safety of civilians, passengers, employees and flight crews,” the Aden police said in a statement.

Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry warned that the airport strike could lead to “a humanitarian disaster,” saying one missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was scheduled to arrive.

Flight 603, operated by Yemen’s national airline, landed safely in Aden at 3:30 a.m., according to FlightAware.

The ministry said the missile struck while other travelers were waiting to board a flight bound for the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

“The Houthis believe that they can maximize Saudi economic costs and compel Saudi Arabia to surrender to Houthi demands by striking civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities and airports,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an analysis.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the Federal Election Commission has been unable to enforce campaign finance laws for more than a year, leaving complaints unresolved and political campaigns without formal guidance.

The agency’s paralysis was highlighted in July, when Reps. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, urged the FEC, Justice Department and Homeland Security Department to address the risk of artificial intelligence spreading election misinformation. The lawmakers called for action against “AI-driven threats to election integrity.”

A September survey by the American Association of Political Consultants Foundation found that roughly one-quarter of likely voters use AI tools daily, while at least 38% have obtained information about candidates or voting through AI-generated search summaries.

Democratic Commissioner Shana Broussard told the lawmakers that the FEC could not act. With only two of its six seats filled, the agency lacks the four commissioners required for a quorum. In her response, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Broussard wrote that the agency “cannot proceed.”

Without a quorum, the FEC can publish campaign finance reports, answer general questions and accept complaints, but cannot open investigations, impose fines, establish rules or issue formal advisory opinions.

Since May 2025, the commission has not resolved an enforcement case by vote or approved new civil penalties. In the preceding 12 months, it closed 180 cases and imposed approximately $1 million in penalties. Meanwhile, its enforcement backlog has doubled, rising from 154 cases to 307. The FEC declined to comment.

Lawmakers from both parties have encountered the same roadblock. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, asked whether campaign funds could cover childcare while she voted and attended committee hearings. After learning that the Capitol daycare center only offers full-time care, she emailed the FEC, writing, “Please advise on what I can do,” but was told the commission could not issue an advisory opinion.

Luna said she contacted the White House to urge action on restoring the agency’s quorum.

“Until the FEC meets, we’re going to be operating in a gray area, which is why we need them to get a quorum to get a yes or no,” Luna told CBS News. “Obviously, we don’t want to get in trouble.”

Former FEC attorney Adav Noti warned that the lack of enforcement may encourage violations. He said the perception that complaints will go unanswered has resulted in “more boundary-pushing than we would otherwise see.”

Noti now heads the Campaign Legal Center, which recently filed a complaint alleging President Trump improperly controls MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC. The complaint cited Trump’s September description of the group’s funds as “my money that I control.”

Trump said this week that MAGA Inc. would begin paying for television advertisements focused on him that his administration had previously funded with taxpayer money. The spending had drawn public scrutiny.

Although super PACs can accept unlimited contributions, federal law prohibits officeholders from controlling them or directing their spending.

“Since there is just absolutely no enforcement mechanism right now, there’s sort of blanket impunity for lawbreaking,” Noti said. A MAGA Inc. spokesperson denied wrongdoing and said the organization follows the law.

Conservatives have also criticized the commission’s inaction. Paul Kamenar, an attorney with the National Legal and Policy Center, said, “It is very disconcerting that the FEC is incapable of carrying out any enforcement actions.”

The group accused Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, of improperly using campaign funds to pay a psychiatrist. That complaint remains unresolved. Her office and campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

“We are hobbled”

The FEC’s breakdown followed several commissioner departures during Trump’s return to the White House. Republican Sean Cooksey resigned in January 2025 to become a senior attorney for Vice President JD Vance. Weeks later, Trump removed Democratic Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub, who had served since 2002 and challenged the legality of her dismissal.

Republican Allen Dickerson subsequently resigned, and Republican Trey Trainor also left, ultimately leaving only two commissioners, both Democrats. For the first time since the FEC was established in 1974 following the Watergate scandal, neither major party had a representative on the commission.

