Nov. 9: Republican US lawmaker moves to impeach defense secretary Hegseth over Iran war

IDF: Troops open fire on suspect carrying Molotov cocktail; Palestinians say he was 13

Troops opened fire earlier this evening on a suspect who was holding a Molotov cocktail, the IDF says.

According to a military statement, the troops were operating in the area of Zababdeh, south of Jenin in the northern West Bank.

The forces “identified a terrorist holding a Molotov cocktail, intending to throw it at the troops to cause them harm,” the IDF says.

Troops opened fire and hit the suspect, the military adds, without elaborating on the suspect’s condition. No Israeli troops were wounded.

The WAFA Palestinian Authority news agency claims that the person hit by IDF live fire was a 13-year-old Palestinian. WAFA says that he was shot in the chest and taken to a hospital.

The IDF publishes an image of what it says is the Molotov cocktail in question.

במהלך פעילות מבצעית של כוחות צה״ל מוקדם יותר הערב במרחב זבאבדה שבחטיבת מנשה, הכוחות זיהו מחבל אשר בידו בקבוק תבערה ושהיה בכוונתו ליידות אותו לעבר הכוחות ולפגוע בהם.

הכוחות הגיבו בירי להסרת האיום, זוהתה פגיעה.

אין נפגעים לכוחותינו pic.twitter.com/7NeAH8oHgb

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 8, 2026

Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about tapping UFC CEO as press secretary

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, November 8, 2026. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump says he was “only kidding” when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post yesterday stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signaled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.

Trump says White, a prominent supporter, “loves the idea” of taking the job but insists he had not been serious about the prospect, describing the suggestion as “just a little fun.”

“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump tells reporters, explaining that he had posted photographs of prominent UFC fighters as potential assistants to White as part of the joke.

Trump repeats that he was fine with Vance’s comments tying Iran war to midterms loss

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, November 8, 2026. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump continues to insist that he has no problem with Vice President JD Vance’s assertion that the Iran war and Washington’s ties with Israel cost Republicans the midterms.

However, Trump notes that Vance should have also noted — as the president has — that the economic toll of the Iran war has not been enough for him to regret the decision to have launched it in the first place.

“A lot of people didn’t like his comments, but not me,” Trump tells reporters.

“He was right. Other than one thing. He should have made one other statement, which I think is very important. If you had it to do again, would you do it again? The answer is yes,” Trump says.

“This, historically, will go down as one of the best things we ever did because if [Iran] ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world… Because they’re crazy,” he adds.

Trump to meet tomorrow at White House with Qatari leader

US President Donald Trump, left, talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at a multilateral meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council during the United Nations General Assembly, September 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters in New York. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

US President Donald Trump will meet on Monday in the Oval Office with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the White House says.

Al Thani will also meet with US Vice President JD Vance before sitting down with Trump.

Qatar has been a key mediator in the talks between US and Iran.

Rubio: Trump’s war on Iran not ‘necessarily popular’ but needed to stop nuclear threat

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the press before departing for France from Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida, November 8, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that US President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran even if it was not “necessarily popular” to safeguard the world from the country’s nuclear ambitions.

Asked about Vice President JD Vance’s social media post last week that largely blamed the war for the Republican losses in the midterm elections, Rubio tells reporters that Trump “identified a very real threat” in Iran and worked to stop the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

“He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country — confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country — doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary,” Rubio says in Florida before heading to a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris.

Rubio says that negotiations are not progressing and acknowledges that the US will take defensive actions if needed.

“If there’s a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves,” Rubio adds.

Police announce major arrest raid, without further details

The Israel Police announce that 500 police officers, including those in the Border Police and special units, raided targets across the country early this morning.

The police say that dozens of suspects have been arrested following “an extensive covert investigation.”

The announcement does not provide any further details as to the nature of the raid or the alleged crimes.

Iran says no unauthorized vessels transited Strait of Hormuz overnight after navigation aids destroyed

Navigational aid systems in the south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed and no unauthorized vessels transited the maritime route overnight, an unnamed Revolutionary Guards Navy official tells Iranian state media.

IDF launches military drill in both Galilee and Beersheba

The IDF says it launched a military drill this morning in the Galilee in the north and near Beersheba in the south.

The exercise is scheduled to end on Wednesday evening, according to the IDF.

There will be an increased presence of security forces and vehicles in those areas during the drill, the military warns, adding that there is no fear of a security incident.

Iranian official says US attacked Qeshm Island, no major infrastructure damaged

No vital infrastructure or services were impacted by a US attack on Iran’s Qeshm island overnight, a provincial official tells the semi-official Fars news agency, adding that the targeted sites were away from residential and commercial areas.

Iranian state media reported explosions late Sunday in Qeshm near the Strait of Hormuz.

Police say criminals extorted contractors with protection racket

Police offer further details on a widespread wave of arrests this morning, saying they targeted “dozens of criminal figures suspected of operating systematic protection and extortion rackets” after a 10-month secret investigation.

They say criminals compelled numerous contractors to hire their “guard” services, taking in tens of thousands of shekels per site, without providing any actual service, instead extorting the contractors.

“During the raids, 50 suspects were arrested for their involvement in the affair and taken for questioning at the Coastal District Central Unit and Lahav 433 headquarters. Later today, the suspects will be brought before the Haifa Magistrate’s Court for remand hearings,” police say.

Krakow mass shooting assailant died in hospital, Polish police say

Armed police officers secure a cordoned off area after a shooter opened fire in a market square in Krakow, Poland, November 7, 2026, leaving people dead and injured, according to authorities. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)

A young gunman who killed six people in central Krakow on Saturday in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting has died in hospital, police say.

Very little information has come out about the shooter, who was shot by police officers and arrested minutes after he opened fire at people at Krakow’s historic main square from his car.

The government says the assailant, a 24-year-old from Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a town of just under 60,000 in southeastern Poland, may have been inspired by far-right ideology, without providing further details.

“There were many different emblems on the perpetrator’s clothing that have been partially examined and interpreted,” Karolina Galecka, an interior ministry spokeswoman, tells radio TOK FM.

“These patches were associated with various motifs that are currently being analyzed by specialists,” she adds, declining to comment further as the investigation is ongoing.

Saudi authorities warn of brief ‘aerial threat’ in Riyadh

Saudi authorities send a text message to residents of the capital Riyadh briefly warning of an aerial threat, before lifting the alert minutes later.

“Warning. The area is under a hostile aerial threat. Please remain calm, stay indoors or in a safe place away from windows and doors, and follow the instructions of Civil Defense,” the message says, as Yemen’s Houthis intensify strikes on the kingdom.

World entering ‘age of climate extremes’ — UN chief

The world is entering a new reality where climate extremes are the norm, the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warns, urging leaders at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey to “get serious.”

“A supersized El Nino is colliding with a planet already superheated by manmade climate change,” the UN secretary general says in a statement.

“We have entered a new age of climate extremes.”

