Tuesday's news in Israel was dominated by political manoeuvring around Yesh! chairman Gadi Eisenkot, who will receive full state security after a wave of threats, as opposition leaders vowed to move quickly towards forming an alternative government. On the security front, the IDF revealed it has indicted a number of soldiers over conduct in Gaza, a plane from Israel was diverted to Bulgaria after a bomb threat, and French judges opened a war crimes probe into a 2024 Beirut strike. Health officials also raised an Ebola alert after two returnees from the Democratic Republic of Congo were isolated with fever symptoms.

Politics

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yesh! party, will from Wednesday receive full protection from Shin Bet's VIP Protection Unit (Unit 730), replacing the private security detail that had accompanied him. The upgrade comes just ten days after the Shin Bet initially decided he would be guarded by a private firm, and follows a spate of hostile incidents, including protesters shouting "traitor" outside his home. Separately, opposition leaders – including Naftali Bennett – pledged to begin coalition negotiations immediately and to replace the Knesset speaker next week, framing the move as an urgent effort to replace the Netanyahu government. Within Likud, meanwhile, reports emerged of a pressure campaign targeting Haredi influencers amid fears that United Torah Judaism could align with a future Eisenkot-led coalition. Internal discussions reportedly urged influencers to avoid criticising the party, while a Netanyahu adviser briefly shared and then deleted an AI-generated image referencing a controversial "covenant of servants" theme, issuing an apology.

Security

The IDF's military legal chief confirmed that a "fair number" of soldiers have been indicted over their conduct during the Gaza campaign, though the military has not yet detailed the scale or nature of the charges, which reportedly range from violent offences and theft to breaches of the rules of engagement. In an unrelated incident, a flight departing Israel was forced to land in Bulgaria after a bomb threat was received by email; counter-terrorism units inspected the aircraft for explosives, according to Bulgarian officials. In France, judges from the Paris Judicial Court's crimes against humanity unit have opened an investigation into a war crimes complaint against the IDF concerning a 2024 strike on a Beirut apartment building that killed the parents of French-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri.

Health

The Health Ministry announced that two individuals who had recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo developed fevers and are now suspected of carrying Ebola. One was transferred to Sheba Medical Center and the other to Ichilov Hospital, where both are undergoing testing in isolation. Officials stressed that these are only suspected cases and that no confirmed instance of Ebola has ever been recorded in Israel, while an epidemiological investigation is under way.

Economy

Real estate firm Gindi Holdings has launched a sales campaign for roughly 300 flats across four projects in central Israel, offering buyers the option to defer up to 30% of the purchase price – interest-free – for twelve years following occupancy. In one example cited by the company, this could mean postponing a payment of NIS 900,000, with Gindi estimating the value of the financing benefit at NIS 600,000-700,000.

International

As polls opened across the United States for the midterm elections, attention turned to races that could determine control of Congress, with Democrats seen as potentially gaining ground amid a growing wave of progressive opposition to Israel in Washington. In New York, Jewish Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman cast his vote, though he trails incumbent Kathy Hochul in polling. Separately, four school buses used by Jewish children in Brooklyn were vandalised with swastikas and anti-Israel slogans, prompting a hate crime investigation and widespread condemnation. In Ukraine, at least 31 people were killed and dozens remain missing under rubble after a Russian strike on an aid distribution site in Zaporizhzhia, part of a broader barrage involving 289 drones and dozens of missiles.

Other Developments

A policing error came to light after a Haredi man was arrested on suspicion of throwing a stone at officers during a protest; footage presented by his lawyer in court proved he was not the person involved, prompting police to withdraw their request to extend his detention and seek his release.

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