“Other people report that we’re hobbled, and I hate to agree with it, but we are hobbled,” Broussard said.

Trump nominated two Republicans in February, but the Senate has yet to hold hearings on either nominee.

The resulting deadlock has blocked requests from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Rep. Mike Levin, a California Democrat, sought an investigation into allegations that Hungary’s government funneled money to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Broussard replied that complaints “cannot proceed through the enforcement process.” In June, she and Democratic Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum gave Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert a similar response.

The commission has also been unable to address emerging campaign finance questions. Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat, asked whether candidates and political committees trading on prediction markets such as Kalshi might trigger disclosure requirements.

Broussard responded that the FEC “is currently unable to commence rulemakings or to issue advisory opinions.”

Thompson warned that prediction markets “can be easily manipulated by wealthy special interests” and said Congress and the FEC “should be tackling this emerging issue now.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, also sought guidance last year on whether campaign funds could cover legal defense costs “if the senator is sued for something that happens in the course of her official employment,” according to emails. Her spokesperson said the inquiry concerned campaign funds and Senate-authorized liability insurance, adding that no lawsuit was anticipated.

Record spending raises concerns

The FEC’s paralysis comes as political advertising spending is projected to reach a record $11.6 billion in 2026, according to AdImpact—about $400 million more than in 2024, a presidential election year.

Much of the money is difficult to trace. Hundreds of millions of dollars have moved through political groups that do not disclose their donors, including super PACs established shortly before elections.

Campaigns continue filing complaints despite the commission’s inability to act. In Texas, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico’s campaign accused Republican Ken Paxton of improperly spending dark money; the groups involved say they comply with the law. In Nebraska, conservative critics accused independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn of misusing campaign and PAC funds. His campaign called the allegations politically motivated.

Without a functioning commission to interpret and enforce the rules, political campaigns must navigate uncertain legal boundaries themselves, said Craig Holman, Public Citizen’s lobbyist on ethics and campaign finance.

“We’ve got no one that can judge the merits of what’s going on, enforce the law and provide guidance to candidates and political committees that seriously want it,” Holman said. “So everyone knows you can do whatever you want this time around.”

Vice President JD Vance says Iran must make a meaningful reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity before Washington agrees to end the seven-month war, Reuters reports.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters during a campaign trip to Alaska on Monday, Vance said the US wants an actual reduction, not promises of future limits.

“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity,” Vance said. “We’re not going to trade words for actions.”

Vance also said Washington is unsure who holds authority in Tehran: “One of the things we picked up on is it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions.” On Sunday, a day before Vance’s interview, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said US officials understand Iran’s leadership structure.

Photos: Daniel Torok / White House (public domain); Dean Calma / IAEA (CC BY 2.0). Cropped and combined.

A new congressional report lists 81 US military aircraft as lost or damaged in operations against Iran, nearly double the 42 identified in an earlier version this spring.

The Congressional Research Service report, updated October 5, covers fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones since the US, in coordination with Israel, began Operation Epic Fury on February 28. It draws on military statements, news reports and findings from the Defense Department’s inspector general.

The figure combines aircraft that were destroyed with aircraft that were only damaged. CRS notes that it does not have access to classified military damage assessments.

On cost, the report cites a September estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that replacing equipment lost through August 1 would run between $1.9 billion and $3.3 billion, depending on the Pentagon’s replacement plans.

Drones account for a large share of the losses. The inspector general’s report, which covers April 1 through June 30, said as many as 30 MQ-9A Reaper drones were destroyed.

That same inspector general report put the cost of the war at about $33.4 billion, including $22.3 billion in expended munitions.

Photos: U.S. Air Force / U.S. Air National Guard via DVIDS (public domain).

Shin Bet Director David Zini delivered an unusual warning at the most recent Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday, telling ministers there is a danger of terror emerging from the heart of Israel, from areas where Bedouins live.

“There are places in the Bedouin encampments with military infrastructure that we are thwarting all the time, attempts to establish military-style battalions. It is a very worrying phenomenon,” Zini told the ministers.

