Tensions over a potential strike on Iran dominate the agenda this morning, with reports that the IDF chief resisted pressure from the Prime Minister to take action ahead of elections. Opposition leader Avigdor Liberman has gone further, calling for a treason investigation into Netanyahu. Abroad, Brazil's Lula secured a historic fourth term, while British Jewish communal bodies made headlines over antisemitism concerns. At home, a suspected murder-suicide in Tel Aviv and fatal road accidents added to a sombre news cycle.

Security

CNN reported that Israel had planned to strike Iran in the coming days, but the United States requested a delay, signalling a preference for coordinated action in the near future. According to Israeli sources, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir intervened, arguing that a strike would interfere with the upcoming elections, which reportedly persuaded Washington to wait. Reports indicate that US forces are postured to launch major operations within 96 hours of a presidential order, with officials describing any eventual attack as a significant undertaking. Defence Minister Yisrael Katz denied any Israeli intention to initiate an attack before the elections but did not directly address questions about actions that could risk miscalculation. Separately, N12 reported that Zamir had pushed back against a Netanyahu order for 'action' against Iran, requesting in-depth discussion and formal authorisation given the sensitivity of the move, amid concerns the order was politically motivated. In Gaza, an IDF strike targeting a Hamas operative at a university reportedly killed three people; the military said it diverted the strike upon identifying uninvolved bystanders nearby, and it remains unclear whether the intended target was among the casualties. In the West Bank, Paratroopers Brigade forces arrested five suspected militants in the village of Qabatiya, including three linked to Hamas and two to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, while Battalion 202 troops searched more than 50 sites across the Binyamin area for weapons and infrastructure.

Politics

Opposition leader Avigdor Liberman called for a treason investigation into Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of attempting to draw Israel into a military confrontation with Iran specifically to prevent elections from taking place. The accusation follows reports that Netanyahu sought to persuade the Americans to join a strike before the vote, a move the IDF chief is said to have resisted. Separately, an investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that Australian billionaire James Packer – who Netanyahu is accused of receiving improper gifts from in one of his ongoing trials – has been transferring 50,000 dollars a month, totalling 1.25 million dollars over two years, to the law firm representing the Prime Minister. The payments reportedly began shortly after Packer and Netanyahu renewed contact. Packer did not deny the transfers, with associates saying they were unrelated to the trial; a spokesperson for the Prime Minister responded to the report. Elsewhere, commentary highlighted that Israel's deteriorating international image amid the Gaza war and settler violence has featured surprisingly little in campaign debates, with many voters reportedly viewing the problem as outside their control and accepting Netanyahu's framing of the issue as rooted in antisemitism rather than policy.

International

In a surprise result, Brazil's left-wing incumbent Lula defeated Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the jailed former president, in a presidential runoff, securing an unprecedented fourth term despite being a vocal critic of Israel. Bolsonaro's camp alleged voting irregularities and sought to annul the result. In Britain, the Board of Deputies of British Jews voted decisively – 118 to 1 – to declare the Green Party a racist organisation, meaning it will now be treated in the same manner as other parties the Board considers racist. Separately, Board President Phil Rosenberg pledged to 'double down on British Jewish Zionist values' regardless of the outcome of Israel's upcoming Knesset elections, while criticising a perceived failure to crack down on settler violence. In Haringey, Green council leader Mark Blake made fresh claims of a 'weaponisation of antisemitism' after a local synagogue warned that his party was making Jewish residents feel unsafe. In Tehran, Iranian official Baghaei said the outcome of Israel's election 'doesn't matter', ahead of a planned meeting of Mecca pact members expected to address Israel's regional policies, Lebanon, and tensions with the United States.

Other Developments

A suspected murder-suicide is under investigation in Tel Aviv after two men in their sixties were found with gunshot wounds on Moshe Dayan Street. Paramedics who arrived at the scene found both men without pulse and declared them dead; a firearm was recovered nearby, and police are examining the circumstances. Right-wing activist Shefi Paz, a prominent leader in the campaign against illegal immigration and for the rights of south Tel Aviv residents, died at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer that had returned for a fourth time in the past month. She had led protests on the issue since 2013 and had previously served a prison sentence linked to her activism. Separately, two young men died in road accidents: Zohar Tamir, 18, from Tirat Zvi, was killed alongside a 17-year-old girl in a crash near Beit She'an just two days after celebrating his birthday, while Yotam Avitan, 18, from Jerusalem, died in a collision on Route 465 in the Binyamin area.

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