As leaders gather in Antalya for the UN climate summit, Guterres calls on them to “get serious by cutting emissions faster, accelerating a just transition from fossil fuels and delivering the finance and protection vulnerable countries need.”

His statement come as the UN’s World Meteorological Organization releases a report indicating that 2026 has continued a streak of exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels.

Lebanese media says Israel strikes towns in country’s south

Lebanese media reports Israeli strikes in the towns of Qantara and Kfar Tebnit in the country’s south a short while ago.

Both towns are located inside the IDF’s southern Lebanon buffer zone.

Such strikes are often related to the demolition of Hezbollah infrastructure.

غارات اسرائيلية استهدفت بلدتي #القنطرة و #كفرتبنيت منذ قليل في #جنوب_لبنان pic.twitter.com/NwOp0raHQT

— قناة المنار (@TVManar1) November 9, 2026

China rejects ‘baseless’ claims it spied on Nvidia boss

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (left) seen during an event at the US Institute of Peace, October 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson); Alice Huang spotted at Taipei’s Sanliu Shifu on May 22, 2025, alongside the Nvidia CEO, in footage released by Taiwanese media. (Screenshot/TVBS via X)

China rejects claims that it spied on Jensen Huang, chief executive of US chip giant Nvidia, calling the allegations “baseless.”

“We have responded to this matter previously. The narrative of a so-called Chinese spy is entirely baseless vilification and smearing,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun tells a regular briefing, after the company’s board announced it had opened a probe into media reports alleging “a foreign intelligence effort.”

The chip giant’s board announced yesterday it had opened a probe into Huang after he acknowledged an affair with a woman US officials say was working for Chinese intelligence.

Late last month, The New York Times reported that US intelligence officials concluded that Alice Huang, a Chinese executive linked to a Singapore-based data center company called Megaspeed, had been funnelling information to Beijing.

Lebanese army says 6 suspects detained, many weapons seized during raid in country’s east

Weapons captured by Lebanese soldiers during a raid in east Lebanon, in photos published November 9, 2026. (Lebanese Armed Forces)

The Lebanese army says it apprehended six wanted individuals, including Syrian nationals, for trafficking drugs and possessing weapons in a Hezbollah stronghold in the east of the country.

A unit of the Lebanese Armed Forces raided the homes of the suspects in the towns of Iaat, Deir al-Ahmar and Tal al-Abyad, near the city of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley, according to a statement from the LAF.

The LAF says four Lebanese citizens and two Syrian nationals were detained “for committing crimes including drug trafficking, opening fire and possessing weapons.”

The Lebanese soldiers also seized “a large quantity of weapons,” including RPGs, along with “equipment and raw materials used in drug manufacturing,” the statement reads.

An investigation into the detainees has been launched “under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities,” the LAF adds.

Hezbollah has a strong presence in east Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, which borders Syria.

20 migrants die trying to reach Greece’s Crete, authorities say

Migrants who arrived recently are held under guard at a temporary shelter in the village of Agia, near Chania city, on the island of Crete, southern Greece, August 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Giannis Angelakis File)

Twenty people died over the weekend trying to reach Greece’s island of Crete, which has become a main destination for migrants headed for the European Union, authorities say.

Eight bodies were found on one boat and 12 on another, while some 40 people were rescued off both, the Greek coast guard says.

Maritime police launched an emergency rescue late Saturday after a boat issued an alarm signal, with strong winds making sea conditions difficult, the coast guard says. Around 28 survivors and one body, all Sudanese nationals, were picked up by another boat sailing nearby, then transferred to a police vessel and taken to Crete, authorities said on Sunday.

During the night, the coast guard found their boat, with seven additional bodies on board. In a separate incident, 12 bodies were found on a boat south of the island, while 18 people were rescued, the coast guard says.

IDF to establish new reconnaissance-strike battalions in Golani, Nahal infantry brigades

The Israeli military announces the formation of two new infantry battalions under the Golani and Nahal brigades, in a move aimed at expanding the Ground Forces.

The 11th “Alon” Battalion in the Golani Brigade and the 935th “Nofekh” Battalion in the Nahal Brigade will both serve as reconnaissance-strike units, tasked with locating and destroying enemy targets in real time.

The military says the move follows staff work conducted by the Ground Forces and the Personnel Directorate, which was recently approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

“The battalions, which are currently in the process of being established, will serve as a force multiplier, with the aim of strengthening the operational capabilities of combat troops on the ground, making optimal use of the IDF’s combat personnel, and adapting them to changing operational needs,” the military says.

The IDF says the two battalions will specialize in operating drones, robotics, surveillance and other visual intelligence systems, as well as advanced weaponry and precision-guided munitions, “to improve reconnaissance and attack capabilities on the battlefield.”

Full details regarding the establishment of the two battalions have not yet been finalized and will be conveyed to troops serving in the units once they are, the army adds.

Report: Shin Bet has no evidence of election interference, ‘everyone except Zini’ understands nothing will come of it

Shin Bet chief David Zini is seen at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem during Memorial Day, April 21, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Shin Bet has failed to supply any evidence to back up suspicions of a foreign interference campaign in the recent election, Haaretz reports, citing senior law enforcement officials.

One official tells the paper the case is “certainly not a security matter, and it’s highly doubtful that it is criminal.”

Shin Bet chief David Zini has led the charge on the investigation, and has been reported to assert that as much as NIS 100 million ($35 million) in funds could have been sent by a foreign power — widely reported to be Qatar — to influence the election in favor of Arab parties.

But Haaretz reports that currently, investigators are looking into the possible transfer of no more than a few hundred thousand shekels to Arab parties, not from a foreign country but from the Palestinian Authority. It further reports that with dozens of people questioned, there has been no evidence to back up that allegation either.

“All we have is intelligence information with no real foundation,” another official says. “Everyone understands that the incident is not leading up to a criminal investigation, except for Zini himself.”

Religious Zionism No. 2 Feiglin says Netanyahu should have resigned after Oct. 7

Moshe Feiglin attends a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, August 3, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Religious Zionism No. 2 and Zehut chairman Moshe Feiglin accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of bearing responsibility for the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, attack and says he should have resigned.

“I believed, and still believe, that Netanyahu should have resigned,” Feiglin tells 103FM radio. “He was prime minister for 30 years before October 7, and therefore bears responsibility. Not alone, of course, but certainly as the person at the head of the system.”

He further accuses Netanyahu of deciding against pursuing victory in the war from the outset, saying, “We decided on October 8, or actually as early as October 7, not to win. And on this matter, I do indeed blame Netanyahu.”

Feiglin heads the far-right Zehut party, which ran on a joint slate with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party in last month’s election, with Feiglin in the No. 2 spot. The alliance is among Likud’s staunchest political allies and remains firmly committed to Netanyahu’s bloc, having also signed a surplus-vote sharing agreement with Likud ahead of the election.