The remarks were made during a cabinet session that dealt with threats from Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting that Hamas will attempt an attack ahead of Israel’s elections in three weeks, as the country prepares to mark three years since the October 7 massacre.

“Precisely because Hamas is so weak, it will try to challenge us with what remains of its strength ahead of the elections, in order to try to influence them,” Netanyahu said. “We are prepared for this. First of all, we will thwart such attempts, and in any case we will respond with tremendous force if they make that mistake.”

He added: “I say to all our enemies: look at what we did to you on seven fronts in the War of Redemption. Don’t mess with us.”

Israel’s National Security Council also issued a warning to Israelis, stating: “There is a heightened risk of attempted attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad, alongside demonstrations and disturbances. The terror organizations, led by Iran and its proxies, Hamas and global jihad elements, view this date as a significant milestone.”

The NSC is asking the Israeli public to:

• Avoid posting travel plans or movements abroad on social media in advance
• Avoid travel to destinations under a Level 4 travel warning: Jordan, Qatar, Somaliland and Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula
• Limit speaking Hebrew in crowded places

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar says indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran remain active despite signs that the diplomatic process has reached an apparent stalemate, with the Middle East conflict now seven months old.

Ibrahim Al-Hashmi, an official with Qatar’s foreign ministry, said during a regular press briefing that the discussions are addressing “the concerns of the various parties.”

“I can confirm that the talks are continuing and the exchange of messages between different parties are continuing via Qatar and its regional partners,” he said.

Qatar has been facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran as the two sides attempt to find a negotiated path toward ending the conflict. The diplomatic effort comes as the war continues to carry significant regional and international costs.

“As you know, the scale of this conflict and the magnitude of the price that the whole world is paying require us to put our best efforts to end this immediately through a negotiable solution on the negotiation table,” Al-Hashmi said.

Despite the lack of an apparent breakthrough, Qatar’s statement indicates that diplomatic channels remain open and that messages are still being exchanged through Doha and other regional partners. The mediator’s comments suggest that efforts to reach an agreement have not been abandoned despite the current impasse.

Defense Minister Israel Katz told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting that the Israel Defense Forces has been instructed to prepare for the possibility of a military confrontation with the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria

Katz, who has made increasingly forceful public statements in recent weeks as Israel approaches its October 27 election, outlined what he described as the IDF’s “reference scenario” for the Judea and Samaria.

The scenario “stipulates that preparations must be made for the possibility of an attack by jihadist elements against settlers and IDF soldiers, as a lesson from the events of October 7,” Katz told the ministers.

He said the military is also preparing for the possibility that Palestinian security forces and the Tanzim organization, which is affiliated with the PA, could turn their weapons on Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Katz said that if such an attack occurred, Israel would declare war on the Palestinian Authority. He said the IDF would then carry out a broad military operation based on a detailed plan that was formulated and approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz himself.

According to Katz, the proposed campaign in Judea and Samaria “would be short and forceful and would include the use of ground and air forces and special means, the elimination and expulsion of senior officials, the destruction of weapons, and the large-scale evacuation of residents and destruction of terror infrastructure inside the cities and in all refugee camps… in accordance with the Gaza and Lebanon models, all alongside reinforcing forces and protecting Israeli communities.”

He emphasized that Israel would not allow a prolonged uprising resembling previous periods of Palestinian violence.

“There will not be an intifada lasting years as there was in the past, but rather a short and forceful war with a clear decision and a change in the reality,” he said.

Katz issued a similar warning last month, threatening “full-scale war” against the Palestinian Authority if it were to prepare an attack modeled on the Hamas-led assault of October 7.

Although members of Israel’s government have for years sharply criticized the Palestinian Authority, the country’s defense establishment has generally maintained a more cooperative position. Israeli security officials have regarded PA President Mahmoud Abbas and the authority’s security forces as significant partners in efforts to combat terrorism and maintain security in Judea and Samaria

Nearly one million Israelis have turned to ERAN, the country’s emotional first-aid and mental health support service, since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit organization. – (Via Times of Israel)

The organization said calls involving suicidal thoughts, intentions, or actions have risen sharply among teenagers and young adults during the three years since terrorists attacked communities in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others to Gaza.

