Israeli security officials are warning of growing tensions in the West Bank even as terror activity remains at its lowest level in over a decade, while police continue to investigate a suspected triple murder in the Sharon region. Abroad, instability in Yemen and the Gulf continues to draw attention amid reports of a Houthi advance and mass displacement, alongside efforts to ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Security

The IDF has warned that despite terror activity in the West Bank being at its lowest level since 2011, friction is rising and there are growing concerns over weapons proliferation and potential escalation ahead of the upcoming holiday period. Security officials are pushing for preventive operations to head off any deterioration, citing a combination of low overt violence but heightened underlying tension across Palestinian areas.

International

Yemen's Houthi rebels have reportedly seized further territory, with a CNN report suggesting Yemeni army rosters were riddled with 'ghost names', leaving the port city of Mocha vulnerable to takeover with blame spread across Yemeni leadership, the United States and Saudi Arabia. Separately, more than 45,000 people have reportedly been displaced from areas recently seized by the Houthis, who frame the advance as 'liberation from Saudi control'; displaced residents described fleeing with only the clothes they were wearing, and the UN's World Food Programme chief has warned of a lack of budget to respond. In the Gulf, an Iranian-owned commercial vessel was reportedly struck near Kish Island, with an Iranian official claiming one person was killed and three wounded; the incident's origin remains unclear. Meanwhile, talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz appear stalled, with an Iranian source telling media that a deal with Oman will not immediately reopen the strait, as Tehran continues to seek the right to charge ships a toll—an idea Muscat rejects—while Bahrain has ruled out attending a planned Monday meeting between Gulf states and Iran. In Southeast Asia, search and rescue operations are underway off Indonesia after a passenger ferry carrying up to 243 people lost contact during a voyage from Java amid stormy weather; at least 103 people have been rescued, one of whom later died, with the search continuing for the remaining passengers. On the Ukraine war, the Kremlin said India's prime minister and China's president had offered to mediate negotiations, with Moscow saying President Putin thanked them for the proposal. In Washington, former President Trump said he had cut ties with commentator Tucker Carlson some months ago over remarks he found unacceptable, though he declined to criticise Vice President JD Vance for continuing to describe Carlson as a friend.

Other Developments

Israeli police are investigating the deaths of three men whose bodies were found in the back seat of a burnt-out car near Baqa al-Gharbiya. Investigators believe the victims were killed before the vehicle was set alight; no arrests have been made and the incident is believed to be criminal in nature. Local youths who arrived at the scene said they initially believed the car was empty, only discovering the bodies after firefighters extinguished the blaze. In a separate incident, security camera footage from the village of Musmus showed a Border Police officer smashing the windows of a parked, empty vehicle belonging to resident Mohammed Agbariya, who was not in the area at the time. Police have yet to respond to the footage, which has drawn criticism over the handling of private property.

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