Netanyahu has never accepted direct responsibility for the failures that enabled the October 7 attack, instead repeatedly deflecting blame onto the military and intelligence establishment, opposition politicians and anti-government protesters, and has resisted calls to establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate them.

Israeli, Dutch defense firms to establish gun manufacturing plant in Netherlands despite tensions

A fighter with an Arad assault rifle, manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries, in an undated photo. (Israel Weapon Industries)

Despite fraught diplomatic ties, an Israeli weapons company and a Dutch defense firm are planning to establish a firearms manufacturing and assembly plant in the Netherlands.

In a press release, Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and Artillerie Inrichtingen Armaments (AIA) say they will set up a facility in the Netherlands where IWI weapons will be manufactured, “combining Israeli defense technology and expertise with Dutch industrial capacity.”

Under the planned joint endeavor, AIA will manufacture and assemble two IWI weapon systems, the Arad 5 assault rifle and Negev UX machine gun.

“IWI will provide the underlying technology, product expertise and manufacturing know-how, while AIA will establish the Dutch manufacturing operation and the infrastructure to deliver and support the products,” the statement says.

The companies say the cooperation will “establish a foundation for long-term domestic production, technical expertise and lifecycle support in the Netherlands.”

“By bringing manufacturing and assembly onshore, the initiative will advance the country’s defense industrial base and create a new model for collaboration between Dutch industry and an established international defense manufacturer,” the statement adds.

Yesterday, tens of thousands of people protested in the Netherlands in support of the Palestinians.

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

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 Sa’ar revoked the accreditation of Dutch diplomats in response.

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

AFP contributed to this report.

Eisenkot’s Yashar invites Haredi factions to back Knesset speaker replacement

Yashar faction chairman Roy Folkman has invited the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to join an effort to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana at the inaugural session of the 26th Knesset tomorrow, according to the party.

The six parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc have all demanded a vote to replace Ohana and are expected to announce their candidate for the position later today. Ohana, a Likud lawmaker, has said he will not hold such a vote during the new Knesset’s inaugural session, but will schedule one within the following week if a majority of lawmakers formally request it.

In letters to the Haredi faction leaders, Folkman says the collection of signatures for the formal request is underway and invites them to join.

The overture also signals a possible willingness by Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot to cooperate with the ultra-Orthodox parties in forming his government, potentially through their external support or abstention in parliamentary votes. UTJ has reportedly been considering allowing an Eisenkot-led minority government to take office by abstaining from a confidence vote, amid growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his failure to secure military draft exemptions for yeshiva students.

Eisenkot has consistently maintained that any party willing to accept his four governing principles is welcome to join his coalition, although it remains unclear how an agreement could be reached with the Haredi factions given that one of those principles calls for universal military or civilian national service, which they fiercely oppose.

Israel AI chief says independent infrastructure critical for energy, water, and healthcare systems

Erez Askal, head of the National AI Directorate in the Prime Minister's Office, speaks at the AI Week conference at Tel Aviv University, November 9, 2026 (Chen Galili / AI Week at Tel Aviv University)

Israel needs its own artificial intelligence infrastructure and strategy, because energy, water, and healthcare systems will soon depend on the technology, says Erez Askal, Head of the National AI Directorate at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Speaking at the AI Week conference at Tel Aviv University, Askal warns that Israel risks growing dependent on foreign companies, and on their infrastructure and models, to run basic services that are expected to be managed by AI.

“Our mission is to make Israel one of the top leaders of AI in the world,” Askal says. “If it’s not your AI, you have no control over your country.”

He argues that countries increasingly rely on commercial companies whose interests and values do not necessarily match their own.

Askal cautions that Israel cannot count on foreign countries, including the US and China, to provide continuous long-term access to AI models.

“We believe that in 5 or 7 years, all the critical infrastructure will run on AI, such as energy, water, and hospitals,” he says. “That is why we have decided to build our own sovereign AI stack.”

Israel’s national strategy rests on three objectives, Askal says: securing technological sovereignty in AI, improving citizens’ quality of life through the technology, and leveraging Israel’s strengths to advance AI development worldwide.

The strategy, however, depends on the formation of a stable government to advance substantial investment and infrastructure development.

Israel does not have to go it alone, Askal notes. “I believe we can develop it together with allies that face similar challenges.”

“This requires a great deal of data, substantial budgets and time, but we have no choice but to move forward,” he adds.

Lights go out at Russia’s Novaya Gazeta, after years of defiant reporting

A man walks to enter a building where independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta has an office in Moscow, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta winds up its operations and quits its central Moscow office, bowing to what it says was a campaign of state pressure that had made it impossible to carry on reporting.

Its co-founder Dmitry Muratov, addressing journalists who gathered to witness the newspaper’s closure, issues an impassioned plea for free speech and human rights in wartime Russia.

“Those in our country who advocate for peace have been denied the right to read what they choose, as we see happening today,” he says. “We are currently at a point where the section of the Russian constitution that guarantees political and civil rights has effectively ceased to function.”

The closure marks the end of one of Russia’s most influential independent news outlets.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says it is part of a “rotational process” in a fiercely competitive media environment.

G7 ministers press Rubio on Iran, Ukraine at Paris talks

(From L) Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU High Representative and Vice-President for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attend a working lunch focused on international crises and challenges during the G7 foreign ministers summit at the Quai d’Orsay in Paris on November 9, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP)

G7 top diplomats begin a two-day meeting in Paris, with European foreign ministers set to press US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure any settlement in the war with Russia is fair to Ukraine and steer clear of any new escalation with Iran.

The meeting of ministers from the leading industrialized nations of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States provides Europe and its allies with a chance to air concerns with their US counterpart.

Russia’s war against Ukraine following the February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbor is grinding towards its fifth anniversary. And Washington is still not ruling out new attacks against Iran even after the defeat of President Donald Trump’s Republicans in last week’s midterm elections.

The meeting coincides with US-mediated talks with Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, on ending the Ukraine war.

Europe is concerned that Kyiv risks being forced to accept disadvantageous conditions and that the United States could offer Russia new security guarantees over the heads of the Europeans.

Trump stoked fears of a US pivot toward the Kremlin by predicting a “very big” deal with Russia involving not only Ukraine but “all of Europe.”

On Iran, Europeans are eager to see a resolution and shipping traffic return to normal in the Strait of Hormuz energy transit hub.

Syrian FM says country has no troops in Yemen, won’t send any

Syria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks as UN Secretary-General (unseen) listens, during a joint press conference following their meeting at the Tishreen Palace in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 25, 2026. (LOUAI BESHARA/AFP)

Syria’s foreign minister insists that his country has no troops deployed in Yemen and is not planning on sending any, after Yemeni sources told AFP that Syrian soldiers were in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

“There is no deployment of troops to Yemen nor is there a plan for such deployment in the near future,” Asaad al-Shaibani says during a press conference.

