Nov. 8: 11 arrested in mass brawl in Lod after far-right ‘sovereignty march’ in Arab neighborhood

Pope Leo urges South America to bridge divides on Uruguay stop of 12-day tour

Pope Leo XIV leads a prayer vigil at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, on the second day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, November 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Pope Leo urges an estimated 40,000 people, many of whom waited overnight in the rain on the Uruguay-Argentina border for his visit, to bridge their differences as he toured a region marked by sharp political divisions.

Leo, on an ambitious 12-day, three-country tour through November 17, traveled some 750 km (466 miles) back and forth from Montevideo to Paysandú, a riverside economic hub in Uruguay’s northwest, where crowds gathered in heavy rain that eased shortly before his arrival.

He is the first pope to visit the city on the Uruguay River, chosen by the Vatican as the location for Leo’s first Mass in South America because it is accessible to pilgrims across the region.

The crowd in a sprawling park on the southern edge of the city erupted into cheers and blew loud horns as Leo toured in an open-top popemobile amid blustery winds.

In his sermon, Leo drew inspiration from the nearby General Artigas International Bridge, which connects Uruguay and Argentina.

“It is not difficult to imagine the benefits a bridge brings: openness, communication and exchange. That is why it is so important to be builders of bridges!” he says.

“This is the vocation to which we are all called: to build bridges, strengthen bonds, unite, communicate.”

At least 22 hurt after 5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes central Japan

TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake shakes central Japan, shattering store windows, causing people to flee buildings and leaving at least 22 people injured, according to local media.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency puts the quake’s magnitude at 5.7, while the US Geological Survey reported it at magnitude 5.5. Smaller aftershocks are reported.

A wide area near Aichi Prefecture is affected, including the city of Hamamatsu, the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and nearby prefectures of Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji is located, as well as Gifu.

Japanese TV footage shows shattered store windows and scattered shards of glass on the streets. A bookstore is left with mounds of books that had flown off the shelves. The injuries include people who fell down stairs while they were trying to flee.

The quake, which struck at 1:04 a.m., was located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) below the earth’s surface in Shizuoka Prefecture. Aichi and Shizuoka are neighboring regions. They are far enough from Tokyo that the quake was not felt there. The most violent shaking was felt in Aichi, according to official seismic assessments.

The Shinkansen bullet trains were running at slower speeds in the affected areas as a precautionary measure. Sometimes quakes can damage the railways the trains run on.

Japan is located in an area that is prone to earthquakes.

Saudi Arabia issues all clear after alerts in several parts of kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence says that the danger has passed, shortly after issuing alerts warning of potential threats in several parts of the kingdom, including Dhahran, home to oil giant Saudi Aramco’s headquarters.

The danger had also passed in Dammam, Abqaiq, and Al-Ahsa governorate, the civil defence says.

The country has been under consistent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the past month.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

UAE says it rescued 22 people from burning cargo ship in Sea of Oman

The United Arab Emirates National Guard says that it has rescued 22 people, all of whom are Arab nationals, after a fire broke out on a cargo ship in the Sea of Oman.

Sirens sound in north over suspected drone infiltration

Sirens are activated in Western Galilee communities over a suspected drone infiltration.

The IDF is investigating.

Drone infiltration warning in north was false alarm — IDF

Sirens warning of a drone infiltration in the Western Galilee were activated due to a false identification, the military says.

Iran executes three men convicted over armed unrest during January 2026 protests

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Iran executes three men convicted of taking part in armed unrest during protests in January 2026 and carrying out operations for Israel and the United States, state media reports.

Report: Ra’am will vote for new Eisenkot-led government even without coalition deal

The Ra’am party will support a government if Gadi Eisenkot presents one, even if a coalition agreement won’t be finalized by then, the Haaretz daily cites an unnamed senior member of the eight-MK Arab-led party as saying.

The report says Ra’am wants to avoid Eisenkot’s 48-strong bloc depending on support from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, preventing counter-maneuvers and enabling him to swear in a government and replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as early as possible, even without a guaranteed stable government.

The fellow Arab-led Joint List will not vote in favor of such a government, but also won’t act to topple it, Haaretz reports.

Both parties intend o cooperate with Eisenkot’s bloc on replacing the Knesset speaker as early as possible and on setting up Knesset committees, the report says. Both would like to see policy changes toward the Arab community, but no coalition talks are ongoing with the Joint List, and Ra’am is attempting to keep the content of current discussions under wraps.

Key members of Eisenkot publicly oppose relying on the Arab parties to form a government.

Memorial site for senior cop killed on Oct. 7 vandalized in Beersheba

Jayar Davidov, who was killed in Kibbutz Re'im on October 7, 2023. (Israel Police)

A memorial site for Israel Police Commander Jayar Davidov, the commander of the Rahat police station who was killed fighting Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023, has been vandalized, the Ynet news site reports.

His widow Inbar is quoted by the news site as saying the vandalism at Beersheba Creek Park on the outskirts of the family’s home city “strikes at the soft underbelly, at everyone’s heart.”

האנדרטה שהוקמה בפארק נחל באר שבע לזכרו של קצין המשטרה נצ״מ ג׳יאר דוידוב, שנפל בקרב מול מחבלי חמאס ב-7 באוקטובר, הושחתה בידי אלמונים. דוידוב יצא בבוקר המתקפה מביתו כדי לסייע לכוחות המשטרה, ובדרכו למסיבת הנובה נתקל בחוליה של כ-30 מחבלים, ניגח את רכבם, הסתער עליהם ונפל בקרב. אלמנתו… pic.twitter.com/VAzEOPi5uI

— לירן תמרי | Liran Tamari (@liran__tamari) November 8, 2026

“These are our martyrs who sacrificed their lives so that we could live here peacefully.”

On the morning of October 7, Davidov was notified that police officers under his command were battling invading terrorists in the vicinity of Re’im, and immediately left his home in Beersheba to assist them.

Davidov and his team were the first to reach the site of the Hamas assault, arriving before any IDF soldiers.

He was wounded in the fighting and before he could be evacuated to receive treatment, the vehicle he was in was hit by an RPG and he was killed, along with three other police officers.

70 years after Suez War, Israel launches website with thousands of documents and photos, including previously unpublished ones

Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben Gurion, second from left, and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan, third from left, visit IDF forces, likely in Sharm a-Sheikh, ahead of the military's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, on January 20, 1957. (David Moshiov/IDF and Defense Establishment Archives)

The Defense Ministry’s IDF and Defense Establishment Archives launches a new comprehensive website containing over 4,500 documents, photos and maps from the 1956 Suez War, 70 years after it ended, some of which were previously not made public.

The website [in Hebrew only] features original copies of documents related to the preparations for the nine-day war, discussions and decisions by government and military officials, and the developments during the fighting and after it.

Between October 29 and November 7, 1956, Israel, followed by France and the UK in a coordinated attack, invaded the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip with the intention of gaining control of the Suez Canal and ousting Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

International political pressure forced a ceasefire, followed by the three armies withdrawing months later without achieving their primary objectives, though they did score military victories.

Among the newly revealed quotes is one by then-Defense Ministry director general Shimon Peres — a future prime minister and president — who laid out then-prime minister David Ben Gurion’s worldview: “A victory by us in a battle doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the final battle, but an Arab victory might be a final victory.”

Many of the quotes claimed by the IDF and Defense Establishment Archives to have been revealed for the first time today have in fact been public for many years, including a Ben Gurion quote that Israel “must take” Gaza and that “if I believed in miracles, I’d wish for it to be swallowed up by the sea.”

Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted two Houthi missiles fired at Riyadh

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis says it has intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-backed group towards Riyadh, after loud explosions were heard in the capital.

“Air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards Riyadh,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki writes on social media.

Aramco building in Riyadh financial district is damaged in Houthi attack, witnesses say

This file photo taken on September 15, 2019, shows an Aramco oil facility near al-Khurj area, just south of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP)

Multiple witnesses tell AFP that Riyadh’s financial district was targeted and the area’s Aramco building was damaged, after the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said it had intercepted missiles launched by the group.

“Aramco tower in KAFD has been targeted, that’s the sure thing,” says one witness, referring to the King Abdullah Financial District. Two other witnesses confirm seeing damage to the building.

IDF says 285 new ultra-Orthodox soldiers enlisted over the past week

Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest against the drafting of Haredim outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, November 1, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

A total of 285 members of the ultra-Orthodox community enlisted in the military over the past week, the IDF says.

The 285 young Haredi men have been placed in combat support roles, and over the next two months there will be additional draft days for ultra-Orthodox soldiers as part of the November-December enlistment period, including for combat units.

“The units and induction bases have prepared to receive the new recruits and provide the necessary framework to accommodate their way of life,” the army says.

The IDF says that it welcomes those joining its ranks and will continue working to expand the integration of ultra-Orthodox men into “meaningful military service, while preserving their way of life and out of a commitment to the security of the state and the resilience of Israeli society.”

The issue of draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community has been a major source of political and social tension, as the IDF has repeatedly said it faces an urgent manpower deficit amid the multifront war of recent years, and resentment has grown among Israelis who perform mandatory and reserve service.

The IDF has created programs to accommodate Haredi soldiers, but many still oppose service, and the community’s leaders seek legislation to continue the broad exemptions that have been granted for decades.

17 injured in collision between bus and minibus on Tel Aviv highway, causing heavy traffic

Seventeen people have been injured in a collision between a bus and a minibus on Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway, causing heavy traffic on what anyway is one of Israel’s busiest roads.

The crash happened on the southbound direction of Ayalon, near Hahalacha Interchange, according to police.

Medics say the minibus driver, a man in his 50s, is seriously injured, a 17-year-old girl is in moderate condition, and 15 others are lightly wounded.

עשרה פצועים בתאונת אוטובוס ומיניבוס באיילון הבוקר, ראשון 8 בנובמבר. לפי מד"א: נהג המיניבוס קשה, בת 17 בינוני ושמונה קל. המשטרה מדווחת על עומסים לכיוון דרום סמוך למחלף ההלכה.https://t.co/4bHCBhYu4g

צילום: דוברות מד"א pic.twitter.com/jHXnz3Cxui

— תל אביב אונליין (@tlvonline_il) November 8, 2026

Daycare manager and 2 caregivers charged with over 400 acts of abuse against babies, toddlers

State prosecutors say they have filed an indictment against the director of a private daycare in the West Bank city-settlement of Ariel and two caregivers, accusing them of carrying out more than 400 acts of abuse and assault against 17 babies and toddlers, some as young as six months old.

Natalia Kisilevsky, 37, who managed the Luchik daycare, and caregivers Daryna Khalupa, 37, and Anna Pagelsky, 40, have been charged at the Central District Court in Lod with offenses including abuse of a minor or helpless person, assault of a helpless person by a responsible adult, and aggravated assault.

Prosecutors ask that the three remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings.

Footage posted by the Kan public broadcaster shows several distraught parents confronting the three defendants, shouting curses at them as security personnel lead the defendants away.

מהומה בבית המשפט: הורים לפעוטות ממעון "לוצ'יק" באריאל התפרצו לעבר המטפלות הנאשמות בהתעללות, קיללו אותן ופרצו בבכי@uri_sela pic.twitter.com/j2WS2fT2ii

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 8, 2026

Katz urges unity in light of Iran nuclear threat at memorial for 1956 Suez War

Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a ceremony for the 1956 Suez War at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, November 8, 2026. (Screenshot: Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Israel Katz asserts that Iran has not given up on its nuclear weapons ambitions, while also calling for “unity” in Israel as the leader of his party’s main rival is to be given the mandate to form a new government.

“Iran is seeking to renew its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, alongside other serious efforts that pose a real danger to the State of Israel. We cannot accept these threats,” he says at a memorial service for soldiers who lost their lives during the 1956 Suez War.

“It is our duty to be prepared for every scenario and to act as necessary to protect Israeli citizens. Ahead of the major missions still before us, we must be united,” Katz says.

He says that Israel’s enemies “need to know that even when we have disagreements among ourselves, we stand together, determined and united, against those who threaten our existence.”

“This is a time for unity, responsibility and mutual solidarity,” Katz adds.

Katz is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. Last night, Netanyahu called on the so-called “change bloc” parties led by Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot to form what he termed a “national unity government,” even though he stressed at the same time that such a government must include all of his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies.

President Isaac Herzog said he would assign Eisenkot the task of forming a new government at an official ceremony later today.

Ben Gvir claims AG ‘blackmailing’ head of police: ‘Google chief commissioner construction violations’

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (L) on October 22, 2026; Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy, September 6, 2026. (Sharon Leibel/Flash90, Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir claims Police Chief Commissioner Daniel Levy has turned against the government because Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is blackmailing him over alleged construction violations.

The minister offers no evidence for the allegations of blackmail. Police have not commented.

In an interview with the 103FM radio station, Ben Gvir accuses senior police officers of working in tandem with Baharav-Miara to shut down the probe of alleged foreign interference in the October 27 Knesset election, when the government lost its parliamentary majority on the heels of unprecedented Arab voter turnout.

Ben Gvir says the Shin Bet suspects Qatar funneled NIS 100 million ($316 million) to Israel in cash and fuel coupons to encourage voting for Arab parties. He claims attorneys also conveyed “materials” of the Arab-majority Joint List to prisons, where turnout reached 88.7%.

Ben Gvir and his allies in the government have seized on the allegations to say the elections were “stolen.” Unnamed senior officials in the police and Shin Bet have been quoted in Hebrew media accusing Shin Bet chief David Zini of blowing the case out of proportion, and Zini is also said to seek the interrogation of three senior Arab politicians without sufficient evidence.

Asked about reports that Deputy Commissioner Boaz Blatt, head of the police’s Investigations and Intelligence Department, has refused to share information on the case with the Shin Bet, Ben Gvir calls Blatt a “cheat, a liar” and “an envoy of the attorney general for closing cases, cover-ups and sweeping under the rug.”

“Unfortunately, today the chief commissioner is also pretty blackmailed, pretty intimidated by the attorney general,” Ben Gvir says. He adds that he was pleased with Levy for 18 months since appointing him but that the police chief in the past month “made an about-face.”

Pressed on how Baharav-Miara was blackmailing Levy, Ben Gvir says: “She’s pressuring him, she screams at him in meetings… there are all kinds of points she presses.”

Pressed again, Ben Gvir says: “Google ‘chief commissioner construction violations.'”

“See who his building supervisor was,” Ben Gvir says. He notes reports last year that Commander Aryeh Doron, the police spokesperson, and Chief Superintendent Nir Naggar, a general command officer responsible for police stations’ coordination, had helped Levy pick contractors for renovations of the police chief’s Zichron Yaakov home.

Ben Gvir denies knowing of Levy’s alleged violations when vetting the police chief.

The minister has in recent weeks accused Levy of developing an independent streak to curry favor with a prospective new government, including by purportedly ordering police violence toward Haredi anti-enlistment protesters.

Iran’s IRGC dismisses new US plan to tighten economic pressure as ‘wordplay’

The US cannot achieve its goals of blockading Iran’s economy and shutting its trade routes because Tehran has made preparations and communicates closely with neighbors, a Revolutionary Guards spokesperson is quoted as saying.

Hossein Mohebbi reacts to the US military’s Task Force Iron Gate, launched to help crack down on Tehran’s movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned material over its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.

“The Iron Gate plan is merely a wordplay, the Americans cannot achieve their objectives of imposing severe economic pressure to cause economic collapse in Iran through this approach,” Mohebbi tells the semi-official Fars news agency.

Police release detained journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh

Journalist and Balad political activist Abed Abou Shahadeh is seen following his release from police custody at a police station in Petah Tikva, November 8, 2026. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Police release journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh, who was detained early Wednesday on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent after he traveled to Qatar ahead of the October 27 Knesset election and interviewed escaped former MK Azmi Bishara.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court later Wednesday ordered that Abou Shahadeh be kept in custody until today, instead of for the eight days requested by police. After police decided not to challenge the release, a second remand hearing scheduled for this morning was canceled, as was a planned left-wing protest outside the courthouse.

Abou Shahadeh is head of the podcast department at the Arab48 news site and host of its flagship podcast Al-Midan. He also sits on Jaffa’s Islamic Council and previously sat on the Tel Aviv-Jaffa city council as a representative for Yafa, a municipal alliance of binational communist party Hadash and Palestinian nationalist party Balad, two of the three factions that make up the Joint List.

He is the cousin of Balad chief Sami Abou Shahadeh, who was placed at no. 3 on the Joint List candidate slate in the election but dropped out after the Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify him for purported support for armed conflict against Israel, and the Supreme Court indicated it would uphold the ban.

Several dozen people have gathered at the headquarters of the League for the Arabs of Jaffa to greet the journalist, including Sami Abou Shahadeh and former Balad MK Jamal Zahalka, who took over the party after Bishara fled and now leads the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel, an umbrella group.

Bishara fled Israel in 2007 amid suspicions that he assisted Hezbollah in the previous year’s Lebanon war.

Iran says 3 tankers caught fire in Hormuz

Three oil tankers caught fire on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran regularly targets ships that transit without its authorization, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says in a statement.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Tehran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway, insisting vessels use routes authorized by the Islamic Republic.

The United States has in response imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and helped tankers travel the strait, which used to carry about one-fifth of global oil consumption.

“Since the early hours of this morning, three noncompliant tankers have exploded and caught fire while they were sailing in the illegal channel in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Revolutionary Guards say in a statement.

The Guards do not specify the names or nationality of the tankers.

Meanwhile, British maritime agency UKMTO reports that a tanker caught fire yesterday in the strait, off the coast of Khasab, Oman.

“Military authorities reported the tanker is on fire which has resulted in the evacuation of the crew,” the agency says in a statement, also reporting another tanker struck by an “unknown projectile” on Saturday.

Emirati state media says on Sunday that 22 people were rescued from a burning vessel in the Gulf of Oman and are in stable condition.

AFP is unable to confirm if the various reports reference the same incidents.

TV host and ex-soccer star Eyal Berkovic suspended for anti-Arab racist remarks

TV commentator and former soccer star Eyal Berkovic speaks at the annual international Municipal Innovation Conference in Tel Aviv, on February 27, 2019. (Flash90)

Channel 13 news suspends commentator and former international soccer star Eyal Berkovic for an unspecified amount of time over anti-Arab racist comments he made on air yesterday.

During a show yesterday, while reporter Suleiman Maswadeh was profiling Michigan’s new anti-Israel senator Abdul El-Sayed and pointing out he has an MD (Doctor of Medicine) from Columbia University, Berkovic interjected.

“Everyone is now given the ‘doctor’ honorific; did you check if he’s a doctor?” he said.

When Maswadeh started explaining that El-Sayed is indeed a certified doctor, Berkovic continued: “They also say about Ahmad Tibi that he’s a doctor. So what if they say? He should show the certificate. Everyone’s a doctor.”

At that point, Maswadeh pointed out that the longtime Arab Israeli lawmaker, too, is an MD and a trained gynecologist who graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Berkovic then mockingly addressed his co-host, Moriah Asraf, and said: “Moriah is also a doctor. A doctor of what are you?”

Asraf herself went along with Berkovic’s jokes throughout the segment.

מופע מחליא של גזענות מבית היוצר אסרף&ברקוביץ.

מוריה אסרף ואייל ברקוביץ לא מאמינים שמוסלמי/ערבי יכול להיות דוקטור. כדי לתת תוקף למשנת עליונות הגזע שלהם, הם רומזים שגם חבר הכנסת אחמד טיבי הוא לא באמת דוקטור. אז יש לי בשורה לשני המטומטמים האלה באולפן של 13, אחמד הוא לא רק דוקטור… pic.twitter.com/2962xutwgS

— Danny Gallant דני גלנט (@RedRevDanny) November 7, 2026

In a statement, Channel 13 says: “Freedom of expression and diversity of opinion are among the foundations of a free press, but don’t legitimize racist remarks. The words said yesterday on the program ‘Moriah and Berko’ are unacceptable and don’t align with the company’s values.

“As a result, a clarification meeting has been held with Eyal Berkovic, at the end of which it was decided that he will be suspended from broadcasting with immediate effect.”

Released from custody, journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh slams ‘political persecution’ and ‘culture of fear’

Journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh, left, holds hands with his wife Hanin Aghbaria at a reception in Jaffa after Abou Shahadeh's release from custody on November 8, 2026. (Noam Lehmann/The Times of Israel)

At a Jaffa reception after he was released without charge, journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh slams “political persecution” and says: “I abhor the culture of fear.”

“The political persecution didn’t start with me and won’t end with me,” says Abou Shahadeh, who was detained overnight Tuesday-Wednesday on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent, after he traveled to Qatar to interview fugitive MK Azmi Bishara.

“We must not be afraid,” says Abou Shahadeh. “We must not fall into that trap.”

Speaking in Arabic followed by Hebrew, Abou Shahadeh calls for coexistence and for “a better future for Arab children and for Jewish children.”

“People just want to make a living,” he says.

He describes being held alone in a 2-by-2-meter (6’6”-by-6’6”-yard) cell for 24 hours a day.

“You start to appreciate the things we take for granted — our children, partners and parents, but also each other,” he says.

Ending in English, Abou Shahadeh thanks his international supporters, including the three Jewish Democratic US congressmen-elect who penned a letter demanding his release.

Journalist Abed Abou Shahadeh @AbedYaffa addresses international supporters in English during a reception in Jaffa after he was released without charge pic.twitter.com/kA2QdCIa25

— Noam Lehmann (@noamlehmann) November 8, 2026

His wife, Hanin Aghbaria, says the only moment she was frightened during the ordeal was when a plainclothes officer entered her bedroom late at night while she was there with her two sons.

“He came in like a thief, and he snatched my husband,” she says. She adds that six months ago, 15 officers had also come to the family’s Jaffa home “for no reason” and stayed for ten minutes.

Bishara, whom Abou Shahadeh interviewed for the Arab48 news site ahead of the October 27 Knesset election, fled Israel in 2007 amid suspicions that as leader of Palestinian nationalist party Balad he had assisted Hezbollah in the previous year’s war.

Abou Shahadeh’s lawyers argued in court on Wednesday that the allegations against their client pertained only to that interview, and accused police and the Shin Bet of punishing Abou Shahadeh for his journalism.

Police’s representative at the hearing declined to confirm whether the interview was the only alleged offense, and instead referred the court to a confidential dossier submitted by investigators.

The court extended Abou Shahadeh’s detention until today instead of until Wednesday, as requested by police. A second remand hearing that was scheduled for this morning was canceled after police chose not to challenge the release.

Asked whether the case against Abou Shahadeh is now closed, police refer The Times of Israel to the Shin Bet spokesperson, who does not respond to a request for comment.

Bat Yam files $65 million lawsuit against Iran; mayor tries to serve documents to Iranian diplomat in NYC

The Bat Yam Municipality has filed a civil lawsuit against Iran at the Tel Aviv District Court seeking NIS 208 million ($65.29 million) for damages inflicted on the city during the June 2025 conflict with Israel.

On June 15 last year, an Iranian missile struck an apartment building in Bat Yam, taking the lives of nine civilians and injuring almost two hundred, the deadliest single strike of the 12-day conflict.

The nine victims included five Ukrainian nationals who had moved to Israel in 2022, in order to seek cancer treatment for Anastasia Buryk, 7, who was slain along with her mother, her grandmother, and two cousins. Holocaust survivor Bella Ashkenazi was among the other four killed.

Last week, Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot attempted to serve an Iranian diplomat in New York City legal documents related to the lawsuit.

According to the Ynet news outlet, the attempt to serve Iran’s first secretary at the United Nations took four months of preparation, as observers tracked the movements of the Iranian delegation. The effort involved Israeli and US officials, Ynet reports.

Video taken by Brot’s entourage and posted to X shows him approaching the diplomat at a crosswalk, and saying in English, “Hi, I am Tzvika Brot. I’m the mayor of Bat Yam, and this is a lawsuit we issued against your country.”

“I am a diplomat, I’m sorry,” says the Iranian official as he walks away.

“Please consider yourself officially served on behalf of your government,” says Brot as he follows him, urging the diplomat to speak out against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

In Israeli law, a defendant must be made aware of a lawsuit before it can proceed.

Bat Yam is being represented by Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center.

According to Ynet, Bat Yam is hoping to be given some of the $1.2 billion Israel owes Iran from oil supply agreements dating back to before Tehran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

תיעוד של צביקה ברוט ראש עיריית בת ים נותן לדיפלומט האירני את כתב התביעה בניו יורק. "פגעתם באזרחים בכוונה"https://t.co/2IIbEkNLxC pic.twitter.com/pF8gs6FjFm

— إليشع بن كيمون. Elisha Ben Kimon. אלישע בן קימון (@elishabenkimon) November 8, 2026

Man replaces large German flag with Palestinian banner outside Berlin’s Reichstag; is arrested

A man replaced the large German flag flying outside the Reichstag building in Berlin, which houses the German parliament, with a Palestinian flag today.

The man climbed the large pole, which is dozens of meters high, to swap out the Flag of Unity, which symbolizes German reunification. The Palestinian flag remained atop the mast for about an hour until authorities were able to remove it.

German media says the man and two accomplices were arrested.

German police arrested three people in Berlin today after a man scaled the 30-metre flagpole outside the Reichstag, took down the German "Flag of Unity" and hoisted a Palestinian flag. Two accomplices filmed the climb. All three are suspected of insulting state symbols.… pic.twitter.com/nDnDJ5XuoG

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 8, 2026

Two reported dead in Israeli strike in southern Gaza

Palestinian media reports two dead in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis a short while ago.

The fatalities are not immediately identified, and there is no immediate comment from the IDF.

Receiving mandate to form government, Eisenkot acknowledges task ‘requires creative and unconventional political moves’

President Isaac Herzog (R) awards Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government at his official residence in Jerusalem. (President's Office)

President Isaac Herzog formally tasks Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming Israel’s next government at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, after 67 lawmakers recommended him for the role, compared to 46 who backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Eisenkot has received the “clear and unequivocal support” of a majority of Knesset members on the question of who has the best chance of forming a government, Herzog says, acknowledging that Likud remains the largest party. He urges Eisenkot to establish a government that serves all Israelis, whether they voted for the outgoing government or for the bloc of parties that opposed it.

“I wish with all my heart that whatever government is formed will lead to unity, connection, and healing among all parts of the nation,” Herzog says.

In his remarks, Eisenkot acknowledges the complexity of the task ahead of him, while admitting that some election promises by parties will not be kept.

He warns that Israel faces a “challenging and fateful state of emergency,” pointing to ongoing wars, unfulfilled military objectives and a “devastating diplomatic crisis,” with “even some of Israel’s closest allies” reconsidering their relations with the country.

Domestically, he says, Israel is experiencing “one of the most vulnerable moments Israeli democracy has ever known,” warning that efforts to delegitimize democracy and growing distrust of state institutions have brought the country to an “extremely dangerous point.”

“With the mandate entrusted to me here today, I will lead the establishment of a national emergency government,” Eisenkot declares, stressing that “this will require creative and unconventional political moves.”

“Israel does not have the privilege of wasting time or repeating endless election rounds.”

Eisenkot adds: “To all parliamentary factions and elected representatives: my door is open and my hand is extended, wholeheartedly and willingly, to anyone who understands the gravity of this moment and is prepared to take courageous action for the State of Israel.”

In a notable appeal to Netanyahu’s bloc, Eisenkot specifically invites members of Netanyahu’s bloc to support his government if they are willing to accept his four main principles.

“For me, unity is neither a political bargaining chip nor an empty gimmick, but a supreme value that embodies genuine partnership. If members of Likud and Religious Zionism truly believe that this is a time for unity, as they declared before the president, I cannot imagine any reason why they would not come forward and support a government under my leadership and the principles I have laid out,” he says.

He does not mention National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit. Yashar No. 2 Yoram Cohen previously ruled out a coalition with the party.

Eisenkot previously said that Likud without Netanyahu could join his coalition.

The Yashar leader also appears to direct a warning at his prospective coalition partners, amid disagreements with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman over the composition of the next government.

“Anyone who tries to thwart the formation of a government for personal rather than substantive reasons will be remembered by history as someone who failed to save Israel at a time of emergency,” he says, stressing that “No one will be able to fulfill all the [campaign] promises they made, and all of us will need to compromise.”

Eisenkot pledges to navigate the political challenges ahead with patience, humility and composure, and with a “deep commitment to a Jewish, democratic, egalitarian, liberal and secure Israel.”

Reports: Shas leader Deri, 2 other MKs withdraw from Knesset slate; Deri to remain party chairman

Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri attends a Knesset plenum vote for the next state comptroller, in Jerusalem, June 3, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri has withdrawn from the party’s Knesset slate and will not serve as a lawmaker in the incoming 26th Knesset, according to Hebrew media reports.

The move comes days after Deri sought to resign as party chairman following Shas’s dismal showing in the October 27 election, which saw the ultra-Orthodox faction shrink from 11 seats to just six, its worst result in more than three decades.

However, the party’s Council of Torah Sages rejected his resignation, insisting that he remain at the helm to lead Shas’s efforts to secure military service exemptions for Haredi yeshiva students. Deri will now reportedly continue leading the party without serving in the Knesset.

Dror Amos and MK Moshe Abutbul, No. 6 and 7 on the party slate, have also withdrawn, clearing the way for MKs Uriel Buso and Yossi Taieb, No. 8 and 9, to enter parliament.

Tax officials propose new levy on those traveling abroad

Flying abroad could become even more costly as the Israel Tax Authority proposes a new levy on all departing flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The comprehensive position paper by the Israel Tax Authority’s planning and economics division recommends a new tax levied per aircraft based on weight and flight distance. The proposal was formulated in preparation for upcoming discussions of the 2027 state budget.

While the tax would be levied directly on airlines, it is expected to trickle down straight to travelers’ fares.

Tax charges would range from about NIS 1,300 ($408) per flight for a small aircraft weighing up to 50 tons on a domestic flight, to up to about NIS 100,000 ($31,388) per flight for a large aircraft weighing over 300 tons on a long-haul flight.

Under the proposed model, the tax would translate into an additional cost of about NIS 12 ($3.77) per passenger on a domestic flight, NIS 58 (18.21) per passenger on a medium-haul flight primarily to destinations in Europe, and NIS 274 ($86) per passenger on a long-haul flight to the US and East Asia.

According to the tax authority’s model, the added amounts translate to roughly 4% to 5% of an average ticket price.

The proposed air travel levy, if adopted, could generate NIS 1.1 billion ($345 million) in annual tax revenues, according to estimates by the tax authority.

Aviation accounts for roughly 4% of Israel’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet unlike most economic sectors, it largely escapes taxation for its environmental footprint, the tax authority argues. Jet fuel is entirely exempt from excise tax levied on fuels, and international flights carry a 0% VAT rate.

IDF withdraws 98th Division HQ from West Bank after monthlong deployment

IDF troops operate in the southern West Bank, in a handout photo published November 8, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

The military says it has withdrawn the headquarters of the 98th Division from the West Bank, after the unit was deployed to the territory over a month ago to alleviate the pressure on the Judea and Samaria Division amid heightened tensions.

The 98th Division’s headquarters took command on September 25 over the Judea and Etzion regional brigades, tasked with the southern portion of the West Bank, without deploying its own organic units.

The military says the two regional brigades under the command of the division headquarters carried out 1,500 operations, during which 140 suspects were apprehended, and some 35 weapons were seized.

Also during the time the division’s headquarters was in charge of the southern part of the West Bank, two soldiers were killed in a shooting attack at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hebron.

The IDF says the 98th Division will now be on standby, while “focusing on readiness and preparations for future scenarios.”

Attorney general: Electoral fraud probes would not ‘even remotely’ influence election results

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a Knesset committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 9, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara says that she has seen nothing in the investigations over possible electoral fraud that would “even remotely” influence the overall outcome of the recent election.

The attorney general’s comments come against the background of two investigations into possible electoral misconduct, and the recent objection of Baharav-Miara to a request by Shin Bet chief David Zini to question suspects, including lawmakers, without having provided the necessary evidence for such interrogations.

“I am not aware of any basis that could, even remotely, influence the election results or substantiate a claim of influence capable of altering the outcome,” Baharav-Miara says at a Justice Ministry seminar in Eilat, adding that any new information would be properly examined.

“When an evidentiary basis exists, those who need to be questioned will be questioned. This is not a matter of right or left. It is not a matter of Jew or Arab. The decision whether to investigate an individual is a professional, objective, and equitable one. That is how it has been, and that is how it will continue to be,” she continues.

“The chairman of the Central Elections Committee is overseeing this matter professionally, impartially, and responsibly, and out of a deep understanding of the importance of electoral integrity and public trust in the process. We will keep him updated on developments,” she adds.

The Shin Bet and other agencies are probing allegations that one or more foreign states funneled money to the Joint List of Arab parties through disguised donations, while the police are investigating separate allegations of vote-buying in the Negev.

Channel 12 News reported on Saturday night that the two electoral fraud investigations were falling apart, while the Central Elections Committee chairman, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, has said on several occasions that even if proved to be true, the extent of the electoral fraud suspicions would not be great enough to influence the election results.

Despite this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have cast aspersions on the validity of the vote and asserted that the election may have been “stolen.”

‘Stop the genocide’: Tens of thousands rally in Amsterdam to support Palestinians

Demonstrators march during the fourth 'Red Line' protest, with the focus on the Dutch economic and military ties with Israel, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

Tens of thousands of people dressed in red throng the streets of Amsterdam to denounce ongoing violence in Gaza, carrying signs reading “Stop the genocide.”

Organizers say some 200,000 people attend the “red line” protest, demanding that the Dutch government take action against Israel.

“Stop sending weapons to Israel,” one of the protesters, Steven Eisinger, a 33-year-old robotics engineer originally from the United States, tells AFP, wearing a red scarf around his neck.

“I’m Jewish myself, I have family that’s actually in Israel, living, and I wanted to really say, look I support Palestine and I’m anti-genocide.”

A fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect in October last year, after two years of war triggered by the terror group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

But an acute humanitarian crisis persists in the Gaza Strip, alongside regular Israeli strikes on Hamas targets, while settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified.

Unlike other European countries such as France and Belgium, the Netherlands has not recognized the state of Palestine.

Prime Minister Rob Jetten attended a similar protest when he was a parliamentary candidate in 2025. On Friday, he told reporters that it would now be “inappropriate” for him to take part.

At the end of September, the Dutch government brought in a ban on products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are deemed illegal under international law. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar revoked the accreditation of Dutch diplomats in response.

The Netherlands has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, with public broadcaster NPO citing the “sensitive” issue of Israel’s participation.

Train collision in Egypt’s Giza kills 4, injures 88

People stand at the site of a train collision in al-Ayyat in Giza governate southern Cairo on November 8, 2026. (AFP)

Two trains have collided south of the Egyptian capital, derailing several carriages, killing four and injuring dozens, according to the authorities.

Egypt’s railway authority says a train traveling from Giza to Fayoum crashed into the rear of another service heading south from Cairo to the city of Aswan.

The health ministry says an initial count puts the toll from the crash at four passengers killed, with 88 others currently being treated for injuries in hospitals around the Giza area.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says he is following the accident “with great concern,” and has directed authorities to conduct an urgent investigation to “hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent.”

Authorities said they have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, which occurred in Giza’s Al-Ayyat area, the site of Egypt’s worst-ever rail disaster. In 2002, more than 370 people were killed when a fire swept through a train carrying holiday travelers south of Cairo. In 2009, multiple train crashes in the area killed dozens.

False alarm as rocket siren sounds in Gaza border community

A siren warning of rocket fire sounds in the Gaza border community of Nir Oz.

In an update a short while later, the military says the sirens were triggered by a “false identification.”

IDF says Hezbollah sites found near UN posts in southern Lebanon

The military says it uncovered Hezbollah weapons caches and an apartment in use by the terror group close to United Nations posts in southern Lebanon.

Reservists of the Oded Brigade operating in the town of Mays al-Jabal located “two stockpiles of equipment and weapons” in a civilian home, around 200 meters (656 feet) from a UN post, along with another weapons cache approximately 100  meters (328 feet) from the same UN site, according to the IDF.

The IDF says that the weapons found at the sites included Kalashnikov rifles, a machine gun, RPG launchers and rockets, grenades, and other military gear.

Nearby, in the town of a-Tiri, the military says troops of the Kfir Brigade located “an apartment used for military purposes by Hezbollah” some 250 meters (820 meters) from a UN post.

That site contained “surveillance equipment, combat gear, living supplies, and emblems of the Hezbollah terror organization,” the army says.

The IDF says that the findings are “further evidence that the UNIFIL force has failed in its mission, and of the cynical exploitation by terror organizations in the face of UNIFIL’s inaction.”

UNIFIL is set to withdraw from southern Lebanon at the end of the year.

Main suspect in Jaffa murder who fled to Jordan is detained while returning to Israel

Police say they arrested a man who allegedly fled to Jordan after murdering 28-year-old Ahmad Shaqra in Jaffa on August 28.

The man is described as the main suspect in the case and is identified as a Jaffa resident in his 20s. He will be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court tomorrow for a remand hearing, police say.

The suspect was detained while entering Israel around noon today via the Jordan River border crossing, also known as the Sheikh Hussein Bridge, near Beit Shean in northern Israel, according to police. A warrant had been issued for his arrest when he was still in Jordan, police say.

Two other Jaffa residents in their 20s were arrested hours after the murder and have been indicted, according to police.

Allegedly, a car they used and a loaded gun that one of them discarded during the arrest were both seized by officers, police say.

Man injured in Petah Tikva violence succumbs to wounds, police say

A Petah Tikva resident who was badly injured in an “incident of serious violence” in Petah Tikva on Thursday has succumbed to his wounds, police say.

A suspect detained soon after the incident is now accused of manslaughter, and his arrest has been extended until Tuesday, police add.

Reports: Woman killed, several injured in collapse of sand embankment in Gaza

Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency reports that a woman was killed and at least five others injured when a sand embankment collapsed at a displacement camp in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip, amid heavy rainfall in recent days.

Footage from the scene shows numerous residents digging through the sand in search of survivors.

According to the UN, 1.7 million Gazans are living in tents and makeshift shelters. Tens of millimeters of rain have fallen in recent days, causing flooding and the collapse of tents.

عاجل| مصادر محلية: سقوط كثب من الرمال على خيام النازحين جنوب مدينة دير البلح وسط قطاع غزة. pic.twitter.com/bdivk935pq

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) November 8, 2026

Supporters flock to Jewish restaurants targeted in anti-Zionist Philadelphia protest

Crowds of supporters flock to Jewish restaurants targeted in an anti-Zionist protest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Anti-Zionist activist groups announced a “boycott ride” targeting Jewish eateries in the city’s Rittenhouse Square area, stating, “No business for Zionists.”

Video from the scene shows long lines of supporters outside the eateries.

NOW: Massive line outside Of Goldie restaurant in Philly after 'Boycott Ride' protest https://t.co/qs85T1F4ng pic.twitter.com/NxdqChzs1n

— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) November 8, 2026

Counter-protesters hold signs that say, “Jew-hatred is un-American,” and, “I am not a Jew with trembling knees.”

Other footage shows Israel supporters on sidewalks heckling the protesters as they ride past on bicycles.

NOW: "Boycott Ride" confronted as they ride by Philadelphia Jewish Restaurants, one protester announced that they ended their bike ride early "it's getting too dangerous".

Pro-Palestine protesters described restaurants as "Zionist Establishments". One man said "Israeli soldiers… pic.twitter.com/xJUhCuWqsn

— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) November 8, 2026

Dozens of protesters, many masked, wearing keffiyehs, or brandishing Palestinian flags, joined the “boycott ride.”

Some scuffles broke out between the two sides, videos show.

Likud’s Ofir Katz to once again lead faction in the Knesset

Likud MK Ofir Katz in the Knesset, October 21, 2025. (Noam Moskowitz, Office of the Knesset Spokesperson)

Likud says MK Ofir Katz will once again serve as faction chairman for the party in the Knesset.

Katz served in the role in the outgoing Knesset, as well as in the role of coalition whip.

The Religious Zionism party says incoming MK Itamar Eitam will be its faction chairman.

Yair Golan lashes Liberman: ‘He’s welcome to form a government with Netanyahu’

Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats party, attends the Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University in Herzliya, October 6, 2026. (Tal Gal/Flash90)

After Channel 13 reports that Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman does not support quickly annulling the outgoing coalition’s judicial overhaul legislation, Democrats party chief Yair Golan lashes out at him on social media.

“If Liberman wants a government that does not draft the ultra-Orthodox and does not repeal the [judicial] coup laws, he is welcome to form a government with Netanyahu,” Golan writes on X.

According to Channel 13, while heads of the so-called change bloc want to quickly cancel several controversial laws pertaining to the judiciary passed by the previous Knesset, Liberman told them now is not the time, and that the bloc should focus on replacing the Knesset speaker, legislating a term limit for prime ministers and appointing a new state comptroller.

“Everything else can come later,” he is quoted as saying.

Liberman denies secret backchannel with Haredi parties, calls reports ‘lies’

Yisrael Beytenu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on June 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman denies reports that he maintained secret contacts with ultra-Orthodox parties in a bid to form a government, calling them “lies and fabrications” and accusing news outlets of running a coordinated campaign to smear him.

