Oct. 25: Palestinian Authority says 2670 displaced in Israel's Hebron ...

Live updates (closed) Advertisement Homepage Live updates (closed) Oct. 25: Palestinian Authority says 2,670 displaced in Israel’s Hebron operation Trump says Jews who vote for Michigan’s El-Sayed should be ‘ashamed of themselves’ * At height of Gaza war, PM met secretly with ex-Mossad official working for Qatar — report Key updates, 25 October 2026: Car crash in central West Bank kills one, wounds 3, police say By Noam Lehmann A collision involving a truck and two private vehicles killed a driver and moderately wounded three passengers a short while ago on Route 465, near the Palestinian village of Aboud in the central West Bank, Israeli police say. The dead man is about 35 years old, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. It adds that two of the wounded have been taken to a hospital by the Red Crescent, indicating they are Palestinian. The statements don’t specify whether the other casualties are Israeli or Palestinian. Officers are on the scene, and traffic inspectors are en route to investigate the crash, police say, adding that the road has been shut down in both directions. Trump says more strikes on Iran before midterms possible, but deal also possible US President Donald Trump bristles when asked how far he is from a possible attack on Iran. He recently said on social media that he would not hit Iran again before the November 3 midterm elections. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?” Trump responds. “And there’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement.” Trump repeats his assertion that Iran wants to make a deal, “but the problem is, will they hold the deal?” Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accuses Washington of disrupting negotiations to end the war but says he still believes “we have to go and finish it.” In comments aired on state television, he says Iran’s supreme leader has instructed Iranian officials to “go and finish [the deal],” but “these scoundrels broke the rules of the game. We were holding talks, and they disrupted them.” The region has braced for the possibility that the US or Israel will resume attacks on Iran before or just after Tuesday’s election in Israel or the US midterm elections. Key Update IDF to impose lockdown on West Bank, bar Palestinians from settlements until after election day The Israeli military will be imposing a lockdown on the West Bank during Israel’s national elections on Tuesday, as well as preventing Palestinian laborers from entering settlements on Sunday and Monday. The IDF says that following a fresh assessment, on Sunday and Monday, Palestinians with work permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements across the West Bank and Jordan Valley, with the exception of industrial zones and a “limited number of other approved areas.” According to data from last year, some 9,000 Palestinians have permits to work in settlements or nearby industrial zones. Additionally, Israel’s political leadership has approved the defense establishment’s recommendation to impose a complete ban on Palestinian workers entering all settlements and industrial zones on election day, as well as shuttering all West Bank land crossings with Israel for Palestinians, the military says. The crossings will reopen and the ban on Palestinian workers will be lifted after election day. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir last week placed the military on its “highest state of alert” and canceled soldiers’ leave, saying the IDF’s mission was to ensure that Tuesday’s election could take place safely and on schedule “without external interference.” The IDF also said it would be conducting a major military drill on Sunday and Monday in the north and center of the country. Reports: Hamas explicitly threatens Israel with another Oct. 7-style attack Hamas recently delivered an unusually blunt message to Israel that it is prepared to carry out another attack resembling the onslaught of October 7, 2023, with a top Israeli military official filing an urgent update on the matter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, multiple Hebrew media outlets have reported. Senior members of the Palestinian terror group conveyed the message last week to UN humanitarian coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov during a meeting in the latter’s office in the Gaza Strip, and asked for it to be delivered to Israel, the Ynet news outlet reported on Thursday. Alakbarov then met and conveyed the Hamas message to the IDF’s chief liaison to the Palestinians, who penned the urgent letter to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, an excerpt of which was published Saturday evening by Channel 13 news. “Senior group members claimed that IDF activity in the Gaza Strip, the moving of the Yellow Line, and the cancellation of the [Palestinian] elections by the Palestinian Authority are leading Hamas to lose control in the field, and clarified that they are unwilling to accept the continuation of this situation,” Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj Gen. Yoram Halevy reported wrote. “Against this backdrop, they threatened that, as they see fit, Hamas is ready to again