UTJ rejects Yashar offer to join effort to replace Ohana

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana addresses newly elected members of Knesset during an orientation day for new lawmakers at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, a day before the opening ceremony of the 26th Knesset, November 9, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher rejects Yashar faction chairman Roy Folkman’s offer to join the effort to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, saying the speaker should be replaced only when a new government is formed.

After Folkman invited UTJ and Shas to join the six-party anti-Netanyahu bloc’s effort earlier today, Asher writes him in response that “the fundamental position of the United Torah Judaism faction is that the Knesset speaker should be replaced alongside the formation of a new government, and not when the Knesset convenes.”

He says this follows past practice, with one exception, and is meant to prevent “an absurd situation in which the Knesset speaker could be at odds with the government that is formed.”

Asher’s letter opposes holding the vote for now, but does not rule out replacing Ohana when a new government is formed.

Jews targeted in 58% of all New York City hate crimes last month — NYPD data

Jews were targeted in 58% of all hate crimes in New York City in October, according to NYPD data released today.

There were 26 anti-Jewish incidents out of 45 hate crimes against all groups, the data shows.

Jews make up around 12% of the city’s population and are targeted in the majority of hate crimes every month.

Last month, there was one anti-Asian crime, five targeting black people, two against Hispanic people, five targeting Muslims, one against an unnamed ethnicity, two against other religions, and three based on sexual orientation.

So far this year, there have been 279 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city, 53% of the total against all groups.

The figures are for hate crimes that have been confirmed as such by police.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes are up 4% so far this year, while overall hate crimes are up 15%, according to the data.

Jewish security officials and hate crimes experts believe that many incidents are not reported to police.

The crimes include incidents like harassment, vandalism and assault.

Police probing flyers distributed in Tel Aviv which appear to be tied to Iran-linked hacker group

L: One of the flyers distributed in Tel Aviv that police believe are tied to an Iranian-linked group, on November 9, 2026. R: A website claiming to be run by the Iranian-linked Handala hacking group, the QR code for which was included on flyers distributed in Tel Aviv, on November 9, 2026. (Israel Police)

The Israel Police and Shin Bet security agency are investigating flyers found in Tel Aviv today, tied to an Iran-linked hacker group.

The flyers, which feature a QR code, were found in mailboxes at several addresses in northern Tel Aviv, according to the police.

Police say the QR code linked to a webpage containing “threatening content.”

A screenshot shared by police shows that the website is titled “warning from handala team,” a hacker group linked to Iran that has previously published the contents of devices belonging to Israeli officials.

The site includes a message in broken Hebrew warning Israelis that if “your leaders once again act foolishly and attack the energy infrastructure of the resistance front, you must be prepared to pay the heavy price for this aggression.”

“On that day, not a single power station, oil refinery or water desalination facility will remain in the occupied territories. From south to north, your energy and water arteries will shatter like glass,” the message reads.

“This is the final warning. The choice is yours: wisdom, or sinking into darkness and the silence of catastrophe,” the website reads.

Iranian operatives are suspected of placing large numbers of propaganda leaflets in mailboxes in northern Tel Aviv. pic.twitter.com/dmSiMCOXZg

— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) November 9, 2026

Police say officers arrived at the addresses in Tel Aviv and collected the flyers as evidence for an investigation, which they will conduct jointly with the Shin Bet.

Over the past two years, Israeli authorities have arrested dozens of people on suspicion of carrying out acts on behalf of Iran in exchange for money.

Iranian agents usually start their recruits with relatively mundane tasks such as vandalism or the filming of public locations, which then escalate into more severe, sometimes even violent offenses.

On eve of Kristallnacht anniversary, European Jewish leaders call for action against antisemitism

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), speaks at a conference in Krakow, November 9, 2026 (Zev Stub/The Times of Israel)

European leaders must translate their governments’ commitments to protecting Jewish life into concrete action, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), tells politicians, diplomats and government representatives at a conference in Krakow.

Speaking at an EJA delegation to Auschwitz-Birkenau on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when dozens of Jews were murdered and hundreds of synagogues were set ablaze in 1938, Margolin warns that Jews remain fearful despite official pledges to combat antisemitism.

Thousands of antisemitic incidents are recorded across Europe every year, with Jews facing physical attacks, discrimination and intimidation, Margolin says. Jewish children attend schools behind security barriers, synagogues require armed protection, and students conceal their identities on university campuses.

“A Europe in which Jews can only feel safe behind armed guards is not yet the Europe that was promised after Auschwitz,” Margolin says.

He identifies three reasons for the gap between political commitments and reality: inadequate enforcement of existing laws; reluctance to confront antisemitism when it emerges from politically uncomfortable quarters; and the rapid spread of online hatred into the streets.

Margolin called for consistent enforcement of laws against antisemitic threats and violence, stronger protection for Jewish religious practice, and Holocaust education that examines not only what happened but how it became possible.

“Silence is only for the dead,” he said. “For the living, silence is never neutral.”

IDF: Ten suspects with links to Palestinian Islamic Jihad captured during West Bank raid

Ten Palestinians affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, whom the military says were planning to carry out an attack on Israeli civilians, were captured during a raid in the West Bank early this morning.

The IDF says soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit and the Duvdevan Commando Unit, along with Border Police officers, raided the village of Arraba near Jenin, following intelligence provided by the Shin Bet security agency.

The troops simultaneously raided 10 different buildings in the village, locating all 10 wanted suspects within half an hour, according to the military.

The IDF says the suspects, linked to Islamic Jihad, had acted to “establish a terror network to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians” in the northern West Bank area.

The suspects were handed over to the Shin Bet and Israel Police for further questioning.

Group claiming to be Iran-linked Handala takes responsibility for distributing flyers across Tel Aviv

A group claiming to be the Iranian-linked Handala hacker group takes responsibility for distributing flyers in Tel Aviv that prompted people toward a website that police say featured “threatening content.”

A screenshot shared by police shows that the website is titled “warning from handala team,” a known hacker group linked to Iran that has previously published the contents of devices belonging to Israeli officials.

Now, a group claiming to be Handala confirms that it is behind the distribution of flyers, saying it stuffed them in hundreds of mailboxes across central Israel under the cover of darkness last night.

???????? #BREAKING In a statement, the " #Handala Popular Resistance Front" group announced that it had distributed hundreds of thousands of warning leaflets across various areas of Tel Aviv overnight, noting that the operation was carried out without triggering sirens or activating… https://t.co/WeQzi5BDZx pic.twitter.com/v1x5fWVKv1

— Raaz News – En (@raaznewsen) November 9, 2026

“On a night when the Zionist regime’s so-called security was, as always, sound asleep, Tel Aviv awoke to a new reality crafted by resistance,” reads the statement released by the group. “Dozens of Handala Popular Resistance Front operatives moved through the city until dawn, going door-to-door — without alarms, without any sirens, delivering hundreds of thousands of Handala warning leaflets directly to the homes of settlers.”

