Israel's northern front saw renewed escalation overnight with a wave of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, while political parties raced to finalise their election lists ahead of looming deadlines. Domestic security concerns also mounted following a fatal shootout involving a Border Police officer in Netanya and an attack on a pharmacist in Sakhnin linked to organised crime extortion.

Security

The Israeli Air Force struck multiple targets in southern Lebanon overnight, including sites near Nabatieh al-Fauqa and the village of Arab Salim, after Hizbullah launched drones towards IDF forces. Lebanese reports said a hospital building was hit, though Israeli security officials insist the site was empty and served as a Hizbullah command post used to shield operations linked to a commander known as Ali Taher. Separately, the IDF has announced a large-scale readiness exercise simulating a multi-front war scenario, incorporating lessons from the October 7 attacks, in a drill that reportedly caught even senior generals by surprise. Under pressure from Washington, Netanyahu has instructed the removal of unauthorised outposts in the West Bank, with roughly 15 to 20 of around 100 illegal sites located in Areas A and B. Security officials describe this as a major source of friction with the US, and warn of a sharp rise in terror alerts ahead of the Tishrei holidays, prompting the IDF to reinforce the sector with at least two additional battalions. In a disturbing domestic incident, a Border Police sergeant, David Hoyer Amrani, opened fire on fellow officers in Netanya using a long-barrelled weapon and was shot dead following an exchange of gunfire that reportedly lasted a quarter of an hour; he is believed to have been suffering from combat-related trauma, though this had not been formally recognised, prompting calls for a thorough inquiry. In Sakhnin, two masked gunmen shot and moderately wounded a pharmacist who had refused to pay protection money after previously enduring more than 50 bullets fired at his business over a demand exceeding 200,000 shekels. In a separate case, a 25-year-old contractor worker from Rahat was caught by IDF forces near the Philadelphi corridor carrying roughly 40kg of hashish, 11kg of Captagon pills and 98 mobile phones, having left his post in Gaza without authorisation.

Politics

With Israel roughly 50 days from elections, party lists are being finalised amid intense internal battles. Netanyahu has summoned the Likud secretariat to approve remaining reserved slots, with growing unease among MKs over losing electorally viable positions amid party leader Winter's resistance to further mergers. Within the anti-Netanyahu bloc, a rivalry has emerged between Eisenkot's Yisrael and the Bennett-Lapid alliance over which will absorb Troper's 'Zionist Home – Reservists' faction, with a possible independent run threatening to split votes across the bloc. Yair Lapid has published Yesh Atid's list for the Bennett-Lapid merger, placing Meirav Ben Ari second and including former general Noam Tivon, amid a wave of departures from veteran party figures. In the ultra-Orthodox sector, Degel HaTorah has undergone a significant leadership shift after the failure to pass the military exemption bill, with long-serving chairman Moshe Gafni set to leave the Knesset after 38 years, alongside the removal of Uri Maklev; Yaakov Asher, a loyalist of Rabbi Landau, has been named the new chairman. Separately, renewed scrutiny has fallen on the so-called 'generals' revolt' narrative that Netanyahu sought to make a central campaign theme, after comments from Sara Netanyahu regarding Yair Golan created contradictions with the official version of events, raising the possibility of legal action.

International

In Germany, voters in Saxony-Anhalt are casting ballots in a regional election that could see the far-right AfD secure around 40% of the vote, potentially making it the first far-right party to govern a German state since 1945. The vote is being closely watched by Germany's Jewish community, with leaders warning there is 'no luxury of choosing who to fear.' Meanwhile, Palestinians are expected to hold their first parliamentary elections in two decades, with Hamas attempting to participate through a newly formed political list and Mahmoud Abbas facing a deep internal crisis; Israel may soon face pressure to decide whether to permit the vote to proceed.

Other Developments

A new study has revealed a sharp rise in risk behaviours among Israeli children and teenagers since the war began, with one in five students watching pornography daily, a quarter of twelfth-graders consuming alcohol, and 17% gambling for money. Researchers also noted teenagers now spend more than nine hours a day on screens, alongside a surge in anxiety symptoms, which experts attribute to weakened parental oversight and screens serving as both a window to the world and an escape from it.

Sources: Ynet