Israel enters the final stretch before Tuesday's election with polls showing neither major bloc able to secure a majority, as candidates receive enhanced security and make final appeals to voters. Meanwhile, regional tensions persist with reported strikes in Iraq, an intercepted drone over Iran, and a deadly attack on a church funeral in Jordan.

Politics

With two days remaining before the election, a new poll shows Benny Gantz's rival Gadi Eisenkot edging ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu, though neither of the two major blocs can reach the 61-seat majority needed to form a government, with an average gap of 4.5 seats between them. All party leaders have issued direct appeals to voters: Eisenkot says Israel 'must change course now', Netanyahu points to Donald Trump's remarks that he would 'eliminate Iran only with me', Naftali Bennett emphasises a team 'ready from day one', and Itamar Ben Gvir claims 'everyone admits I was right'. Security arrangements for candidates have been overhauled, with the Shin Bet's Unit 730 now overseeing protection for Eisenkot, Avigdor Winter and Yair Golan, following a Democrats party petition to the High Court demanding state-funded security for Golan, which has now been granted. Separately, Eisenkot's Yashar party has sought to block a planned meeting between Netanyahu and the police chief regarding election integrity, accusing the prime minister of attempting to pressure public servants for political gain. Winter has not ruled out joining a coalition with either Eisenkot or Netanyahu provided right-wing policies are preserved, while claiming 13% of voters back his party despite polling suggesting it would fail to cross the electoral threshold. In a reflective piece from Nahal Oz, residents near Gaza describe how the October 7th massacre, which killed 16 people from the kibbutz, has pushed many in the traditionally left-leaning community rightward politically.

Security

Iran's military claimed it shot down an American LUCAS-type drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, though US confirmation of the claim has not been received. Separately, a report suggests Iraq believes Israel may have struck militia weapons depots supplied by Iran, in what could signal the start of a new round of regional conflict, though the alleged incident reportedly occurred in mid-to-early October. In the Mediterranean, Israeli and Greek navies conducted joint drills simulating a variety of operational scenarios, described as a significant step forward in naval cooperation between the two countries, widely seen as a signal to Turkey amid shared concerns over Ankara's growing regional influence. Domestically, police launched extensive searches in Givat Shmuel after a suspect reportedly fell near a school, was approached by a security guard attempting to help him, then seized the guard's weapon and fled. No injuries were reported, and the school confirmed students remained safely in classrooms while the suspect was being tracked at a distance from the town.

International

The death toll from Saturday's attack on a funeral at a church in Karak, Jordan, has risen to nine, with survivors describing scenes of horror as three gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on mourners before returning to finish off the wounded. In the UK, Haringey council leader Mark Blake has made fresh claims of the 'weaponisation of antisemitism' after a local synagogue warned that his party was making Jewish residents feel unsafe amid a row over Zionism. Separately, an 18-year-old has admitted possessing the manifesto of a synagogue killer alongside other far-right terrorist material, and had reportedly written his own manifesto suggesting plans for a future attack. In the United States, former president Barack Obama appeared at a Detroit rally in support of a Democratic Senate candidate whose campaign has drawn controversy over an advert linking grocery prices to American aid for Israel. Meanwhile, Arab-Israeli influencer Nuseir Yassin, creator of 'Nas Daily', told a US conference that anti-Zionism constitutes a form of antisemitism, arguing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict draws disproportionate global attention because Palestinians have 'the most hated type of enemy'.

Economy

British supermarket chain Tesco has begun stocking Israeli plant-based meat products from Redefine Meat, with the company's burgers and lamb-style koftas now available in 391 stores, building on its existing UK presence at Asda and Ocado.

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