Security forces carried out significant counter-terror operations on two fronts overnight, while the countdown to elections is producing fast-moving coalition realignments. Domestically, a string of court rulings and disturbing crime stories also demanded attention.

Security

Shin Bet-directed IDF and Yamam forces dismantled a Hamas terror infrastructure in the Samaria village of Aqaba, arresting ten operatives accused of advancing terror plots. A rocket without a launcher was discovered during the raid, and one detainee revealed a concealed pit containing explosives intended for improvised devices. In Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force struck several targets, including a building near a hospital in Nabatieh al-Fauqa, which security officials described as a Hezbollah command post rather than an active medical facility, saying the strike aimed to halt reconstruction of Hezbollah's capabilities in the area. The strikes followed drone launches towards Israeli forces and evacuation warnings; the IDF separately confirmed it had conducted a surprise readiness drill for a multi-front scenario, testing the integration of lessons learned since 7 October. Under US pressure, Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly ordered the removal of unauthorised outposts in Area B of the West Bank, part of roughly 100 such sites identified by the defence establishment, amid warnings of a sharp rise in attack threats ahead of the Jewish new year, prompting the IDF to reinforce the West Bank with at least two additional battalions. Separately, a Russian historian reportedly held by the Shin Bet has alleged mistreatment during interrogation, saying he is suspected of contact with an Iranian or Lebanese agent.

Politics

With election lists due for submission this week, parties are racing to secure ballot letters ahead of Tuesday night's deadline, with the Central Elections Committee confirming only a handful, including bet, dalet, zayin, nun and kuf, remain unclaimed. The committee, where the coalition holds a majority, reversed a ruling by outgoing chairman Justice Yitzhak Solberg after High Court intervention, allowing parties to use the 'elector' tool that records and shares voter turnout data, with further petitions expected over whether tracking non-voters is lawful. Coalition manoeuvring continues apace around the fallout from Benny Gantz's party split: Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party has recruited social entrepreneur Adi Altschuler as a prospective education minister, while talks continue between Eisenkot and Chili Troper, leaving Yoaz Hendel outside the emerging alliance and warning of a rush towards further elections. Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid's Yachad list has agreed a rotation arrangement for the second tranche of candidates, though the identity of their third-placed candidate remains unresolved as both court Troper simultaneously. More than a week after a recommendation to grant Eisenkot personal security protection, the ministerial committee required to approve it has yet to convene, with Yair Golan's case also pending. Within the ultra-Orthodox sector, MK Yaakov Asher has been named the new leader of Degel HaTorah, positioning the faction as a reliable coalition partner ahead of the vote.

Health

Two years after contracting a brain-eating amoeba at a Sea of Galilee water park, ten-year-old Roi Zigdon remains in a vegetative state with no sign of improvement, his mother said, as she prepares to meet the family of nine-year-old Baruch Nerya, who contracted the same parasite at the same lake more recently.

Other Developments

A Jerusalem district court sentenced a rabbi to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing two former students alongside financial offences, ordering compensation of 150,000 shekels to each victim. The State Prosecutor's Office has appealed a nine-month community service sentence given to a 60-year-old Ashkelon man convicted of touching and kissing a 13-year-old neighbour, arguing that protecting children requires unambiguous punishment. In Jerusalem's Gila neighbourhood, footage has emerged showing one of three brothers being placed inside a concealed rubbish bin before the other two, including a minor, returned home; the brother captured on film has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and his remand extended. Ohad Arad has been charged with murdering his brother Asa at the family's Ein Ayala farm following an inheritance dispute, allegedly striking and strangling him before fleeing the scene, a claim his lawyer disputes. The Military Police Investigation Unit is examining the death of Staff Sergeant David Hoyer Amrani, who reportedly appeared to be preparing for ordinary life shortly before a fatal incident involving police officers. Vandals broke into Pardes Hana's Shvilim School over the weekend, daubing swastikas and damaging an art classroom, prompting a police investigation. In Jerusalem's Old City, a resident's warm welcome to Turkish tourists at Jaffa Gate was met with claims of ownership over the city, amid growing concern about Turkish cultural and political influence in the capital.

Sources: Ynet