carry out an attack such as the October 7 attack, and that it is prepared to act in this vein on any front in which this becomes possible — in the State of Israel, in Judea and Samaria, and abroad,” he added, using the biblical name of the West Bank. “This is an unusual threat message, which hasn’t been previously conveyed in this level of bluntness and directness.” Israel’s security establishment is checking if such an attack can be carried out in practice given the extensive IDF presence in the Strip, Channel 13 reports, though such an attack could materialize in the distant future as well. Ynet reported that the security cabinet has been presented with security briefings saying Hamas has recently made increased preparations for the option of renewed fighting, including stockpiling weapons and transferring them to civilian areas, recognizing that Israel’s hands are tied on launching large-scale new operations until after the US midterm election on November 3. Implementation of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza has stalled, with Hamas refusing to disarm and Israel refusing to withdraw from any part of Gaza until that condition is fulfilled. Meanwhile, the IDF continues to carry out daily strikes on what it says are terror operatives readying imminent attacks, and it has steadily moved the Yellow Line — which separates the IDF-held part of the territory from the Hamas-ruled portion where pretty much all Gazans are staying in — westward, enlarging the IDF-held areas. Saudi-led coalition says it downed Houthi missile launched toward Riyadh By AFP The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis says it has downed a ballistic missile launched by the group toward the Saudi capital, Riyadh. “Air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh,” the coalition posts on X. IDF launches pre-planned drill simulating multifront attack, 2 days before election The IDF began a drill simulating a multifront attack this morning, two days before Israel’s national elections. The exercise will last through tomorrow in the north and center of the country, with the participation of the Israeli Air Force, Northern Command and Central Command. There will be an increased presence of security forces and aircraft in those areas, the IDF warns. The IDF says the drill aims to “maintain the forces’ alertness and readiness, strengthen the ability to defend communities, and make full use of aerial capabilities for defense in the area.” On Friday, the IDF said troops would practice “a variety of scenarios, including a surprise attack and infiltration into Israeli territory by air and land,” including implementing lessons learned from the October 7, 2023, onslaught. The IDF says the drill was pre-planned, and there is no fear of a security incident. 2 Iranian officials confirm Tehran preparing to target US diplomats, personnel — NYT Two senior Iranian officials confirm to The New York Times that Tehran is preparing to target US diplomats and personnel. The report comes days after US national intelligence chief Jay Clayton warned in a memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Iran has “substantially increased” its efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and beyond. The unnamed Iranian officials, one of them a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) tell the Times that the targeting of American officials was considered to be “fair game,” given the number of Iranian officials killed by the US and Israel. Additionally, a US official tells the newspaper there is evidence that Tehran has operatives in the US who are “not just simply Iranian nationals.” Clayton’s memo emerged shortly after the State Department announced it is reducing staff at the US embassies in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Earlier in the week, Washington ordered non-essential US embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, following increasing attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis. Key Update Reports: Settlers vandalize Palestinian cars in West Bank Palestinian media outlets report that settlers vandalized several Palestinian cars overnight in the village of Sinjil, near Ramallah. Footage shows the vehicles with smashed windows. No injuries have been reported. There is no comment from the IDF or Israel Police. #متابعة |مستوطنون يحطمون مركبة فلسطينية في بلدة سنجل شمال رام الله. pic.twitter.com/QUBlPt4Lep — شبكة فلسطين للحوار (@paldf) October 25, 2026 Tehran targeted Iranian Kurdish base in Iraq with drones, Iranian media reports By AFP Iran’s armed forces attacked bases belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq’s Kurdistan region using drones, a media outlet in Tehran reports. “As part of a drone operation carried out by the Revolutionary Guards’ ground forces, the headquarters of the terrorist and separatist group Komala, located in the Balisan region, was targeted last night,” the Mehr news agency says. The semi-autonomous region hosts camps and bases belonging to several groups of Iranian Kurdish militants, which Iran has targeted repeatedly since the start of the war in February. The Revolutionary Guards have not immediately claimed responsibility for the strikes on these fighters, whom Iran