Israel's political class remains consumed by a deepening scandal over the alleged manipulation of classified Oct. 7 records, even as party leaders sharpen their rhetoric with elections looming. Elsewhere, Smotrich has urged defiance of a High Court ruling on Palestinian returnees to the West Bank, while international headlines include a devastating migrant shipwreck off Yemen and renewed Iranian signals on nuclear negotiations.

Security

Police reportedly suspect that Tzachi Braverman, a senior aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu, improperly removed around 30 classified records relating to pre-Oct. 7 security discussions held under both the Netanyahu and Bennett-Lapid governments. N12 has published a transcript allegedly showing Braverman's attempt to alter the Prime Minister's call log from that day, corroborating claims made by former military secretary Avi Gil in interviews with N12 and Israel Hayom, who directly accused Braverman of making the changes. The allegations have intensified scrutiny of how the Oct. 7 narrative has been shaped at the highest levels of government.

Separately, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to defy a High Court ruling concerning the return of displaced Palestinian residents to the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps. The state has been given until November 2026 to respond, with the court stopping short of ordering an immediate return of residents or IDF withdrawal from the camps.

Politics

With elections some two weeks away, political infighting within the anti-Netanyahu bloc has flared again. Yamina leader Naftali Bennett used an interview at the Yedioth Ahronoth/Ynet 'People of the State' conference to accuse Netanyahu's advisers of betrayal and branded them 'Qatari agents', declaring that 'the State of Israel is in a slow-motion suicide process' and vowing to replace the Prime Minister. He dismissed as nonsense suggestions his bloc would rely on Arab parties to form a government, though he later caused a stir by suggesting Netanyahu could feature in a future coalition before swiftly backtracking. Bloc partners Gideon Sa'ar… actually Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan and Avigdor Liberman categorically rejected sitting with Netanyahu, with only Benny Gantz voicing openness to the idea.

Knesset Speaker Yariel Ohana, speaking at the same conference, said it would be 'legitimate' for him to be replaced if a 61-seat majority emerged, warned defectors from Eisenkot's camp to 'keep one eye open', and said he expects an override clause to be advanced in the next term. He also floated the idea of a broad national unity government potentially including Bennett, while sharply criticising Yair Golan. A new poll found strong public interest in a potential Netanyahu-Eisenkot debate, with 80% support among Yashar party voters but only 38% among Likud voters. Analysts suggest Netanyahu's campaign strategy may ultimately focus on securing around 55 seats rather than an outright 61-seat majority, with some Likud officials believing another election cycle could weaken Bennett and make a future arrangement with Netanyahu more appealing.

International

At least 139 migrants, most of them Ethiopians fleeing renewed fighting at home, drowned when their overcrowded vessel sank en route from Djibouti to Yemen. Of the 305 people packed aboard the boat bound for Gulf states, only 82 survived; a senior UN official described shocked survivors and numerous bodies washed ashore, noting many victims have been buried in unmarked mass graves. 'Everyone has a father and mother,' the official said. 'We may never know what happened to them.'

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is still awaiting mediators to convey Washington's final position on Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that 'only a negotiated solution can resolve the crisis' and that any reopening depends on Iran's conditions being met. His comments followed remarks from US President Donald Trump on the matter.

Health

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav has demanded accountability from the Health Ministry, Environmental Protection Ministry and the Bazan refinery following an unusual pollution event that forced the closure of two schools and prompted warnings to local residents. 'This is a genuine alarm — our children are not guinea pigs,' Yahav said, insisting that Haifa and the Krayot area's residents 'are not second-class citizens' and calling for the refineries to be shut down by 2029.

Technology

Israeli cybersecurity startups attracted nearly half of all global sector investment in the third quarter, raising at least $2.425 billion as investors continued to back companies developing AI agent security and infrastructure protection, underscoring Israel's continued dominance in the global cyber industry.

Other Developments

In a precedent-setting case, the state is seeking roughly one million shekels from Ofir Menachem, a former officer demoted to private rank after being convicted of sexual offences against soldiers under his command, demanding repayment of benefits transferred to him and compensation owed to victims, on the grounds that he 'breached trust to satisfy his own needs'.

Concern is growing for 31-year-old Israeli Lidan Arava, who went missing in Madrid after travelling there on holiday with friends; he failed to board his return flight to Israel this morning, prompting ZAKA and family representatives to appeal for public assistance. Separately, a 21-year-old man was seriously injured in a violent incident in the Galilee village of Shibli overnight and was evacuated to Emek Medical Centre in serious condition.

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