As Israel approaches the third anniversary of the 7 October attacks, memorial events are beginning across the country while investigators continue to piece together details of the day. Abroad, fresh revelations have emerged in the FlyDubai cockpit attack and a suspected terror plot against a Manchester synagogue, while domestic political manoeuvring continues ahead of potential elections.

Security

A light aircraft crashed near Kafr Qara in Wadi Ara, killing 75-year-old Eran Peleg, a former fighter pilot and startup entrepreneur who had been instructing a flying trainee. The aircraft had taken off from Megiddo airfield in northern Israel. Peleg had previously spoken of transitioning from the Israeli Air Force into the hi-tech world, co-founding a venture with Arkia pilot Iyad Badr. Separately, a 20-year-old man was critically wounded in a shooting on a central street in Jaffa and rushed to Wolfson Medical Center unconscious with penetrating wounds; police are conducting searches for suspects in what is believed to be a criminal matter. In the north, a 21-year-old man was seriously injured in a violent incident in Shibli, in the Lower Galilee, and taken to Emek Medical Center. In Netanya, a police officer was moderately hurt after a driver who refused to stop for inspection crashed into a patrol car during an enforcement operation; the driver was lightly injured and arrested. Meanwhile, more than 20 firefighting crews were scrambled to tackle a large blaze at a waste site in Osfiya, working to stop the fire spreading into the Carmel forests and nearby neighbourhoods.

Politics

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Daily Mail that Britain remains an ally of Israel even as its government 'appeases our enemies and attacks us', saying such behaviour 'doesn't say much' about the current relationship. On the domestic political front, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz insisted he will run in the next election despite claiming voters fear 'wasting their vote', while reportedly offering to meet with Gadi Eizenkot and seeking backing from the 'change bloc' for a presidential bid in exchange for standing aside. Separately, the ousted chairman of Netivei Ayalon, Idan David, was questioned under caution by the Lahav 433 fraud unit over suspected perjury and document forgery linked to his appointment to lead the multi-billion-shekel company, in an affair embarrassing senior Likud figures including Miri Regev and Dudi Amsalem.

International

New details have emerged in the FlyDubai cockpit attack, with Emirati prosecutors describing it as an attempted terror act after the co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al Hammami, allegedly attacked the captain with the cockpit's crash axe and tried to seize control of the aircraft. Aviation experts say the jet reached near-supersonic speeds and extreme airframe stress, with one Embry-Riddle aerodynamicist suggesting the aircraft may never fly again. In the UK, two Iranian nationals, Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, have been charged with preparing terrorist acts after allegedly identifying Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester as a bombing target; both had arrived in Britain on small boats in 2020 and 2023 and have been remanded in custody. London's Metropolitan Police have urged student organisers to cancel a planned anti-Israel march marking the 7 October anniversary, warning it could leave Jewish students feeling unsafe, though organisers have yet to come forward. In Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said only a negotiated agreement could resolve the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump suggested a resolution was near; Tehran's judiciary also confirmed the execution of a detainee, Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, convicted of firing at police during January's anti-regime protests. Analysts have also warned that conflicts across the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Sudan and the Red Sea are becoming increasingly intertwined, deepening regional instability. In the United States, a powerful nor'easter battered the north-east, cutting power to more than 73,000 homes and businesses and disrupting thousands of flights. In Britain, Reform UK's St Helens Council leader George Woodward faced criticism after saying the 'jury's out' on whether the borough would observe Holocaust Memorial Day.

Other Developments

Ahead of Tuesday's third anniversary of the 7 October attacks, the 'October Council' opened its 'The Space That Remains' exhibition in Jaffa this evening, displaying personal belongings of victims and hostages alongside findings from an independent inquiry. Organisers said further documents, testimonies and disclosures would be published in the coming days. Meteorologists forecast mild, partly cloudy conditions through the week, with a brief warm-up expected on Monday followed by a drop in temperatures and some rain, particularly in the north, from Tuesday.

Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel