Every Lamha story related to Israel, newest first.
Israeli authorities on Thursday charged a soldier with spying for Iran, according to Hebrew-language media. The Shin Bet, police and military were reported to be involved in the case. The soldier is accused of passing sensitive military information and photographing military sites and equipment, and of being paid in cryptocurrency.
Israel's Central Elections Committee says no winner has been determined even after every vote was counted. CNN Arabic describes Benjamin Netanyahu's position as neither a win nor a loss, and asks how the deadlock might be resolved.
Election estimates in Israel indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, have both fallen short of the 61 seats needed for a governing majority in the 120-seat Knesset. According to BBC Arabic, neither main bloc appears to have enough seats to form the next government without relying on Arab parties.
Israelis voted in legislative elections on Tuesday, with turnout reaching 77.7 percent, the highest in decades. Sky News Arabia reported that the results ended in what it described as a tie, leaving four possible scenarios for forming the next government.
Gadi Eisenkot, the main challenger to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the election, said Israelis voted for change. His remarks came as exit polls showed his bloc ahead of Netanyahu's coalition by only a narrow margin, according to CNN Arabic. Eisenkot urged patience until results are known.
Israel on Monday rejected a report by a UN commission of inquiry, calling its accusations "political propaganda". The report accuses Israel of crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including extermination, and of continuing to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip. According to Al Jazeera, the commission said civilians were targeted through systematic operations and ongoing settler violence.
Israelis vote today, Tuesday, in an election that many regard as one of the most consequential in the country's history, according to BBC Arabic. RT Arabic reports that tensions with Iran and escalation in the West Bank dominate the race.
Spain's Marca newspaper reports that Barcelona is weighing adding young Israeli player Orian Gorin to its first-team squad for the Clasico against Real Madrid. According to CNN Arabic, the match takes place on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou in the tenth round of La Liga. The fixture features 7 Ballon d'Or candidates.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening to protest against Benjamin Netanyahu's government, three days before the Knesset election. Al Jazeera reported that opposition leaders took part in the rally. The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu himself.
Former footballer Mesut Özil and the president of Turkish club Başakşehir have criticized what they call double standards at FIFA. They point to Russian clubs being barred from competition while Israeli clubs continue to take part, and they call for all teams to be treated equally, according to Al Jazeera.
Dozens of Israeli air force fighter jets flew a sortie on Monday that reached Iran's border, according to Israeli and US sources. The sources said the aim was to deter Tehran from attacking Israel before Israel's elections on October 27. Axios, citing Israeli and US officials, reported that the jets crossed Syrian and Iraqi airspace in what the officials described as a show of force.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Israelis to back Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the election scheduled for Oct. 27. On Monday evening, Netanyahu posted on X a video of a phone call with Trump that carried a message of support. Al Jazeera described the endorsement as a break with US convention and as contrary to expectations.
Israeli forces moved into areas of southern Syria on Sunday, amid reports of farmland being bulldozed and roads closed. Syria's state news agency SANA said agricultural land was razed, including olive groves, and Damascus condemned the moves. Residents told the BBC they have been cut off from their land, with reports putting the area cleared at hundreds of dunams.
Gadi Eisenkot, Benjamin Netanyahu's main challenger in Israel's parliamentary elections set for October 27, responded on Sunday to a message of support from US President Donald Trump for the prime minister. Eisenkot said that choosing the country's leader is a matter for Israelis alone. According to CNN Arabic, the endorsement came about nine days before the vote and was the explicit backing Netanyahu had long sought.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Saturday that Israeli authorities should urgently detain those responsible for an attack by settlers on a convoy of European diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, and bring them before the courts. According to BBC Arabic, masked settlers attacked the delegation in the village of al-Tayba, drawing condemnation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office questioned the circumstances of the incident and called for patience and conclusive evidence before accusations are made.
Damascus has rejected drawing Suwayda's Druze into Israeli politics, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Netanyahu described the call as short and sharp, and Sky News Arabia reported it took place more than a year ago. He also claimed he had halted the bloodshed there, according to RT Arabic.
Israel has raised its alert level in recent days in anticipation of a possible security escalation with Iran, about two weeks before its general elections, Al Jazeera reported. The move coincides with a government vote on Thursday to extend the state of emergency.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with US President Donald Trump last week the possibility of a major new military operation against Iran before elections in both countries, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials. RT Arabic quoted a US official as saying the issue was raised twice, with no firm commitment from Trump. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu has warned his supporters that the opposition could win the upcoming Israeli election.
Israel has authorized a US company working on behalf of the "Board of Peace" to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days, Israel's public broadcaster reported on Sunday. The firm will survey the ground and map sites where Hamas could hand over its weapons ahead of their destruction. The reports describe the step as a pilot project and do not include any response from Hamas.
One Palestinian was killed and another wounded on Friday in an Israeli strike on a police checkpoint in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Sky News Arabia. Two other Palestinians, including an elderly woman and a girl, were wounded by fire from Israeli military vehicles northeast of the city. Separately, medical sources told Al Jazeera that four Palestinians were killed early Saturday in a strike on a residential apartment in western Gaza City.
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