accuses of being supported by Israel. In the most deadly recent attack, nine Komala members were killed on July 17 near the city of Sulaymaniyah. Police chief summoned for meeting with Netanyahu, Ben Gvir to discuss electoral integrity – reports By Noam Lehmann Police Chief Commissioner Daniel Levy is expected to meet today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to discuss police preparations to secure the integrity of Tuesday’s election after being summoned by the premier, according to Hebrew media reports. No representatives from the opposition or Central Elections Committee were invited, according to the reports. Levy had reportedly refused a similar meeting with just Ben Gvir on Thursday. Sources cited by Haaretz at the time said the meeting was unusual because Ben Gvir has largely neglected office work to campaign. The sources expressed concern that Ben Gvir would make political use of what he would learn at the meeting, according to Haaretz. Manhunt underway after weapon snatched from Givat Shmuel school security guard — police By Noam Lehmann A weapon was snatched from a security guard at a school in Givat Shmuel, police say. Officers rushed to the scene and are searching the area for the suspect, police say, adding that no one was hurt and the incident is under investigation. יורד מהקורקינט, לוקח את הנשק – ובורח: תיעוד חטיפת הנשק בגבעת שמואל @uri_sela pic.twitter.com/HHJLlkQudX — כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 25, 2026 2 days before election, Democrats say Shin Bet will protect Golan; Winter reportedly also to receive security The Shin Bet will begin providing state-funded security protection to Democrats chairman Yair Golan, two days before Tuesday’s election, his party announces. People of Israel leader Ofer Winter will also receive protection, according to Hebrew media reports. “The Shin Bet has informed the office of Democrats chairman Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan that, starting this morning, his security will be provided under the responsibility of the Shin Bet and funded by the state,” the party says in a statement. There is no statement from People of Israel. The protection will be provided by a private security firm operating under the Shin Bet’s direction, reports say. Yashar announced yesterday that its chairman, Gadi Eisenkot, will receive similar protection starting today. Unlike sitting Knesset members, who are protected by the Knesset Guard, or former prime ministers, whose security is handled by the Shin Bet, Golan, Eisenkot and Winter do not fall under an established framework for state-provided protection. The decision follows months of demands by the Democrats for Golan to receive protection after police classified the threat against him at level 4 out of 6, amid dozens of death threats. The party argued that the lack of security was hampering his ability to campaign ahead of Tuesday’s election. Earlier this month, the Democrats petitioned the High Court of Justice, seeking to compel Shin Bet chief David Zini to assume responsibility for Golan’s security as part of the agency’s statutory duty to safeguard Israel’s democratic institutions. However, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit urged Golan to withdraw the petition, saying the court could not intervene in professional security matters handled by the Shin Bet. State representatives presented a security plan and pledged to update it in accordance with ongoing threat assessments. “That has now happened, two days before the election,” the Democrats say. Yashar calls on election committee, AG to stop Netanyahu’s meeting with police chief on election integrity Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party calls on the Central Election Committee (CEC) and the attorney general to cancel a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Police Commission Danny Levy in which the premier wishes to discuss the integrity of the upcoming election. According to Hebrew media reports, Netanyahu has summoned Levy to a meeting today that will also reportedly include National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on the issue of election integrity. “The prime minister heads one of the party lists [in the elections], is not responsible for election integrity, and the police commissioner is not subordinate to him on the issue,” an attorney for the Yashar party writes to the attorney general, adding that from a check he conducted no such meeting has occurred before previous elections. “We have reasonable grounds to believe that the purpose of this meeting is to create a false public perception of flaws in the integrity of the elections, without any basis,” Yashar alleges in its letter, and adding in a statement to the press that this could be designed to undermine public trust in the election results in the event that Netanyahu and the coalition lose. “Netanyahu knows that he is going to lose, and there is now a concern that he is trying to assert pressure on public servants to advance his political interests,” the Yashar party alleges in a statement to the press. Palestinian home taken over by settlers set on fire as troops remove ‘Israeli rioters’ from West Bank village By Emanuel Fabian and Nurit Yohanan