The statement includes the same message that was posted on the webpage linked on the flyer, which warned Israelis that if “your leaders once again act foolishly and attack the energy infrastructure of the resistance front, you must be prepared to pay the heavy price for this aggression.”

“On that day, not a single power station, oil refinery or water desalination facility will remain in the occupied territories. From south to north, your energy and water arteries will shatter like glass,” the message reads.

“This is the final warning. The choice is yours: wisdom, or sinking into darkness and the silence of catastrophe,” the message concludes.

The Telegram statement is accompanied by several dozen images of apartment block mailboxes, each with a Handala flyer sticking out of it, with the names of the recipients clearly visible on many of the mailboxes.

The group also includes a video of the flyers being picked up from a print shop in Israel, ahead of distribution.

Israeli-Palestinian rights group calls on EU, UK, Canada, Australia to sanction IDF West Bank chief Bluth over Jericho settlement

IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth watches as Palestinians pass through the Qalandiya checkpoint on their way to attend Ramadan prayers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, February 20, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The Israeli anti-settlement Combatants for Peace organization calls on the foreign ministers of the EU, UK, Canada and Australia to sanction the head of IDF Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, over his alleged role in assisting with the recent establishment of a settlement outpost inside the Palestinian city of Jericho.

In its letter, Combatants for Peace points out that due to his role, Bluth is responsible for protecting the Palestinian population in the West Bank, but accuses him of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians in the territory.

The organization made a similar request earlier this year to sanction Bluth due to what it alleged was his failure to prevent violence against Palestinian civilians by both IDF soldiers and settlers.

“The rapid deterioration in the West Bank demonstrates the urgent need to impose sanctions on Israeli officials involved in it, rather than targeting mainly far-right Israeli organizations and activists,” Combatants for Peace says.

“In light of our previous request to sanction Major General Bluth for his role as the official and de facto commander of the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, as well as his personal involvement in facilitating the establishment of a new settlement in Jericho, we urge you to add him immediately to your respective sanctions lists,” it continues, stating that such sanctions may influence his behavior and may also deter other IDF officers from similar conduct.

The letter is sent by Israeli lawyer and human rights activist Eitay Mack on behalf of Combatants for Peace to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas; UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband; Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong; and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.

Last week, several dozen settlers associated with the Nachala settlement organization took up residence in eight buildings in a Jericho suburb which Nachala said it had purchased in a secretive operation they only announced once they had entered the homes.

According to a report in Haaretz, Bluth was notified in advance of the plan but did nothing to prevent it, and even met with the settlers ahead of their entry into Jericho and instructed them not to tip off top officers under his command until they had moved into the buildings.

The IDF said the report was false, but did not elaborate further.

The IDF and the Foreign Ministry do not immediately respond to a request for comment.

World oil prices drop on hopes for US-Iran diplomacy

Oil prices have fallen sharply on hopes for diplomatic talks aimed at ending the US-Iran war, with the main international contract, Brent North Sea crude, shedding more than five percent.

Brent has dropped as low as $93.32 a barrel, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, has retreated 4.5 percent to $86.75 a barrel.

After meeting, Eisenkot, Liberman express confidence in ability to form stable government

The Yashar party says party leader Gadi Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman met earlier today for what it describes as a “constructive and productive discussion,” amid disagreements over the formation of Israel’s next government.

“Both expressed full confidence in their ability to form a stable government for a full four-year term,” Yashar says in a statement following the meeting.

The talks come amid tensions between the two leaders over Eisenkot’s coalition-building options, with Liberman ruling out a minority government or one reliant on Arab-led parties while signaling a willingness to negotiate with ultra-Orthodox factions. The statement does not indicate whether the two have resolved their differences or reached any concrete agreements.

Defense Ministry recognizes flydubai passengers as victims of hostile incident

Passengers from flydubai flight FZ1073, who survived an attempted terror attack, walk with their family members through the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026, after returning home on another flydubai flight. (Flash90)

Israeli passengers who were aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30 will be recognized as victims of a hostile incident, the Defense Ministry announces.

The flight was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the copilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, and attempted to crash the aircraft. The plane plunged thousands of feet before several Israeli passengers burst into the cockpit, whose door Machchhar had managed to open, immobilized the terrorist copilot and initially stabilized the plane.

“Following official confirmation from the authorized investigative bodies in the State of Israel, the Defense Ministry’s approving authority recognized the attempted attack on the ‘flydubai’ flight as a hostile incident,” the ministry says.

“The decision has been forwarded to the National Insurance Institute, which is in contact with those affected, for further handling.”

Ben Gvir supporters say police summoned them over Lod ‘sovereignty march’ that preceded brawl

Far-right activist Mordechai David (center frame, looking at camera), a prominent supporter of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leads a pack of religious youths walking through an Arab neighborhood in the city of Lod, in a so-called “sovereignty march”, November 8, 2026. (Screenshots/Lee Ayash via X/Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Far-right activists Mordechai David and Ziv Baranes, whose self-proclaimed “sovereignty march” in an Arab area of the mixed city of Lod last night preceded a mass brawl, say they each received a summons for police interrogation.

Police decline to comment on the claims of the two men, both vocal supporters of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, citing the ongoing investigation.

Baranes films a video showing a letter he says he received from police today that ordered him to report to a police investigator and to refrain from entering Lod for 15 days.

David says in a separate video that he received a phone call summoning him for interrogation “because I walked around in Lod yesterday.”

“Never mind that there was violence a couple hours before, a couple hours after. That’s unrelated,” David says.

According to David, the march was meant to show “this is our land and we’re not afraid to walk around here,” in response to what he claims was an attack last week on a Jewish couple that entered an Arab neighborhood of Lod.

“Did I come to fight with Arabs? Did I come to provoke? No,” David asks. “What did I come to say? That if a Jewish couple enters a neighborhood and is assaulted, then we’ll go and sing at the top of our voices, Am Yisrael Chai.”

In videos from last night’s march, Baranes said that the group was there to show the Arabs “who’s the landlord” — a common campaign slogan from Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party.

Footage posted from the Arab neighborhood also showed the youths chanting “Jews’ state,” yelling “out” in Arabic and conducting an evening prayer in public.

The violence in Lod led to eleven arrests and multiple injuries on both sides, according to police and Mayor Yair Revivo, who has decried the “extremist” outsiders for entering his city to “stoke tensions.”

Trump suggests US midterms were rigged after Republican Party suffers crushing defeat

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, November 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

US President Donald Trump renews baseless allegations of voter fraud, questioning the legitimacy of last week’s midterm elections after Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in a crushing defeat for his Republican Party.

“Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest. How could the Polls be so wrong???” Trump writes on Truth Social, alleging without evidence that large early voting “dumps” had made Republican victories impossible.

“It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!” he adds.

The accusations mark a sharp reversal from Trump’s initial acceptance of the results. “I am absolutely willing to accept those results,” he told The New York Times on election night.