“The three years of war have confronted us with a harsh and ongoing reality,” said David Koren, ERAN’s CEO. “Behind every call for help stands a person grappling with pain, loss, anxiety, loneliness, or burnout — and often a combination of these.”

Although the overall number of requests reached its highest levels during the first two years of the war before declining somewhat in the third, ERAN said the data continues to show significant emotional distress, with loneliness becoming increasingly widespread.

During the three-year period, ERAN’s 1,850 trained volunteers, working with mental health professionals, responded to 928,911 requests for assistance. That total included 774,604 telephone calls and another 154,307 contacts through WhatsApp, online chat, SMS, and email.

In the early stages of the war, many callers were dealing with immediate trauma, panic, and grief. As the conflict continued, those acute reactions increasingly gave way to persistent loneliness and longer-term emotional difficulties.

Loneliness became a growing concern among Israelis generally. It represented approximately 28% of all inquiries during the first year but rose to 41% by the third year, making it the most frequently reported issue. ERAN professionals attributed the trend to the accumulated psychological effects of prolonged uncertainty, pressure on families, and disrupted social routines.

Requests for assistance from children, teenagers, and young adults through age 24 also increased consistently throughout the three years, eventually representing nearly one-quarter of all contacts. Within this age group, calls involving suicidal thoughts, intentions, or actions increased from 2.6% during the first year to 4.4% during the third.

Overall, ERAN received 21,829 suicide-related contacts during the three-year period, accounting for approximately 2.35% of all inquiries.

The share of contacts involving suicidal thoughts, intentions, or actions rose from 2% of all inquiries during the first year to 2.2% in the second and 2.83% in the third.

ERAN officials emphasized that the figures measure only the percentage of hotline contacts in which suicidal issues were raised. They cautioned that the data cannot be used to establish definitive conclusions about changes in actual suicidal behavior across Israel.

According to ERAN, suicidal distress can emerge from a complicated combination of personal circumstances, risk factors, and social or individual characteristics rather than from one specific cause. Still, officials said the continued increase in suicide-related hotline contacts demonstrates the importance of maintaining accessible, long-term mental health support.

The Mental Health Toll on Soldiers

ERAN’s findings also highlighted the psychological burden experienced by Israeli military personnel. During the war, the organization responded to approximately 160,000 calls from active-duty soldiers and reservists, with men making up 60% of those contacts.

Feelings of isolation among military personnel increased substantially. Loneliness represented 41% of military-related inquiries during both the second and third years of the war.

ERAN professionals said soldiers may have difficulty reconciling intense experiences from military service with their return to civilian and family life, potentially leaving them feeling deeply isolated. Reports involving sexual abuse and violence among military personnel also increased, rising from 5% of inquiries in the first year to 10% in the second before declining slightly to 8% in the third.

Anxiety and Trauma-Related Calls Decline

The percentage of inquiries concerning psychological pain, depression, and acute emotional distress fell from a first-year peak of 26.6% to approximately 20% during each of the following two years.

Requests related specifically to anxiety, trauma, and loss also declined, dropping from 18.4% during the first year to 10.6% in the second and 9.6% in the third.

ERAN professionals cautioned that the decline should not be interpreted as proof that Israelis are experiencing less mental distress or that the psychological consequences of the war have ended. Instead, they said, the numbers indicate that the subjects people bring to the hotline have changed over time.

Among Israelis between 35 and 44, a demographic that includes many parents and reservists, the number seeking assistance increased steadily throughout the three-year period. Women represented 56% of inquiries from the general population.

“The report reminds us that precisely within the illusion of routine, it is vital to notice those who are struggling and identify signs of distress,” Shiri Daniels, ERAN’s national professional director, said. She urged the public to “ask people directly about suicide” when concerns arise.

