Note: Israel’s domestic politics in general and, in particular, the forthcoming Israeli election on Oct. 27th are outside the remit of these Updates.
SOUTHERN ISRAEL: THREAT TO THE NEGEV
Israel Security Agency chief David Zini warned Monday during a Cabinetmeeting of a serious security situation in the Negev. “There are areas in the Bedouin communities with military infrastructure and attempts to establish military-style battalions – a very troubling phenomenon.” They exist a short drive from Beersheba, Dimona and other Israeli communities and have “troubling ties” to terrorist organizations such as Hamas, in part because many of those involved marry women from Gaza and the West Bank. Attorney Assaf Bar Yosef of the Southern District Prosecutor’s Office said weapons “are coming into the country in enormous quantities…. Drones are being used to smuggle in extremely powerful weapons, including MAG machine guns.”
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PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA)
Defence Minister Katz briefed the Cabinet that the IDF has been instructed to prepare for a potential war scenario with the PA in Judea and Samaria following lessons from Oct. 7. If PA security forces or affiliated Tanzim elements attack Israeli civilians or soldiers, war would be declared and the IDF would launch a pre-approved comprehensive offensive. He described the planned campaign as short and forceful, utilizing air and ground forces to eliminate senior leaders, evacuate residents, and destroy terror infrastructure akin to the Gaza and Lebanon models.
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PA President Abbas on Saturday postponed legislative elections due next month until September 11, 2027. The Palestinians have not held legislative or presidential elections since 2005-2006. Abbas has governed by decree since his presidential mandate expired in 2009.
Abbas had committed in writing to French President Emmanuel Macron (and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) to hold presidential and legislative elections as part of France’s recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025. Similarly recognition by Canada and Australia was predicated upon specific commitments by the PA to hold these elections in 2026.
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Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs noted “While Israel faces punitive measures from the Canadian government, the PA has yet to face accountability for failing to deliver on its commitments. This is a dangerous double standard that has implications for both the region and here in Canada where security experts warn that criticism of Israel has been exploited to fuel antisemitism, violence and even acts of terror.”
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Note: Recognition by these countries has not been revoked. On Oct 13 Canada, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing deep “regret” over the postponement. Click here
GAZA
The IDF continue to target Hamas terrorists and recently killed Muhammad Muhsen Nimr Yazj, a Hamas commander involved in holding Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Matan Angrest captive.
The IDF killed five Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists in separate airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip earlier this week. All had recently advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops and operated to restore the military capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in systematic violation of the ceasefire.
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In his new book, Brett McGurk, President Biden’s Middle East point man and lead Hamas hostage negotiator, details how hostage executions and Hamas’s erratic demands repeatedly derailed cease-fire deals, leading him to advise Biden that no deal would be possible until Yahya Sinwar was dead. Although Sinwar is now dead and Hamas is heavily depleted, McGurk notes that as long as Hamas clings to power, no political resolution or relief for Gaza’s population is possible. Defending Israel’s national security objectives following October 7, McGurk argues that the U.S. should continue working with Israel to influence its conduct rather than distancing itself from its threat-driven ally. (paywall) Click here(paywall)
FORMER HOSTAGES’ STORIES
On the 3rd anniversary of Oct. 7, former Hamas hostage Mia Schem, 24, revealed the severe physical injuries and psychological trauma she suffered, including surviving a point-blank gunshot that left her arm permanently damaged and at one stage being held in a cage deep underground. She recounted her observations of Palestinian society in Gaza, stating that children are taught early on to hate, glorify death, and take pride in killing Jewish people. Schem also detailed the cruelty of her civilian captor’s family, describing how the wife starved her while the children taunted her by withholding food and treated her like an animal in a cage.
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Bar Kupershtein, 24, who was overseeing security at the Nova music festival on October 7, saved over 2,000 lives by convincing the police chief to open an emergency exit after rockets began to fall. As a former army medic, Kupershtein used an ATV to rescue injured festival-goers before terrorists overran the area, killed nearby police officers, and ultimately captured him. Following his abduction into Gaza, he was held for over two years, spending most of his captivity in a narrow underground tunnel alongside five other hostages. During his 738 days in captivity under harsh conditions with frequent beatings and minimal food, clean water, or sanitation, Kupershtein lost 65 pounds before being released on October 13, 2025.
