As Israel's elections scheduled for 27 October 2026 approach, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his security rhetoric, warning of possible attacks on Israel and threatening its "enemies" that Israel would reach them "everywhere and at any time", during a visit to Tel Nof Air Base. He announced the killing of Hamas's northern Gaza Brigade commander Izz al-Din al-Bayk in an Israeli raid on Gaza City, the third brigade commander Israel has announced killed in recent weeks after the commanders of the Khan Younis and Rafah brigades, claiming more than 100 people were killed in Gaza in recent weeks. In the same context, Defense Minister Israel Katz renewed threats to target Hamas leaders outside the Gaza Strip, saying they remain on Israel's "target list", evoking the previous Israeli strike that targeted movement leaders in Qatar. Israeli security fears are mounting that Hezbollah and Hamas may attempt operations, including kidnappings, with focus on southern Lebanon and the "yellow line", while Gadi Eisenkot demanded not to mix security with the election campaign. Netanyahu is set to hold security consultations with the heads of the security establishment, and the mini-cabinet is meeting this evening.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's secret visit to Abu Dhabi and his meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed continue to raise widespread questions. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman reignited the controversy, saying Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny reports of an Emirati warning before the 7 October attack, and that bin Zayed refused, repeating his accusation that Netanyahu knew of the attack scenario based on an 11-page document and warning documents, and revealing his party's demands in the next government. In contrast, a report by Israel Hayom and expert Ouzi Rabi suggested that the Abu Dhabi talks focused on the Iranian threat and security, defense and intelligence cooperation, considering it reflects a shift in relations from normalization to security coordination. An Italian report also revealed an undeclared meeting between Netanyahu and Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of forces controlling eastern Libya, at a time when a plane from Benghazi landed at Al Bateen Airport about 20 minutes after Netanyahu's arrival, with no official Israeli or Libyan confirmation, while Il Foglio linked these moves to Haftar's attempt to restore his position in Washington.
On the security and political front, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir violated the status quo arrangements at Al-Aqsa Mosque when he entered carrying a prayer book (siddur), after he had sought in recent weeks to launch a pilot project to bring prayer books and the tallit into Al-Aqsa, which did not receive the approval of the police commissioner. Ben Gvir also pledged to burn the body of Yahya Sinwar and the bodies of those he said participated in the 7 October events and are held by Israel, if he takes the defense portfolio, repeating his demands to take over the Defense Ministry in the next government, after he had previously proposed a security plan including encouraging what he calls "voluntary migration" from Gaza and the West Bank and disarming the Palestinian Authority. In another security development, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed new details about the 2024 pager explosion operation targeting Hezbollah members, saying Israel rushed to carry it out after indications that the tampering with the devices might be discovered, explaining in an interview with Channel 12 partially cleared by military censorship and published Monday that Israel learned in the first week of August 2024 that someone had begun to suspect the devices, and fears escalated when some devices were examined. The new Israeli submarine "Ahi Dakron" also arrived in Israel after a six-year delay and a cost rising to about 600 million euros, the third and last of the Dolphin AIP class, as Turkey expands its submarine fleet and seeks local MILDEN-class submarines. Internationally, the number of British export licenses for military components to Israel that Britain suspended or denied over the past two years has risen to more than 80, from about 30 when the first restrictions were imposed in September 2024, with more than 50 new requests rejected since then, amid concerns these components could be used in fighting in Gaza, while the British government says direct exports of F-35 components to Israel have been stopped, but British parts continue to arrive through the global shared stock, in addition to components designated for training aircraft.
Economically and judicially, Israel announced raising the maximum price of a liter of 95-octane gasoline to 8.27 shekels ($2.69) at self-service stations, an increase of 52 agorot ($0.17), to take effect from midnight Wednesday to Thursday, 1 October, exceeding the previous record of 8.25 shekels per liter recorded in September 2012, despite the continued tax cut until the end of October, after international gasoline prices rose about 13% with oil exceeding $100 a barrel and the dollar rising about 3%. In a judicial decision, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the head of the Shin Bet to consider providing security protection for Yair Golan and to provide an update on the matter within two days.