“Listen closely,” Daniels said. “That way, we can offer help before their distress deepens.”

Israel’s High Court of Justice has asked Democrats party chairman Yair Golan to consider withdrawing his petition seeking Shin Bet security protection, after the state presented the court with its assessment of the threats facing the opposition leader.

During the hearing, Shin Bet and government representatives outlined the security risks identified by authorities and described the protective measures being considered, according to a statement from Golan’s party.

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the court was not in a position to interfere with the Shin Bet’s professional security determinations. “We cannot intervene in professional security matters handled by the Shin Bet,” Amit said.

Amit also explained that the Shin Bet is responsible for directing police security arrangements for Golan and that the level of protection would be determined according to the threat assessment. Those assessments, he said, are subject to ongoing review.

Golan turned to the High Court after police placed the threat against him at level 4 on a six-level scale. His party has cited dozens of death threats as evidence of the danger he faces.

The Democrats have argued that insufficient protection is making it difficult for Golan to conduct his campaign ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. The party has also pointed to Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot, who has been assigned the same threat level by police but has already received security protection.

Rather than immediately ruling on the petition, the court instructed the state to provide Golan’s attorneys with details of the proposed security arrangements. Once those details are reviewed, the Democrats are expected to determine whether to withdraw the case.

The dispute comes as Israel’s election campaign intensifies, placing renewed attention on the security arrangements provided to political candidates who face elevated threats.

Iranian authorities have introduced a reporting system aimed at gathering information on Iranians living outside the country, raising concerns among dissidents and analysts about an effort to extend Tehran’s surveillance apparatus beyond Iran’s borders.

The initiative, called Alaj, reportedly encouraged people to submit information about Iranians abroad whom they believed were working against Iran’s interests or national security. Reports said submissions could be made through a dedicated website, a Telegram bot and Iran’s Bale messaging platform. Iranian state television and the Revolutionary Guard-linked Fars News Agency reportedly publicized the program.

An Iranian official familiar with the initiative confirmed to Fox News Digital that Alaj and its Telegram chatbot were established to collect information about Iranians living overseas. The official said the website was later taken offline following criticism within Iran.

Iran International reported that the system claimed to have identified approximately 1,600 people, with about 600 allegedly located through information supplied by members of the public. Those figures have not been independently confirmed. The outlet also reported that information displayed through the system included names and photographs, while some listings allegedly contained national identification numbers, birth dates and fathers’ names.

Iranian-American journalist and foreign-policy analyst Lisa Daftari said the significance of the campaign goes beyond the collection of personal information. In her view, the initiative could create a climate in which Iranians abroad fear that fellow members of the diaspora might report them to authorities.

“Even if it’s just the perception that other Iranians can report you or can get you in trouble or that this app exists, it makes a lot of people fearful,” Daftari told Fox News Digital. “You’ll think twice before going to that next protest.”

She said those concerns can be particularly serious for people who continue to have relatives in Iran. Public political activity abroad, she argued, could potentially expose family members inside the country to pressure or retaliation.

“Now your face could be captured, you can get in trouble,” she said. “If you have family in Iran, they can get into trouble.”

Daftari characterized the campaign as a modern, digital version of a longstanding method of social control in Iran, where people may fear that neighbors, colleagues or acquaintances could report them to authorities.

“Now the regime wants to take this show on the road and do that here, here in the West,” Daftari said. “They want to intimidate people. And it works.”

Daftari said she has personally experienced intimidation that she believes has been connected to her public criticism of the Iranian government. She described being followed, targeted by hacking attempts and approached in person in several U.S. cities.

“I’ve been followed, I’ve been hacked multiple times, I have been approached in person in L.A., in New York, even at the airport,” she told Fox News Digital.

She previously said a major cyberattack compromised both her social-media accounts and personal and professional email. Following that incident, she said she was contacted by the FBI and subsequently worked with federal investigators.

According to Daftari, hackers also obtained private vacation photographs and sent them to her husband. She said the purpose was to demonstrate that those targeting her could locate and reach her.