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IRAN
Iran continues to fund Islamic Jihad, Hamas and other Islamist terrorist groups to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Far from disarming, Islamic Jihad recently reaffirmed their commitment to destroy Israel.
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Iran has preserved its missile and drone factories and can replenish its supply of the weapons, according to unnamed Western officials, with one saying Russia was also providing the Islamic Republic with missiles.
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High-resolution satellite imagery from September and October 2026 reveals significant renewed activity at Minzadayi, a nuclear weapons development compound northeast of Tehran that was previously attacked by Israel in March 2026. This activity suggests an effort by Iran to re-establish its nuclear weapons capability, which likely focused on the research and development of nuclear warheads.
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Hizbullah has received $200 million from Iran this year. One source said the group had not stopped paying its fighters and the family members of those killed in combat. Iran transferred $1 billion to the group in the first 10 months of 2025, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
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Footnote:
Recent weapon and explosive seizures in Syria and Lebanon reveal that Hizbullah is urgently attempting to replenish stockpiles destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in preparation for a renewed, sustained military conflict with Israel.
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DEFENCE
Israel’s Defence Ministry is leading a delegation of 19 Israeli defence companies to the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 exhibition in Washington, D. C. this week, showcasing technologies described as “combat-proven.” Click here
Post Oct. 7, Israel’s defence tech sector has transformed into a larger, faster, and more military-integrated ecosystem driven by returning reservists and engineers addressing real battlefield challenges. The sector grew from 160 companies to over 300, with private investment surging from $1 billion in 2025 to $3 billion in 2026 as advancements accelerated in AI, counter-drone systems, autonomous platforms, and cyber defence. Bureaucratic hurdles were removed, enabling technologies that previously took years to test and certify to be deployed within months. Click here
Three years after Oct. 7, the IDF is reshaping its doctrine around a central lesson: not only preventing surprise, but being able to fight through it, with more depth, reserves, intelligence and faster response across every front.. Click here
The IDF has significantly improved its battlefield medical response times, reducing casualty mortality rates from 15% in 2006 to 7.1% in 2023 through measures like placing doctors with every company, carrying blood in coolers, and utilizing real-time data networks. Recognizing these advancements, the U.S. military released a 78-page report in April 2026 highlighting the pressing need to adopt Israel’s battlefield medicine lessons.
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Following the recent incident in which Israeli and EU flags were overturned by a French MEP at an October 7 exhibition in the European Parliament, President Roberta Metsola delivered a clear message: intimidation has no place in Parliament.
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Report: Click here
ALBANIA
Israel and Albania signed an advanced aviation cooperation agreement in Tirana to boost Israeli tourism and enable the Albanian government to directly contract Israeli companies. The deal comes amid exponential growth in tourism to Albania, which surged from 7,000 visitors in 2023 to over 100,000 in 2026.
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MOROCCO
Israel’s Defence Ministry and top defence entities inaugurated their first official participation in a Moroccan defence exhibition since the signing of the Abraham Accords, debuting an Israeli national pavilion. Eight Israeli defence companies displayed combat-proven technologies at the Marrakesh Airshow 2026, including loitering munitions, AI-powered robotics, laser guidance for FPV drones, and satellite communications. Additionally, Israel’s major defence firms—Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael—presented solutions across air, land, sea, space, intelligence, cyber, and digital domains.
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COLOMBIA
Columbia opened its embassy in Israel’s capital Jerusalem on Wednesday, becoming the 10th country to do so, as new President Abelardo de la Espriella reversed his predecessor’s break with Israel by also restoring a free trade agreement between the two countries. Most countries’ embassies are in Tel Aviv. Click here
THE UK
Half of British Jews now feel very emotionally attached to Israel, marking a sharp increase following Oct. 7, according to a new study by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR). Overall emotional attachment to Israel rose from 72% in May 2023 to 76% in June 2024 and 78% by June 2025.
Those identifying as very attached surged from 38% prior to the attacks to 50% in June 2024 and 51% in June 2025.
Self-identification as a Zionist rose from 59% in November 2022 to 65% in June 2024 and 66% in June 2025.
Those identifying as anti-Zionist remained unchanged at 9-10% across the same periods, while those identifying as non-Zionist declined from 17% to 14%.
