Israel enters a pivotal 24 hours as parties prepare to recommend a prime ministerial candidate to President Herzog, with the Netanyahu bloc's unity in doubt and the anti-Netanyahu camp uniting behind Benny Gantz's rival, Gadi Eisenkot. Meanwhile, the security establishment is closely monitoring developments following fresh US strikes on Iranian territory and Israeli efforts to keep Hezbollah out of any renewed conflict with Tehran. Domestically, investigators are widening a probe into alleged election interference funded by the Palestinian Authority, and a chief of staff to the prime minister reportedly faces indictment over a 2024 leak affair.

Security

The US military carried out what it described as defensive strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island overnight after an attack on an aircraft, according to a security official cited by the Jerusalem Post. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has in fact been striking targets inside Iran for weeks in a 'limited and defensive' manner. A senior Iranian official rejected what he called 'excessive' US demands, saying Tehran remains far from any deal to end the war and that reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on its conditions being met first. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said 'the ball is in America's court', while President Trump insisted on Fox News that the US had 'destroyed all of Iran's nuclear potential' and was operating 'from a position of absolute strength'. Separately, Israel is reportedly pressing Lebanon, via Washington, to prevent Hezbollah from joining any renewed war with Iran, warning that fighting could flare again if the group attacks Israel.

Politics

Parties begin presenting their recommendations to President Herzog tomorrow for who should be tasked with forming the next government, with religious-Zionist Tikva faction expected to be first through the president's door. All parties in the anti-Netanyahu 'change bloc' have confirmed they will recommend Gadi Eisenkot, while Netanyahu's own bloc has yet to declare a unified position, raising questions about its traditional cohesion. Shas is expected to back the Likud leader, though United Torah Judaism may abstain altogether; Arab parties are reportedly coordinating and leaning towards Eisenkot. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman said a stable government could be formed without Ra'am or the Joint List, arguing that 'with the right navigation, a functioning and stable government can quickly be established' to avoid another election. Separately, the Shin Bet has reportedly expanded its probe into suspected election interference to examine possible Palestinian Authority funding, though investigators have yet to establish whether money changed hands or for what purpose. A doctor released after arrest in a separate Ra'am vote-buying investigation, Saef Abu Reash, told an Israeli newspaper his detention was 'pure political persecution', claiming officers pressed him on voting preferences rather than presenting evidence. Meanwhile, prosecutors are reportedly set to charge Prime Minister Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, over the 2024 Bild leak affair, following a hearing last month.

International

As the United States heads into the 2026 midterms, analysts warn that Democrats could retake control of Congress, bringing with them a growing wave of progressive opposition to Israel in Washington. In New York, Jewish community leaders have defended Attorney General Letitia James after her Republican challenger, Saritha Komatireddy, accused her of being 'ineffective in stopping' antisemitic hate crimes; James's office said she has 'stood arm in arm with the Jewish community' throughout her career. In a separate development, Sam Taeib, a 36-year-old man from Hendon and devoted Tottenham Hotspur fan, has died after being tasered by police during an encounter in Haifa.

Other Developments

The remains of Nivin al-Amrani, murdered and concealed six years ago, have been identified in the Negev, reigniting concern over violence against women in Arab society. A relative said her story 'must remind those responsible of the duty to fight violence', while friends had long hoped she might still be found alive. In a separate domestic incident, a two-year-old boy suffered serious burns from boiling water in Beit Arye and was evacuated in a conscious but critical state to Sheba Medical Centre with extensive burns across his body.

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