Good morning. Today's briefing covers an intensifying security crackdown following settler violence against a journalist and EU diplomats, continued IDF operations in Gaza, a suspected revenge killing near Jerusalem, and a string of international developments including an attack on an Israeli citizen in Istanbul and fresh turmoil in Ukraine and France.
Security
The IDF and Shin Bet arrested 10 suspects connected to the weekend attack on a US journalist and EU diplomats in the West Bank, as part of a wider operation dubbed "Olive Leaf" targeting settler extremist violence. Vehicles were also confiscated as security forces continue investigating the incident, which drew condemnation from senior US officials. Separately, in Gaza, the IDF said it had eliminated three Hamas operatives in the north of the Strip, including a senior figure in the group's production unit and a cell leader, who were reportedly working to rebuild the terror organisation's capabilities. The military said steps were taken to minimise harm to civilians during the operation. Near Jerusalem, a man named Jawad Sakafi was shot dead in Al-Eizariya by masked gunmen in what police suspect was a revenge killing linked to the earlier murder of a young man from east Jerusalem. Footage showed the attackers arriving by car and apparently filming the shooting; an investigation is underway.
Politics
Sources told Maariv that Donald Trump delayed his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the upcoming election until internal polling indicated a viable path to victory. Meanwhile, Yesh Atid leader Gadi Eisenkot has reportedly told allies in closed conversations that his strategy of building a large centrist party is designed to draw votes away from Likud, arguing that a strong showing would give the president grounds to task him with forming the next government, despite criticism from coalition partners within the Netanyahu bloc over his campaign approach.
International
An Israeli-Turkish citizen, Claudia Medina Halfon, was surrounded by around 20-25 pro-Palestinian activists at the Istinye Park shopping mall in Istanbul on Sunday night. Turkish media reported the crowd shouted "murderer" and anti-Zionist slogans before she was escorted to safety by security personnel amid a scuffle that prompted police to be called. In Austria, an Austrian Airlines flight from Ben Gurion Airport to Vienna was diverted to Sofia after an anonymous bomb threat was phoned in by an Austrian citizen. Passengers were evacuated and security checks were carried out before the airline confirmed no danger was found. In France, President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's offer to resign following widespread rioting over the weekend, instead instructing him to remain in post to preserve continuity within police and security forces. On the Ukraine front, Russia's defence ministry said it had carried out a large-scale strike on Kyiv and the surrounding region, targeting military industry facilities, cruise missile and drone storage sites, and data centres. Separately, Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed a trilateral meeting with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss resolving the war, amid rising public friction between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky over the conflict's trajectory. A Jerusalem Post editorial argued that Lebanon must refuse Hezbollah's demand for the return of seized explosives, warning that doing so would undermine the Lebanese security forces' efforts to assert state authority. In Britain, a pro-Palestinian "Palestine Poppy" launched ahead of Remembrance Day has drawn sharp criticism from public figures who accused activists of hijacking the national day of remembrance and called the initiative divisive and disrespectful to war victims.
Other Developments
In Jordan, the Restoring Hope Society is providing prosthetic limbs to more than 450 Palestinian amputees from Gaza, including 15-year-old Mahmoud Abou Nusair, who lost a limb and dreams of playing football again.
Media Consensus
Israeli outlets largely aligned in portraying the West Bank arrests as a significant security response to settler violence that triggered international condemnation, while continuing to report routine IDF operations against Hamas in Gaza. Coverage of the Istanbul incident and the Vienna bomb scare reflected shared concern over threats to Israelis abroad, with sources providing consistent details across Hebrew outlets.
What to Watch
- Further developments in the West Bank 'Olive Leaf' operation and potential additional arrests of settler extremist suspects
- Reactions from Lebanese authorities to Hezbollah's demand over seized explosives and implications for state-military tensions
- Diplomatic movements around a potential Trump-Putin-Xi meeting on Ukraine amid deteriorating US-Ukraine relations
Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post