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Amid mounting reports of widespread antisemitism within the UK’s National Health Service, reportedly five NHS workers, including three doctors, made inflammatory statements against Jews and Israel. A documentary released last month by the Campaign Against Antisemitism alleged that the NHS has been plagued by severe antisemitism in recent years.
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Following British sanctions against Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, Israel retaliated by demanding the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and the departure of 27 diplomats. Facing potential spiralling escalation that threatened a vital national security partnership, both nations reached a surprise last-minute compromise to rebrand the consulate as the “UK mission, Jerusalem” allowing seven diplomats to remain while Israel removed the signs. Shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat strongly criticized the origin of the dispute, stating: “We should never have got into this mess in the first place. Ed Miliband’s performative politics, playing to his base, have put a critical national security partnership at risk.” (paywall)
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A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Former US antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt led widespread condemnation, expressing her disgust after London Mayor Sadiq Khan appropriated the commemoration of the October 7, 2023 Hamas atrocities, in which 1,200 people were massacred, to call out the “reprehensible actions of the Israeli government”.
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New York Mayor Mamdani was similarly widely criticised. UJA Federation of New York: “Today should have been a day for New York to stand with the victims of October 7, their families, and all those still living with the trauma of Hamas’s barbaric attack. Instead, Mayor Mamdani chose to respond to the grief of Jewish New Yorkers by advancing false and inflammatory attacks against Israel—not only inappropriately shifting the focus away from the victims of Hamas’s cruelty, but also placing Jewish New Yorkers at risk.”
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NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
South African jurist Navi Pillay, who led a UN commission that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. Israeli President Isaac Herzog accused the commission of whitewashing Hamas’s atrocities, as Israel sought to defend its citizens and secure the return of its hostages. Click here
Former Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller expressed shock at Navi Pillay receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, stating she is unworthy of the award because she advocated censorship when Denmark sought UN support during the Muhammad cartoons crisis.
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Footnote: Hamas welcomed and applauded the award. Click here
ANTI-ISRAEL HASHTAGS DROP AFTER SERVER STRIKE
Activity by social media accounts supporting extremist European parties and promoting anti-Israel narratives reportedly plummeted after Ukrainian strikes knocked out several data centres in Russia. Researchers (inter alia) noted a decline in posts on X containing phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “genocide”.
COMMENT & OPINION
The Palestinian Authority (PA)
Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch:
In complete breach of the Oslo Accords, the PA has expanded its Security Forces to five times the size agreed, spending over $20 billion on their salaries and benefits between 2008 and 2025. Had the PA complied with its commitments, it could have saved $16 billion—funds that could have been used to build modern hospitals and improve healthcare for Palestinians, who still rely on Israel for medical treatment. In the same way that Hamas spent hundreds of millions of dollars building the Gazan terror tunnels instead of developing the “Gazan Riviera,” the PA in Judea and Samaria has spent over $16 billion building a terror army, rather than providing for the basic needs of the Palestinians. Click here
Nicole Lampert:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has once again postponed scheduled elections, undermining the democratic commitments that Western nations like France, Canada, and Australia had required for recognizing Palestinian statehood. Despite Abbas breaking core pledges for statehood, Western powers responded with only weak statements of regret. (paywall)
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Nobel Peace Prize
Wall St Journal Editorial: The Nobel Committee this year has honoured Navi Pillay, whose career has been marked by hatred for Israel and the Jews who support it. In 2025, a UN committee she chaired issued a report claiming Israel had committed genocide in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis. Her report offered no evidence of genocide or genocidal intent and ignored mountains of contrary evidence.
The Norwegians decided that this is the moment to honour a bureaucrat bent on punishing an Israeli democracy that does its best to follow the rule of law. The last thing this prize will do is promote the cause of peace. Click here (paywall)
Ruthie Blum: the Norwegian committee is inappropriately rewarding someone whose career has been focused on demonizing Israel. Pillay’s UN Commission of Inquiry promoted false accusations of genocide and war crimes against Israel while ignoring Hamas’s violent actions and the aid Israel provided to Gaza.