The president has repeatedly made unfounded claims of election fraud, most notably following his defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Netanyahu says open to leading ‘unity government’ of Zionist and Haredi parties, after Eisenkot wins mandate from Herzog

Screen capture from video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a statement, November 9, 2026. (Screenshot/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again calls for a “unity government” of Zionist and Haredi parties under his leadership, saying there is a “vital need” to form such a coalition.

“I don’t rule anyone out, and no one else should be ruling others out,” he says in a video statement released by his office, a day after President Isaac Herzog awarded the mandate to form a government to Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot.

“We must join forces in the face of the challenges in front of us,” says Netanyahu.

Despite not being granted the mandate by Herzog, Netanyahu argues that as the largest party, Likud should lead a government that includes “all the parties in the national camp, including the Haredi parties, and all other Zionist parties.”

He says he is ready to immediately enter talks with any party willing to discuss his proposal.

אחרי הפגישה של איזנקוט וליברמן, נתניהו ממשיך בקרב הבלימה: "אחדות זה צורך השעה"@DaphnaLiel pic.twitter.com/l4NZZ1lRIh

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) November 9, 2026

The premier’s demand for a unity government under his leadership is his second in as many days, after he called for one on Saturday, before Herzog announced he was giving the mandate to Eisenkot.

Netanyahu stressed in that announcement that any such government would have to include all his allies from the outgoing coalition, meaning the ultranationalist Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit factions, and the ultra-Orthodox parties, together with his Likud party.

He called for the same constellation in the run-up to the October 27 election and in its immediate aftermath, but referred to it in these instances as a “broad national government.”

Netanyahu reiterates his line that “it is impossible to create a government with Hamas supporters, a government that depends on Hamas supporters.”

“It is impossible to fight Iran and its other radical Islamic followers if you depend on radical Islam in the government,” he says, referring to the two Arab parties who supported Eisenkot for prime minister.

Settlers reported to have set vehicles on fire in northern West Bank

Palestinian media outlets report that settlers set fire to three excavators and several other vehicles in an industrial area near the village of Beita, south of Nablus, in the West Bank.

Footage circulated on social media shows at least 20 people running through the area, apparently toward the industrial zone.

There are no immediate reports of injuries at this time.

???? مستوطنون يحرقون مركبات ومعدات وآليات تعود لمواطنين في المنطقة الصناعية ببلدة بيتا جنوب نابلس.#الضفة_الغربية pic.twitter.com/UEgPqk2zKU

— مدفعجي (@madfajy) November 9, 2026

A few hours ago, settler-affiliated media outlets reported that Palestinians had set fire to two vehicles at an outpost in the area. No injuries were reported.

France probing IRGC cyber unit over last month’s refrigerator cyberattacks

France says it has opened an investigation into an Iranian cyber unit affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over cyberattacks that targeted supermarket refrigerators across Europe last month.

“A judicial investigation has been opened against the head of the Iranian group, Shahid Kaveh, an offensive cyber unit affiliated with the Electronic and Cyber Center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC-CEC), against his two deputies, and against any other individuals who may be identified,” Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau says in a statement.

Video shows settler slapping Palestinian woman outside her home in South Hebron Hills

Palestinian media outlets have published footage of a settler slapping a Palestinian woman in the Khallet al-Hummus area of the South Hebron Hills in the southern West Bank.

The settler is seen grazing a flock of sheep near the entrance to what is, according to the report, the Palestinian woman’s home. After slapping her, he says, “Don’t come near me. Are you threatening me with a stick?”

Another settler is seen standing beside him and filming the incident.

A teenage settler slaps a Palestinian homeowner while grazing a herd of cattle at the entrance to her home in the Khalet al-Hummus area, south of the city of Yatta.
Since Shem Tov Lusky and other settlers invaded the lands of Khalet al-Hummus approximately six months ago pic.twitter.com/2ffiHMVoJr

— מחוץ לעדר/ kivsa shchora (@masafering) November 9, 2026

After storms sweep through tent camps in Gaza, IDF says winter supplies entering war-torn enclave

Palestinians walk along a street lined with buildings destroyed by Israeli military strikes, after heavy rainfall in Gaza City, November 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

As footage over the weekend showed flooded tent camps in Gaza amid stormy winter weather, the Israeli military says it is continuing to enable supplies to enter the Strip.

“While Hamas refuses to disarm and continues to exploit civilian areas and humanitarian aid for terrorist activity, the IDF and COGAT are proactively working to improve the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip ahead of winter,” the military says in an English-language statement.

The IDF says that together with the Defense Ministry’s COGAT agency, they have been “advancing a winter preparedness plan in coordination with the Board of Peace and in cooperation with the UN, international organizations, and donor countries.”

“Since the implementation of the plan began, more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks carrying tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing, and other additional supplies have entered the Gaza Strip,” the IDF says.

Additionally, the IDF and COGAT say they are “advancing projects to improve water and sanitation infrastructure, including sewage removal and improvements to water networks, as well as facilitating the entry of 12 sewage vacuum trucks for the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

In the medical sector, the military says the entry of 7,500 vaccine doses for UNICEF and three mobile clinics for the International Medical Corps were approved, “alongside medications, medical equipment, and fuel for hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Strip.”

“The IDF and COGAT have approved more than 850 requests covering tens of thousands of trucks, carrying winter-specific supplies: shelter, water, sanitation, and healthcare,” the statement says.

The military says that around half of the approved requests have not yet been carried out, because “the UN and international organizations have yet to transfer the requested equipment into the Strip, partly due to logistical and budgetary challenges unrelated to Israel.”

Israel has banned the entry of some equipment into Gaza, and has said it will not allow reconstruction work to begin until Hamas agrees to disarm and relinquish control of the enclave.

Among the banned equipment are mobile homes, which aid groups say are the most necessary item for protection against heavy rainfall and winter conditions. Israel’s refusal to allow them into the Strip has infuriated Board of Peace officials tasked with overseeing the postwar reconstruction of Gaza.

The military, in its statement, says that “the UN and international organizations acknowledge that they cannot guarantee that certain equipment they seek to bring into Gaza will not reach Hamas,” and that the IDF and COGAT “cannot ignore the known risk of terrorist organizations rebuilding their capabilities.”

“Accordingly, the IDF and COGAT are reviewing the equipment and advancing alternatives that will address humanitarian needs while minimizing the possibility of its exploitation by Hamas,” the statement adds.

Report: Eisenkot, Liberman agree next Knesset speaker should come from Yashar

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman agreed at a meeting earlier today that the next Knesset speaker should come from Yashar, Hebrew media reports.

Earlier reports said the opposition bloc leaders had floated appointing B’Yachad No. 2 Yair Lapid to the position, an idea Liberman publicly endorsed.

The pair still need to discuss the proposal with the other leaders of the four-party so-called Zionist opposition bloc, B’Yachad chairman Naftali Bennett and Democrats leader Yair Golan, according to reports, and are holding off on an announcement until they have done so.

