Israel Briefing: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026

Status: Daily briefing. Each item names its source.

Politics — canceled Likud talks, new bills

The Wednesday negotiating meeting between Yashar and Likud was called off Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset. Yashar called the speech "divisive"; Likud said it remains open to a unity government (Israel Hayom). Gadi Eisenkot holds the mandate to form a government after receiving 67 MK recommendations to Netanyahu's 46. Arab-led parties hold a record 19 seats in the new Knesset — 11 for the Joint List and 8 for Ra'am — the Times of Israel has reported. A speaker vote is set for Nov. 17. Full story: 26th Knesset Is Sworn In Tuesday; Speaker Vote Set for Nov. 17.

United Torah Judaism MKs Meir Porush and Elyakim Stark on Wednesday filed bills that would let yeshiva students defer military service until age 26 and freeze arrests of eligible draft evaders for one year. Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party filed a competing bill to expand benefits for soldiers and reservists. The measures are only proposals. Full story: UTJ Lawmakers File Bills to Defer Yeshiva Students' Draft Until Age 26 and Freeze Arrests for a Year. The Eisenkot bloc's opening-day bills, including an Oct. 7 inquiry and prime-minister term limits, are covered separately.

Likud said Tuesday that Netanyahu would submit Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to the cabinet on Wednesday for approval as interior minister, a post that has lacked a permanent minister for more than a year, the Jerusalem Post reported. The announcement is not the same as cabinet approval.

Arab parties — Abbas's account, and a heckling

Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas told Channel 12 that, during 2021 coalition talks, Netanyahu told him, "Yahya Sinwar and I understand each other," the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post reported. That is Abbas's account of a private conversation. It has not been independently confirmed. Abbas said he was astounded by Netanyahu's swearing-in remarks about Arab parties. During the ceremony, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir interrupted Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen as he took the oath, asking who he was pledging allegiance to — "Hamas?" — Ynet reported.

Gaza — strikes and the flooding dispute

Medics and local emergency services said Israeli fire killed at least seven Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, including a father and his 13-year-old son at a displacement shelter in Zeitoun; the IDF said it had struck militants, the Times of Israel reported. The Associated Press reported that two more strikes on Wednesday killed three people, and that Netanyahu rejected accusations Israel is to blame for Gaza's flood crisis. Full story: Medics Say Israeli Fire Killed at Least Seven in Gaza on Tuesday, Including a Father and 13-Year-Old Son; IDF Says It Struck Militants. Weekend flooding remains the subject of a dispute between the Board of Peace and the IDF; see Board of Peace Calls Gaza Flooding an Immediate Humanitarian Emergency.

The Abboudieh-Dabbousieh crossing between Lebanon and Syria has reopened after about two years, The National and L'Orient Today reported, with officials projecting thousands of travelers and hundreds of trucks a day.

Iran — Hormuz reports, and Bessent

Iran's Revolutionary Guard and army reported fires and explosions involving tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels using unauthorized routes struck naval mines, Tasnim reported. Al Jazeera, citing UKMTO, said the agency had logged incidents involving two tankers in the region, including one struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman's Lima. Those reports should not be assumed to match Iran's mine-strike claims. Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the strait will stay shut until the United States meets Tehran's seven conditions, and he denied that talks with Washington are underway. Full story: Iran Reports Tanker Blasts in the Strait of Hormuz; UKMTO Confirms an Incident.

Reuters, citing the New York Times, reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been moved to a U.S. military base after Iranian threats against his life. Treasury said he will not be deterred. Full story: Trump Says Iran War Is Ending 'Fairly Soon'; Bessent Moved to a Military Base After Iranian Threats, Reports Say.

Defense — Rafael unveils SUPER ICE

Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems unveiled SUPER ICE, a cruise missile with a 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) warhead that can be launched from aircraft, ships, and ground platforms, Globes and Ynet reported. Ynet said Rafael has not disclosed the missile's customers, whether it is operational, or whether the IDF has ordered it. The Jerusalem Post reported that the missile is expected to be operational around early 2027, a timeframe Rafael has not itself confirmed in the Ynet and Globes accounts.

Earthquake near Taba

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake whose epicenter was near Taba in southern Sinai triggered Home Front Command alerts in Eilat and nearby communities in the Arava on Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Geological Survey of Israel and the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry, which updated an earlier 4.4 reading. No injuries were reported. Ramon Airport was evacuated and later resumed operations; N12, cited by the Post, reported broken glass at the airport. The Home Front Command said it would advance a national earthquake-preparedness plan.

Netanyahu trial — attorney general will not appear

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara will not appear before the Jerusalem District Court panel hearing Netanyahu's criminal trial, prosecutors told the court Wednesday, despite the judges' suggestion last week that she attend, the Jerusalem Post reported. Prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh said the senior prosecution team was authorized to represent her and that Baharav-Miara and the state attorney remained open to direct talks toward an agreed resolution. Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad, argued the judges could summon her anyway.