Endorsements and competing campaigns
Trump renewed his endorsement of Netanyahu about a day before Israel’s elections, urging voters to help finish their shared work. He praised their partnership and the U.S. attack on Venezuela, and claimed Operation Midnight Hammer stopped the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump also claimed Operation Epic Fury left Iran without a navy or air force, its military and economy in shambles, inflation at 301%, and two levels of leadership gone. He said a naval blockade prevented Iran from obtaining oil and called Netanyahu an outstanding wartime prime minister.
Trump separately denied that a support message posted the previous night followed Netanyahu’s requests: “We didn’t discuss it.”
Eisenkot called Trump a true friend of Israel and expected cooperation with any elected leader. On Iran, he rejected regime change as a war objective, advocating destruction of its nuclear program, missile program and proxies instead.
Golan called Eisenkot’s campaign to make his party the largest a dangerous lie intended to weaken “us.” Bennett suggested he and Lieberman could agree that either might become prime minister, arguing seat totals were completely irrelevant.
Netanyahu warned that Winter “will bring us down”; efforts to persuade Leitner to withdraw continued into the final hours with slim prospects. Winter cited surveys suggesting hundreds of thousands wanted to support his party. Leitner planned 500 observers at polling stations in ultra-Orthodox communities.
Rabbi Yosef Kellner described Noam’s decision to remain in the race despite the risk of wasting bloc votes as an aggressive maneuver to establish political leverage. That contrasted with its campaigners making hundreds of thousands of calls claiming it was polling above the threshold.
Yashar! filed a police complaint alleging forgery after a message purportedly sent on its behalf urged Galilee residents not to vote for Bennett. An image of the message was withdrawn pending clarification of the party’s claims.
Lapid criticized the message presented as being on Eisenkot’s behalf and urged people not to forward it.
Poll publication ban
No credible new national poll had been identified since October 23. The Central Elections Committee’s ban on publishing previously unreleased polls began at 11:59 p.m. that day and lasts until polls close on October 27. October 24–26 coverage predominantly analyzes existing surveys.
October 23 polls gave Netanyahu’s bloc 50 seats in Kan 11, Channel 12 and News 13, against 59 in i24NEWS and 62 in Channel 14. Eisenkot generally received 20–23.
Whether Winter and Hendel-Zelekha cross the threshold remains uncertain. No new polling evidence changes the previously assessed path to 61 seats or establishes genuine movement in the Likud–Bennett gap.
Lebanon and Syria
Hezbollah has spent three months preparing for possible renewed war with Israel, using tens of millions of dollars from Iran to rebuild, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese security sources.
It is prioritizing explosives and attack drones and restoring command structures, while stockpiles and fighting forces remain below pre-war levels. It is also alert for U.S.-Iran escalation that could reignite fighting in Lebanon.
An interceptor was launched overnight toward a suspicious aerial target where IDF troops operate in southern Lebanon. No sirens sounded, under protocol. Reports of renewed northern Israel air-defense activity did not establish whether this was the same incident.
A large explosion near Saraqib in eastern Idlib, Syria, struck what appeared to be a weapons depot or warehouse. Since September, explosions have hit ammunition depots and leftover-munitions sites across Syria, including some belonging to the Defense Ministry.