“The message they want to send is very clear, that we know where you are, we can reach you,” she said. “And obviously the point is to intimidate and silence those who speak out, who report, who speak the truth and talk about all the crimes of this regime.”

She argued that intimidation can affect ordinary members of the Iranian-American community as well as prominent activists and journalists. Daftari recalled filming at a Los Angeles cafe where Iranian Americans were watching a World Cup match and seeing people deliberately avoid appearing on camera because they feared relatives in Iran could face consequences.

That experience, she said, demonstrates how surveillance and the fear of surveillance can influence behavior even when individuals have no way of knowing whether information about them has actually been reported.

The campaign has also affected Daftari’s own approach to personal security. She said she has become more conscious of where she parks, what information she makes public and potential vulnerabilities at locations she visits.

She recalled the difficulty of publicly announcing the location of her father’s memorial service after his death while simultaneously worrying about security.

“It does silence a lot of people and it does change the freedom by which we think we can operate here in the United States where we believe we have full freedom,” Daftari said.

“Their intimidation works,” she added. “It works to a certain extent on each individual.”

Daftari said Americans should view such activity as part of a broader confrontation with the Iranian regime rather than focusing exclusively on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

“It’s not just about nuclear weapons, it’s about a deadly ideology that has made its way here to U.S. soil,” she said. “We have to understand that.”

Clashes broke out in recent hours in Meah Shearim after Jerusalem police officers who came to remove a Palestinian flag in the Chareidi neighborhood were met with resistance. Residents threw objects at the officers, including bottles and eggs, and police responded with stun grenades.

During the operation, police arrested three suspects, among them a child, for stone-throwing and disturbing public order. All of the suspects were transferred for further questioning at the police station. Police say forces are also conducting searches and overt and covert investigative activity to locate and arrest others involved in the assault and disturbances.

Israel Police said in a statement that it “views with great severity any attempt to harm civilians, police officers and law enforcement personnel who come to carry out their duties. The police will continue to act with determination, with a firm hand and with zero tolerance against any lawbreaker who acts violently, disturbs public order and attempts to harm the security forces.”

Footage of the arrest. Credit: Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that 4,000 of the 6,000 terrorists who crossed into Israel during the October 7 massacre have been eliminated, and issued a direct warning to the 2,000 who remain.

“6,000 terrorists crossed the border into Israel on October 7 and carried out the atrocities,” Katz said. “Of them, 4,000 have been eliminated so far, and 2,000 remain.”

Katz said the directive to the military applies to every one of them, regardless of rank.

“The instruction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and myself to the IDF and all security bodies is sharp and clear: beyond the supreme goal of dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, to pursue and eliminate all of them, without limitation and in any situation, from the senior ones to the junior ones,” he said.

The statement comes two days before the third anniversary of the attack.

The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University accused of planning an extreme and murderous plot against hundreds of Arab citizens of Israel

The indictment was filed Monday in the Central District Court in Lod against a mathematics lecturer, about 60, from Petach Tikva, charging him with preparing an act of terror under the Counter-Terrorism Law, extortion by threats, and obstruction of justice.

According to the indictment, against the backdrop of the “Guardian of the Walls” riots, and more intensely following the “Swords of Iron” war, the defendant decided, out of a nationalist-ideological motive, to plan and carry out numerous simultaneous terror attacks. The aim was to cause the deaths of many hundreds of Arab citizens of Israel, including Bedouin, across the country, as well as Arabs living in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, in order to bring about their flight and permanent expulsion to Jordan, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

For more than three years, from early February 2023 until his arrest about two weeks ago, he allegedly devised a detailed plan he called “Ayit,” a Hebrew acronym for “the nation will carry out transfer.” Prosecutors say he took concrete preparatory steps, including advance field tours, drafting documents laying out the method of operation and its justifications, and attempting to recruit participants.

