Controversy erupted in Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assessments on the eve of the October 7 attack after the Hebrew page Moria Asraf, with military censorship approval, published summaries of those assessments. It said that a summary from the Prime Minister's Office itself, a week before the attack, stated that Netanyahu had issued instructions for full readiness for recommended assassination operations, contradicting his statement that he had not been advised to assassinate Hamas leaders.
In parallel, an Israeli army spokesperson, quoted by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, announced that the army assassinated yesterday Friday in the Nuseirat area Ibrahim Fawzi Ismail Muhsin, commander of the elite faction in Hamas's military wing, and that another assassination in Khan Younis targeted Muhammad Kamel Suleiman Muhsin, one of the movement's military wing members. The spokesperson claimed that the two had recently sought to carry out military acts against Israeli army forces and Israelis and were working to rebuild Hamas's capabilities in a systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement, and that their killing came to remove the threat.
On the political front, leaders of the 'Change Camp' held a meeting at Yair Lapid's home in Tel Aviv this evening, including Eisenkot, Bennett, Lieberman and Golan, and issued a joint statement committing not to attack one another until a government is formed, and to work together immediately after the elections to form a 'government of reform and rehabilitation'. They also agreed to form three joint teams to raise the voting rate and prepare for the elections, draft the outline of the next government, and establish a joint media system. In a separate remark, Channel 12 Hebrew quoted Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot as confirming that the Unified List (the Joint Arab List) will not be part of the next Israeli government.
Internationally, CNN Arabic fact-checked a circulated video claiming to document the expulsion of Israel's UN envoy after he harassed an Iranian diplomat. It found that the video is old and dates back to September 2023, showing the expulsion of Israeli delegate Gilad Erdan during the Iranian president's speech, not the recent incident related to Danny Danon. An Israeli news site also attacked French President Emmanuel Macron, describing him as a hollow foolish man lacking the most basic knowledge, and said he will be remembered as a French president who surrendered without a fight to the Islamic occupation of France.