Opposition parties have demanded an early vote to elect a new speaker at the Knesset’s inaugural session tomorrow, which would pave the way to oust incumbent Amir Ohana of Likud and install a speaker opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ohana cannot block a vote to elect his successor, which requires only a simple majority of 61, provided the opposition parties agree on a candidate. He has said he will schedule a discussion on the matter if a majority of MKs request one.

Board of Peace: Israel holding up Hamas disarmament; Netanyahu gov’t must allow more winter supplies into Gaza

A Palestinian child sits beside a pool of rainwater at a camp for displaced people in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, November 7, 2026. (AP Photo/ Abdel Kareem Hana)

In a pointed statement pressing Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza as winter weather sets in, the US-backed Board of Peace blames the Benjamin Netanyahu government for Hamas still holding all its weapons and ruling almost all Palestinians in Gaza, while simultaneously blaming Hamas’s refusal to disarm for making it harder to provide for the civilian population.

The international body says in a statement that it is “deeply concerned by the severe seasonal flooding that has struck Gaza over the past two days,” calling it “an immediate humanitarian emergency.”

In war-devastated Gaza, rains flooded more than 70,000 tents over the weekend, affecting tens of thousands of displaced people and causing injuries. The collapse of a sand embankment at a displacement camp in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip killed at least five.

“The urgent entry and distribution of essential shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other winterization supplies is critical to protecting civilian lives,” says the US-backed Board of Peace, warning against “preventable humanitarian emergencies.”

The Board says it has “specifically urged the Israeli government to authorize the entry of essential materials for temporary shelter, water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management, drainage, and sewage removal, and to abide by its commitments under the Sharm El-Sheikh Humanitarian Protocol.”

“At the same time, we have repeatedly pressed Hamas to agree to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority, and fulfill its obligations under the plan,” it says, referring to the Donald Trump-backed 15-point plan to disarm Hamas. “These failures to act have impeded progress and compounded the challenges facing Gaza’s civilian population.”

The Board acknowledges “the steps now being considered by the Israeli government,” but emphasizes that “the response remains insufficient.”

It calls on the Netanyahu government “to act immediately to authorize and facilitate the entry of all necessary winterization and humanitarian supplies, and to fully implement its commitments under the President’s Comprehensive Peace Plan.”

The Board says that Israeli delays “have exacerbated the consequences of a foreseeable humanitarian challenge and significantly delayed the start of the decommissioning of weapons and transfer of authority from Hamas to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.”

Top Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov and senior BoP executive Tony Blair were in Israel last week to press Netanyahu to move forward on the Trump Gaza plan now that the Israeli elections have passed.

Trump meets with Qatari PM at White House amid Iran diplomacy efforts

US President Donald Trump has begun his Oval Office meeting with visiting Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a White House official says.

The pair are slated to discuss Qatar’s efforts to broker an agreement between the US and Iran that would curb Tehran’s nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting is being held behind closed doors — a rarity for Trump, who usually likes taking questions from reporters while hosting world leaders.

Al-Thani also met earlier today with US Vice President JD Vance, who has been a vocal proponent of a diplomatic off-ramp to the conflict, as opposed to a renewed US military offensive.

Netanyahu confidant repeatedly urged Ra’am’s Abbas not to back Eisenkot – report

Natan Eshel attends a memorial ceremony for Yoni Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's brother, at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery, in Jerusalem, on June 16, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/ Flash90/ File)

Close associate to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Natan Eshel, repeatedly contacted Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas before, during, and after the election, urging him not to back Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, according to a Channel 12 report.

In transcripts of their conversations published by the network, Eshel asks Abbas before the vote whether he would allow Eisenkot to pass a law barring an indicted lawmaker from being tasked with forming a government, which could prevent Netanyahu, who is facing a corruption trial, from returning to office.

Eshel later asks whether Ra’am would help Eisenkot in the Knesset despite not being invited into his coalition. Abbas says Ra’am would wait for the election results before deciding; the party later stops responding to Eshel.

Eshel tells Channel 12 that “no messages were conveyed.”

He then says he asked “a few Arabs” whether they had “a shred of self-respect, or if they would support someone who doesn’t want them in his coalition,” adding that Abbas replied: “We’ll do what’s good for us.”

Saudi coalition shares footage of strikes on Houthi missile production sites

The Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition shares footage of it destroying weapons production sites belonging to the Iran-backed rebel group.

The Joint Forces Command says it destroyed a ballistic missile factory, a plant for producing solid missile fuel, and a workshop for electronic systems for ballistic missiles.

“We continue to weaken and dismantle the terrorist Houthi militia’s ballistic missile network,” writes coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki on X.

التحالف:

– دمرنا مصنع لتجميع وإنتاج مكونات الصواريخ الباليستية تابع للميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية.

– دمرنا مصنع كيمائي لخلط وإنتاج وقود الصواريخ الباليستية (الوقود الصلب) تابع للميليشيا الحوثية الإرهابية.

– دمرنا معمل إلكترونيات لتجميع الأنظمة الإلكترونية الخاصة بالصواريخ… pic.twitter.com/lc4sIWBlnC

— المتحدث الرسمي باسم قوات التحالف (@CJFCSpox) November 9, 2026

Trump, Qatari PM wrap up White House meeting

US President Donald Trump has wrapped up his meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani after just under an hour, a White House official says.

The meeting was scheduled to discuss Qatar’s efforts to broker an agreement between the US and Iran that would curb Tehran’s nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The sit-down was notably kept closed to the press, breaking from Trump’s general preference of taking questions from reporters while hosting world leaders.

Police said to see little basis for Shin Bet election probe, doubt Ayman Odeh will be questioned

Police officials believe there is little basis for the Shin Bet’s probe into alleged foreign interference in the election and doubt that former Hadash leader Ayman Odeh will be questioned, Channel 12 reports.

According to the network, a preliminary police assessment found no security offenses and few, if any, criminal offenses. Any potential criminal violations were described as minor; possible party-financing violations would fall under the state comptroller’s purview, rather than a criminal or security investigation.

An assessment is being prepared for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who will decide whether to continue the investigation, narrow its scope, or close it. Police officials reportedly expect that, absent new evidence, the accused Arab politicians and people in their circles will not be summoned for questioning. They say the case could collapse or be substantially narrowed.

Shin Bet chief David Zini had asked Baharav-Miara to authorize security questioning of four Arab lawmakers. Odeh was the only lawmaker for whom intelligence material was presented in support of the request. But a senior official tells the network that even in Odeh’s case, there is “serious doubt” he will be questioned, describing the file as thin and saying it might, at most, develop into a minor criminal case.

The reports come after Abed Abou Shahadeh, a Balad activist and journalist who was the first person questioned in the affair, was released.

In a statement on Sunday, Baharav-Miara said she had not seen anything in the investigations of possible election fraud that would “even remotely” influence the outcome of last month’s vote.

Armed man attempted to enter synagogue in Washington, DC, federation says

An armed man attempted to enter a synagogue in Washington, DC, over the weekend, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington says in a statement.

