Security tensions remain elevated across multiple fronts this evening, from Gaza to Lebanon to Jordanian airspace, even as domestic political manoeuvring intensifies ahead of the coming election. Below is our roundup of the day's most significant developments.

Security

Hamas is reportedly scrambling to establish how Israel's Shin Bet managed to arrest Moin al-Arabid, described as the group's internal security chief in Gaza, in an operation the organisation claims involved months of covert preparation, sedative-laced weaponry and a hidden team positioned behind his home. Separately, Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes in Lebanon, reportedly killing two men travelling by motorcycle, while interceptions were witnessed over the Sea of Galilee, apparently linked to Iranian projectiles directed towards Jordan, where Iranian media reported a significant explosion. In Jerusalem's Old City, a would-be attacker was shot dead near the Western Wall hours after Selichot prayers concluded, after he drew a knife on Border Police officers who had identified him entering via Damascus Gate. Further details also emerged on a recent operation by the Yahalam special forces unit that trapped and dismantled a Hezbollah tunnel complex near the Alei Tahar ridge, though a New York Times report suggested one access point remains outside IDF control. Separately, an Israeli man has been charged with security offences after being detained at Ben Gurion Airport, accused of being run by foreign intelligence and engaging in influence operations; most details remain under a court-imposed gag order despite extensive foreign reporting. Meanwhile, concern is growing within the security cabinet, particularly among Religious Zionism ministers, over the risk that weapons supplied to Palestinian security forces could be turned against Israeli communities, although the IDF says it has no specific intelligence pointing to such a plot.

Politics

Jaafar Farah, ranked second on the Hadash list and fourth on the Joint List, has withdrawn from the Knesset race following allegations of sexual harassment against him, with Hadash publicly praising his 'responsibility and courage' in stepping aside. Merger talks between Gideon Sa'ar's Achdut and Benny Gantz's Blue and White have collapsed after both parties struggled in the polls; Sa'ar declared his party will not contest the coming election at all, arguing the public wants a clear decision on who becomes prime minister rather than another unity government. Gadi Eisenkot, meanwhile, predicted 'surprises' regarding possible political unions in the coming days and repeated his claim that Netanyahu was unreachable following the 2018 downing of an Israeli F-16, a claim the prime minister has not publicly denied. Separately, it emerged that IDF officers offered Netanyahu the opportunity to review the 7 October inquiry findings while they were still being compiled, an offer he reportedly showed no interest in, even after his chief of staff was approached to intervene. On the right, Itamar Ben Gvir confirmed that former Likud MK Tali Gottlieb will join Otzma Yehudit as his number two, with reports suggesting Minister May Golan, who lost her safe Likud slot in the primaries, may follow suit. A new Ynet/Yedioth poll found religious-Zionist voters, worth an estimated 12-13 seats, remain broadly loyal to coalition parties despite criticism over Haredi draft exemptions, with Bezalel Smotrich drawing 30% support against just 3% for Naftali Bennett. In the settlements, the Binyamin Regional Council has purchased land at the site of the former Amona outpost, evacuated in 2017, with officials stating an intention to re-establish a community there.

International

Russia struck Kyiv with a drone that hit the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service, part of an intensifying campaign that has shifted towards round-the-clock attacks disrupting daily life in the capital, even as envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner await talks in the region. Ukraine has continued to target Russian oil infrastructure in response.

Other Developments

Israel is grappling with a sustained surge in violent crime, with projections suggesting the murder toll could reach around 300 this year for the fourth consecutive year, a trend that community figures say is no longer confined to Arab towns. In Paris, an 80-year-old Israeli woman was violently assaulted in her hotel room, sustaining facial fractures and heavy bleeding before being rescued by family members who responded to her screams; consular officials say the attacker was intoxicated and found no indication of an antisemitic motive. A delegation of six foreign ambassadors, from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, visited the Nova festival site near Gaza and other affected areas, with the Gambian envoy saying the visit gave him a genuine understanding of what Israelis endured on 7 October, while Fiji's ambassador offered engineering assistance for rebuilding communities near the Gaza envelope. Elsewhere, tensions over religious and secular coexistence have flared in several mixed cities, with reports of Haredi communities in Bnei Brak and Safed escalating efforts to restrict secular residents and enforce religious norms in public spaces.

Sources: Ynet