Under the plan, 72 Jewish attackers, at least half of them licensed gun owners and including the defendant himself, would be divided into 12 cells of six. Armed with pistols, rifles, axes and hammers, they would launch surprise mass attacks in mixed cities and Arab towns across Israel. The plan also envisioned pre-coordinated backing from subversive elements to be recruited from within the IDF, including the bombing of Arab population centers by the Air Force, Artillery Corps and Armored Corps.

According to the indictment, he tried for about a year and a half to recruit supporters and partners, without success. He also conducted a preliminary tour near the town of Tuba-Zangariyye, which he wanted as a central target, to study the best access and attack routes.

The indictment states that the defendant planned to approach Moshe Feiglin, who is running in the upcoming elections for the 26th Knesset as head of the Zehut list and No. 2 on the joint Zehut–Religious Zionism slate, to recruit him to the plan and then enlist additional activists with his help. He sought to invite pre-selected activists to a Zehut election rally, where they would be told they were being drafted for an attack the following day and handed a briefing with detailed instructions.

Prosecutors stressed that Feiglin did not respond to any of the defendant’s approaches. The indictment says the defendant then sent Feiglin a letter threatening to publicize it and damage him ahead of the elections unless he cooperated. Zehut said that as soon as the letters arrived, Feiglin and party leadership filed a formal police complaint.

An American tourist was arrested Sunday evening after arriving at the Kirya, the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, and arousing suspicion. According to the suspicion, the tourist photographed the site and told people nearby that he was planning to carry out an attack.

Police said Monday morning that officers from the Lev Tel Aviv station in the Yarkon District transferred him for questioning on the circumstances of the incident, and he was sent for a psychiatric evaluation.

The suspect will be brought before a court, where police will ask to extend his detention.

(Jerusalem Post) – Israel has killed an estimated two-thirds of the approximately 6,000 people who crossed from Gaza into Israel during the October 7, 2023, attack, according to figures presented by Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder to the security cabinet.

An Israeli source familiar with Sunday’s briefing told The Jerusalem Post that roughly 4,000 of the infiltrators have been killed. Binder said the military intends to pursue those still alive.

“There are 2,000 remaining, and we will get to every last one of them,” Binder said.

The figures come as Israeli forces continue targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza. Among those reported killed in recent operations was Saqr Nabil Musa Qaisi, a Hamas Nukhba operative whom the IDF said had posed as the director of a humanitarian organization called Deniz Feneri. His death was announced following a strike on Sunday.

On Friday, the military reported killing Ibrahim Mustafa Suleiman Abu Oweimer, a Hamas Nukhba platoon commander who also participated in the October 7 infiltration. Israeli forces further reported eliminating two Islamic Jihad commanders responsible for rocket operations over the weekend.

Another reported target was Ali al-Amoudi, identified as the successor to Yahya Sinwar as Hamas’s leader in Gaza. The IDF has not confirmed his death, and Israeli media reports have differed over his status.

The military’s campaign against Hamas has continued despite the ceasefire that began in October 2025. In July, The Jerusalem Post reported that at least 420 Hamas operatives had been killed by Israeli forces since the truce took effect.

The period has also seen reports of Hamas using violence against Palestinians as it sought to reassert control over parts of Gaza. Estimates cited in the original report said Hamas had killed dozens or more people between October 2025 and July 2026.

The United Nations has estimated that around 1,000 Gazans were killed during that period. The figures cited in the report suggested that civilians accounted for less than half of those killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire, though the estimates do not independently establish the circumstances of each death.

Defense Ministry reports 1,318 security personnel killed during war

Israel’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that 1,318 members of the country’s security forces have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023.

The tally includes personnel from the IDF, Israel Police, Shin Bet, Fire and Rescue Services, as well as security coordinators and members of local emergency response teams. The deaths span several fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.

The ministry also reported that more than 7,150 people have been officially recognized as bereaved relatives. They include 2,143 parents, 355 widows and 880 orphans. A further 3,772 people lost a brother or sister.

Israeli forces have continued to suffer casualties even after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025. Some of the incidents have occurred near the Yellow Line, which marks the buffer zone inside the Strip.