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Green Party of England & Wales
Tony Blair: The Green Party of England and Wales crossed an unacceptable line by passing a “Zionism Is Racism” motion committing it to a single Palestinian state across historic Palestine, which denies Israel’s right to exist and effectively brands most British Jews, who identify as Zionists, as racists. Zionism arose from centuries of persecution and the failure of assimilation, was never about Jewish supremacy, and is compatible with Palestinian self-determination. The Board of Peace’s plan is the only viable route to a Gaza free of Hamas, with Israel’s security protected, campaigns to delegitimize Zionism harm the Palestinian cause and the Green Party vote is a warning sign of anti-Jewish discrimination in mainstream British politics.(paywall) Click here
Oct 7 & the aftermath
Erfan Fard: The most consequential results of Oct. 7 may be the transformation of Israel’s national-security doctrine…Oct. 7 exposed the catastrophic cost of deterrence without destruction, containment without elimination, and intelligence superiority without the political willingness to act upon it.
The emerging Israeli doctrine has consequently moved from periodic containment toward systematic degradation of the threat network.
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Sagiv Steinberg: For Hamas, the Oct. 7 massacre was an investment. Call it the massacre dividend: the political return a terrorist organization extracts from its own atrocity once the world translates it into urgency to “solve the issue.”
A Palestinian state established now would be credited to the massacre. Every economic measure against Israel tied to the demand for statehood is recorded by Hamas in Gaza as a return on their investment. Click here
Natan Sharansky: Of course, the sight of Gaza in ruins is horrific. But every Israeli understands how and why we got here. We remember how the Oct. 7 terrorists returned to cheering crowds as they paraded the bodies of their victims in the streets. We recall who hid our hostages.
Just because the entire world believes something does not make it true. Our goal should not be to convince the rest of the world that we are right. Our existence does not depend on a vote in the UN. It depends on our own belief in the righteousness of Jewish civilization.
When our children and grandchildren ask us how the whole world can believe there is a genocide if, in fact, there is no genocide, we should stand firm in the conviction of what we know to be true. Click here
Bret Stephens: Zealous criticism of Israel goes off the rails when it somehow imagines, or pretends, that blame for the crises in the Holy Land falls on one side alone and that Israel’s security challenges are either a product of its imagination or payback for its own policies.
Israel came into existence with its enemies avowing its extermination, and nearly eight decades later those intentions remain unchanged.
The experience of Israelis in this century is that every time they have vacated territory, whether in southern Lebanon in 2000 or Gaza in 2005, they have gained neither international grace nor physical security.
Instead, their retreats created staging grounds for the kind of horror that so many Israelis experienced firsthand on and after Oct. 7 – horrors that many of the world’s so-called humanitarians and justice-seekers chose to celebrate, downplay or flat-out deny. (paywall)
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Charles Moore: Modern leaders need to better understand Israel; Zionism is not racism—as falsely claimed by Britain’s Green Party—but a necessary movement for a homeless people to establish and secure their sovereign state. Western sympathy often favours victims rather than strong defenders, but Israel would have been overwhelmed had it not struck back after October 7. The Hamas attack, dubbed “the al-Aqsa flood,” aimed to inundate Israel and kill its Jewish population, but it ultimately failed against Israel’s superior military force and disciplined national resolve. British citizens should admire Israel’s instinct to defend its freedom; it is how our nation survived in 1940. (paywall)
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David M. Weinberg: On the global front, Israelis are furious at the hostility and hypocrisy of the Western world, which has largely turned its back on Israel. Classic antisemitic stereotypes have saturated Western media. The deranged demonization of Jews has once again been renamed as morality itself.
Israelis are angry at the politically malign accounts of their just, successful wars against Iran and its Hamas and Hizbullah proxy armies; at the raw antisemitism becoming mainstream discourse; and at the corrosive ideologies such as radical Islam that seek to undermine Western societies while destroying Israel. Israelis will resist all this. Israel intends to hunt down its enemies, not be hounded by them or hemmed in by fickle allies.
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The UK
Stephen Daisly: Britain has become a central focal point for anti-Israel activism due to open-borders immigration, extreme tolerance, and a deep-seated Palestinian grievance against the British Empire and the Balfour Declaration. Britain makes a fatal mistake by trying to maintain a false moral equivalence between the two opposing sides rather than recognizing the enmity directed at it. Zionism and the State of Israel represent an objective good that has brought significant democratic, technological, and medical benefits to Western civilization.
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