“Every report about mediators acting on my behalf… are lies and fabrications,” Liberman says in a post on X. He also denies reports of talks about freezing the law on arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, saying no such discussions took place “directly or indirectly.”

Channel 13 reported Saturday that Liberman and ultra-Orthodox parties had maintained a secret backchannel for months, despite publicly campaigning against one another. The network said Liberman associates, including Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and political adviser Avi Abuhatzeira, handled the contacts and kept them secret from most Yisrael Beytenu members. The report did not cite sources.

Liberman says reporters did not provide details to substantiate the alleged meetings, such as when and where they took place or who attended.

“The reason is simple: they never happened,” he says.

Liberman accuses Israeli broadcasters of seeking to prepare the ground for “a minority government with Hamas supporters,” referring to the Arab parties, that he argues would last briefly before collapsing and enabling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government with a 70-seat coalition.

Liberman used to be a close political ally of the ultra-Orthodox parties, until he famously fell out with Netanyahu in 2019, refused to join the latter’s governments ever since, and became one of the most vocal political opponents of Haredi efforts to maintain military draft exemptions for most ultra-Orthodox males.

Death toll from sand embankment collapse in Gaza rises to five, including children

Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency reports that the death toll from the collapse of a sand embankment at a displacement camp in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip has risen to five.

According to reports from Gaza, at least two children are among the dead.

The Civil Defense agency says the search for missing people is ongoing following the collapse, which was apparently caused by the storm that hit the area in recent days.

Egypt’s last surviving free press being ‘silenced,’ says leading journalist who faces jail

Egypt’s latest prosecution of journalists attempts to “silence” the last surviving vestiges of the free press, Lina Attalah, head of preeminent outlet Mada Masr, tells AFP days before she faces jail time, depending on the conclusions of the court.

In recent weeks, Egypt has detained the entire staff of fact-checking platform Matsadaash, ordered the closure of Mada Masr, and informed its chief of a one-year prison sentence handed down in absentia.

“It’s hard to separate between those two incidents,” she tells AFP.

“It seems to be a new chapter in trying to limit the already-limited space that there is for independent media.”

Press Crackdown in Egypt: Mada Masr Editor Lina Attalah Referred to Trial https://t.co/MH3R91kmqU

— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) October 23, 2026

As Egypt grapples with economic and political struggles amid regional upheaval, Attalah says there seems to be a belief that “silencing the media is the solution to Egypt’s problems.”

Cairo has long been criticized for its rights record, and has, for over a decade, shuttered nearly all space for dissent.

Attalah is one of Egypt’s most prominent journalists, 26 of whom are currently behind bars.

Her prosecution drew swift international outcry, including from the European Union and members of the US Congress.

The current crackdown has been described as “unprecedented” by 135 media organizations and rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

With Egypt’s last surviving outlets under threat, “there are very few organizations left with expertise of rigorous reporting,” Attalah says. “So we are left with silence.”

Zini sought to question Joint List chief in election interference probe — report

Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, attends the party’s Hebrew-language campaign launch event ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections, in Tel Aviv, October 5, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Shin Bet chief David Zini has sought to investigate Hadash and Joint List chief Yousef Jabareen in the ongoing probe into potential foreign election interference, i24News reports, thus putting all Arab party leaders in his sights.

It was previously reported that Zini wanted to probe the leaders of Balad, Ta’al and Ra’am. The attorney general blocked him from doing so, saying he had not provided evidence to justify questioning the political leaders.

The probe centers on suspicions that foreign actors, possibly Qatar, sent significant funds to Israel to influence the Arab vote. But significant doubt has been cast on it in recent days.

At the same time, the network also reports that Zini no longer believes alleged foreign funds used to influence the election amounted to NIS 100 million ($31 million), but only a few million shekels.

Election and judicial officials have stressed that the scope of the suspicions means that even if they are substantiated, it would not influence the results of the national vote.

Thousands of Chabad emissaries gather for annual group photo in Brooklyn

Chabad rabbis from 111 countries pose for a group photo in front of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York, November 8, 2026. (Itzik Belenitzki/ Kinus.com)

Rabbis from 111 countries and over 4,000 communities posed today for a group photo in front of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

The annual photo, taken at the movement’s annual conference for its emissaries around the world, has become an iconic display of Jewish pride and resilience, says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of the International Conference of Chabad Emissaries.

The timing of the conference coincides with the completion of Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer recited for 11 months, for the victims of last December’s attack at Bondi Beach, Chabad says.

“The photo sends a message: the Jewish people are alive, strong, proud, and we aren’t going anywhere,” Kotlarsky says.

Production suspended at Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field after drone attack, sources say

Production has been halted at Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field, one of the largest in the Kurdistan region, after a drone attack targeted the field, two security sources say.

Smoke was seen rising from the field, the two sources say. An engineer working at the field said a gas storage facility was hit during the attack, with all crew ordered to go into shelters for fear of further attacks.

The major gas field provides supplies for regional power generation.

The Khor Mor complex, which supplies most of Kurdistan’s power stations and is owned by the United Arab Emirates firm Dana Gas, has been hit several times in recent years. For years, the Kurdistan region has repeatedly been targeted by rocket and drone strikes mostly against its oilfields, and local authorities have previously blamed Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups.

During the Middle East war, it became a frequent target for such attacks carried out by Iran or its allied Iraqi armed groups.

Trump says new task force to disrupt land routes into Iran ‘is in full force’

US President Donald Trump says that a new task force is in place to disrupt land routes into Iran that the US military says are used for shipments of weapons and illicit materials.

US Central Command on Saturday announced the formation of a 20-member team to expand on a US naval blockade of Iranian ports during the eight-month war.

“Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Coupled with history’s greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran!” the president posts on his Truth Social platform.

CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper said in Saturday’s statement that the force “will further constrain Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military.”

The team of both civilian and military personnel based in Florida will coordinate with US government agencies on “preventing the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea,” the statement added.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Washington’s latest bid “will fail” and will not bring about economic collapse in the Islamic Republic.

“The United States will never be able to impose the economic blockade it is pursuing and proposing under various names and through different plans,” Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi said, according to Fars news agency.