The individual attempted to gain access to the Washington Hebrew Congregation, a Reform synagogue, the statement says.

The suspect was taken into custody and there were no injuries.

Our statement on an incident that occurred this weekend at Washington Hebrew Congregation.  

JShield, Federation's community security initiative, works to keep Jewish institutions informed, connected with law enforcement, and prepared to respond to security concerns. pic.twitter.com/jCLFDZ5HLz

— The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (@JFGW) November 9, 2026

Report: Netanyahu pressing senior Haredi rabbis to oppose Eisenkot-led government, after lawmakers rebuff him

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to pressure ultra-Orthodox spiritual leaders to oppose a government led by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, after failing to secure the backing of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, Channel 12 reports.

Netanyahu has sought to meet Degel HaTorah spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch — two of the senior leaders of the so-called “Lithuanian” non-Hasidic faction of the United Torah Judaism party — at their homes, or send emissaries to speak with them, but was rebuffed, the report says.

Ultra-Orthodox party officials reportedly describe the pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office as inappropriate and “frenzied.”

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu has told associates he wants the ultra-Orthodox parties to vote against an Eisenkot government rather than abstain, as UTJ did in its consultation with President Isaac Herzog. He is said to want a new election, believing he would win and then be able to meet the parties’ demands.

The report also says right-wing activists are distributing posters against joining what they call a “left-wing government,” with demonstrations outside the rabbis’ homes planned as a potential next step.

On Kristallnacht anniversary, Reza Pahlavi calls for tougher European action against Iran

Former Iranian crown prince and activist Reza Pahlavi and European Jewish Association chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, at a press conference, November 9, 2026. (Yoav Dudkevitch)

KRAKOW, Poland — European governments must take stronger action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, former Iranian crown prince and activist Reza Pahlavi says at a conference held by the European Jewish Association in Krakow.

The regime poses a threat both to Iranians and to regional and European security, says Pahlavi, the son of the shah who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

He criticizes what he describes as years of appeasement and calls for greater international support for Iranians seeking political change.

“[Iranians opposing the regime] are not fighting for our own freedom alone,” Pahlavi says. “We are fighting for humanity and everybody else’s freedom around the planet.”

Speaking on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when dozens of Jews were murdered and hundreds of synagogues were set ablaze in 1938, Pahlavi says the lessons of the Nazi genocide must guide nations today.

“Why does history repeat itself? When you say ‘never again,’ what does that mean?” he asks. “If today’s generation doesn’t remember what really happened, what’s the significance?”

Pahlavi urges governments to increase pressure on the Iranian regime, calling on them to shut down Iranian embassies, expel regime diplomats, target illicit funds, and encourage defections from the regime. He calls for coordinated international support for the Iranian people, including providing for internet connectivity for people at times when access is shut down by regime leaders.

“We are beyond resolutions. We are beyond condemnations,” he says.

A future political arrangement in Iran should protect Iran’s territorial integrity, equality under the law, individual liberty, democracy, and separation of religion and government, he says. Leadership should be chosen through the democratic process and not necessarily include himself, he says.

“I’m not the destination, but the bridge to it,” he adds.

Pahlavi is set to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp tomorrow, following in the footsteps of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who visited the site where more than a million Jews were killed in 1966.

“I’m going on behalf of millions of Iranians to show our dedication to freedom and human rights,” he says.

During a ceremony at the conference, attended by hundreds of Jewish leaders and political figures from across Europe, Pahlavi is awarded the EJA’s King Solomon Award.

“King Solomon was known as the smartest of people, and we know that there was peace during his lifetime,” says EJA chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin.

Republican Thomas Massie moves to impeach US defense chief Hegseth over Iran war

A Republican lawmaker moves to impeach US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran, setting up a potentially explosive vote in Congress just days after President Donald Trump’s party suffered a crushing midterm defeat.

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie introduces eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of illegally waging war without congressional authorization and abusing his powers as Pentagon chief.

Police: Washington, DC, synagogue security found firearm on suspect who tried to enter

Security staff at a Washington, DC, synagogue found a firearm on a man entering the Washington Hebrew Congregation on Saturday morning, police say.

Police responded to the location at around 10:15 a.m., after the synagogue reported the incident.

Police officers met with the synagogue’s security staff, who said they had detained the man after finding the firearm with a handheld metal detector, the Metropolitan Police Department says.

Police recovered the weapon and arrested 32-year-old Tyler Finn on the scene, a police spokesperson says.

Finn, from Lynchburg, Virginia, is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition.

There is no information yet about the suspect’s motive.

Report: Eisenkot, Liberman agree to open talks with Haredi parties, eyeing draft law concessions

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman meet at an undisclosed location on October 20, 2026. (Yashar/Yisrael Beytenu)

Leaders of the opposition bloc have agreed to open talks with ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, with a softened military draft law reportedly on offer in exchange for their support for a government led by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

According to the report, Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman decided to open discussions with the Haredi parties during a meeting earlier today.

Senior rabbis in UTJ are interested in negotiating with Eisenkot about joining his coalition, Kan reports. But the party has reportedly yet to be approached officially, and no talks have taken place between its leaders and the opposition bloc.

Channel 12 reports that discussions are still at an early stage, despite reports suggesting a deal is near. Ultra-Orthodox parties are expected to seek a one-year, possibly 18-month, transitional arrangement to work out a broader draft framework.

During that period, there would be no meaningful enlistment, sanctions, or arrests of draft dodgers, the report says.

The parties are also reportedly seeking assurances from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s legal adviser that such an arrangement would pass legal scrutiny, as legislation may be needed, rather than a government decision alone.

UTJ would not simply abstain to let an Eisenkot-led government take office, Channel 12 reports, saying it would negotiate the terms first.

In last week’s consultations with President Isaac Herzog, UTJ abstained from recommending a candidate for prime minister, despite its alignment with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. Netanyahu has reportedly since tried to meet personally with Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch, leaders of the party’s so-called “Lithuanian,” non-Hasidic faction, but they rebuffed his attempts.

Cellphone giant Pelephone signs $84 million deal to buy mobile network provider Wecom

Cellphone giant Pelephone has signed an agreement to buy mobile network provider Wecom in a deal worth NIS 265 million ($84 million).

Bezeq’s Pelephone mobile phone unit says completion of the deal is subject to approval from the Communications Ministry and Israel’s competition watchdog.

The deal, if approved by regulators, would add about 300,000 Wecom mobile subscribers to Pelephone’s 2.7 million subscriber base, which includes more than 1.6 million 5G subscribers.

Pelephone, managed by CEO Ilan Sigal, describes the acquisition as a significant step in the provider’s growth strategy, saying it will expand its customer base and further develop its network and service.

Potential synergies are estimated to add about NIS 50 million to the EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of Pelephone’s parent company Bezeq in the short term and about NIS 100 million in the long term, the company says.