Good afternoon. Today's briefing covers continued IDF manoeuvres in Gaza, a domestic political controversy involving an Otzma Yehudit MK, escalating rhetoric from Yemen's Houthis towards Saudi Arabia, and fresh diplomatic friction over Ukraine. We also look at a new report on potential Abraham Accords expansion and a significant sentencing in a terror case from the Jordan Valley.

Security

The IDF continues to push the so-called yellow line deeper into the Gaza Strip, with forces now controlling the majority of the territory, according to Palestinian sources cited by Ynet. Military officials say the strategy of gradually expanding controlled territory is not unique to Gaza, though its application there has intensified significantly since the 7 October attacks. Separately, a police investigation reportedly indicates that Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer and party chief executive Itiel Neiman assaulted officers during the detention of a settler suspected of violence against Palestinians, allegedly enabling the suspect's escape, the Times of Israel reports. In the courts, Mohammed Walid Ahmed Said was sentenced to 45 years in prison after admitting to planning and carrying out a 2022 terror attack in the Jordan Valley, in which he blocked a bus, poured flammable liquid and opened fire, wounding six soldiers and a civilian. He was also ordered to pay over 700,000 shekels in fines and compensation. Elsewhere, a Jerusalem Post investigation found that hackers have been exploiting insecure security cameras—including one overlooking a poultry farm in northern Israel whose settings had been changed to Arabic—to track troop movements and military targets in both Israel and Ukraine. A separate report noted that the US Army is urging adoption of Israeli battlefield medicine techniques after the IDF reportedly halved combat casualty mortality rates compared with the 15% recorded during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

International

Yemen's Houthi rebels issued a fresh threat against Saudi airspace, declaring that Saudi airports 'constitute a theatre of operations for our forces', with the exception of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The warning follows a strike on Riyadh that killed 12 people. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is still awaiting the United States' final position, conveyed via mediators, on Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that 'only a negotiated agreement can resolve the crisis.' This follows comments from President Trump on the matter. Separately, Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rising US diesel prices and suggested Ukraine should get a new president, after signing a diesel deal with Moscow and praising President Putin—a move European officials criticised as funding Russia's war effort. In the Palestinian arena, President Mahmoud Abbas has again postponed Palestinian Legislative Council elections, originally scheduled for 28 November, pushing the date back to 11 September 2027, prompting anger among Palestinians who say the decision disregards the hopes of millions. On the diplomatic front, a new report from the Counter State Actions (CSA) group assessed Kuwait, Lebanon and Syria as the leading candidates for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, among nine Muslim-majority countries currently without formal ties to Israel. In Britain, a row has deepened within the Green Party after local branches backed a 'Zionism is racism' motion, drawing criticism from Barnet Labour MPs and a Green MP who warned her party must guard against 'capture by racists'. The Hastings Jewish community went further, describing the party as having policies 'in common with fascists'.

Politics

In domestic political developments, the Joint List has signalled it would do 'anything' to help oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what analysts suggest may be a message aimed at opposition front-runner Gadi Eisenkot, amid broader positioning ahead of potential elections, including the emergence of Ofer Winter's new People of Israel party.

Health

Heads of 110 local authorities across Israel have jointly demanded that political party leaders commit to a national plan within 100 days of the next government's swearing-in, citing urgent public health concerns. Their demands include a dedicated budget, tougher penalties for illegal dumping, and rehabilitation of illegal waste sites, with officials warning that 'local authorities cannot remain alone in this struggle' and that 'residents' health cannot wait.'

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