With just over a week until Israelis go to the polls, the political landscape shifted sharply on Monday as Benny Gantz withdrew his Blue and White party from the race. Meanwhile, fresh details emerged in the ongoing Qatar lobbying affair involving a Netanyahu adviser, and security forces addressed a brief scare in the West Bank. Abroad, unrest continued in Paris and Houthi attacks struck both Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Politics
Benny Gantz formally announced the withdrawal of his Blue and White party from the race for the 26th Knesset, acknowledging that he had failed to convince enough Israelis to back his path. In an emotional statement, he took responsibility for the decision and called on party leaders to form a unity government spanning the political blocs, warning: "Don't take us back to 6 October — we will face repeat elections or, God forbid, disaster." His party had consistently polled below the electoral threshold. Separately, the contest between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot continues to dominate coverage, with analysts noting that while Iran unites the two camps, settler violence in the West Bank and the handling of Gaza remain points of division, and neither candidate has offered a clear postwar plan. Donald Trump's public backing of Netanyahu has also become a talking point, with commentators debating whether the US president's intervention will sway Israeli voters as it has in the past. In a related development, Yonatan Urich, a senior adviser to the prime minister, reportedly admitted during questioning in the Qatar affair that he continued working for Qatari interests into 2024, only halting once told the "project had ended", and said he had never been required to disclose the work to Netanyahu. As election day approaches, analysts are also mapping out scenarios for the aftermath of the vote — including how a minority or transitional government might be formed — while reports note that Israeli academics abroad are returning home in time to cast ballots, with surveys suggesting these returning voters lean towards opposition parties.
Security
The IDF Spokesperson confirmed that an earlier alert over a possible infiltration by militants into the settlement of Avihar in Samaria turned out to involve an Israeli citizen, with the army clarifying there was no genuine security threat. Separately, a senior Syrian official told the Jerusalem Post that Damascus is increasingly concerned about a potential Druze offensive in Sweida, alleging that Israel is encouraging armed groups and providing military support in the area.
International
Unrest continued in France, where a wave of protests that began among students in a Paris suburb spread to hundreds of schools, bringing arson and looting. French authorities imposed a night-time curfew around Place de la République and the Les Halles area, running from 10pm to 6am. Further east, Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed a series of strikes on Saudi energy facilities, airports and military targets, including an Aramco site in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield, and airports in Riyadh and Abha. Separately, a Houthi ballistic missile strike on a Yemeni military camp in Shabwa province reportedly killed over 50 soldiers and injured more than 200, with the rebels saying they had targeted new recruits; Saudi authorities have told government employees in Riyadh to work from home amid the ongoing attacks. On the Ukraine front, tensions flared between Washington and Kyiv after Trump accused President Zelensky of not wanting to end the war, while Ukraine claimed the US again failed to provide advance warning of a deadly Russian missile strike and that vital supplies were being delayed. The Wall Street Journal reported that Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way summit with the US and Chinese presidents, which critics have likened to a modern-day Yalta carving up spheres of influence.
Health
Anat Nussbaum has resigned as CEO of the Medica hospital network following closure orders and serious regulatory findings at several of the network's hospitals. Dr Eitan Hai-Am, former director-general of the Health Ministry and ex-CEO of Soroka and Assuta, will take over the role.
Economy
El Al has partnered with lifestyle brands including UK fragrance house Jo Malone London and Israeli company TAKEANAP to enhance its premium cabins, as the airline looks to attract more business-class and premium-economy travellers.
Media Consensus
Israeli outlets across the spectrum gave heavy coverage to Gantz's withdrawal from the election race, framing it as a significant shift just over a week before polling day, with most noting his call for a broad unity government. Coverage of the Netanyahu-Eisenkot contest and Trump's influence on the race reflected the usual partisan divides in tone, though all outlets agreed on the centrality of Iran policy and the unresolved question of Gaza's future. Reporting on the Qatar affair and the security scare in Avihar was largely factual and consistent across sources.
What to Watch
- Whether other party leaders respond to Gantz's call for a unity government ahead of the 27 October vote
- Further testimony or developments in the Qatar lobbying affair involving Netanyahu's adviser
- Whether tensions over Sweida and Syrian Druze militias escalate into a broader confrontation
Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post
