Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday (October 19, 2026) that Israel will not hesitate to strike its enemies at a moment’s notice, eight days before a tight election and following his warnings to Iran.

Mr. Netanyahu said he spoke to the commander of an unspecified base and saw Israel’s “capability to strike our enemies the moment it is required”.

“I say to our enemies: Do not test us — you will receive harsher blows than you have suffered to date,” he said in a video statement from the base.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (October 1, 2026) said the suspect who allegedly tried to crash a flydubai flight to Israel had undergone “Islamist, radical indoctrination”. He, however, did not give any details.

Flydubai incident: altercation, emergency landing and investigation | Explained

Asked who helped radicalise the man, the Prime Minister said he did not know and that Israel was cooperating with the UAE’s investigation.

“We’ll get to the bottom of things,” he told Fox News channel’s “Fox and Friends.”

Video shot inside the plane by Shota Musayev, a dentist who treated the captain, shows the copilot on his knees, with his hands tied behind his back. The copilot’s name has not been released, and his condition was not known.

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, widely praised as one of the heroes of the flight, was reportedly in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said overnight.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making a whirlwind 24-hour trip to speak at the annual UN gathering of world leaders this month because “there is no option” after New York’s mayor urged his arrest over the war in Gaza, Israel’s UN envoy said on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).

Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of “doing politics” when he called the Prime Minister a “war criminal” and called for his arrest, which he had to withdraw because New York City does not have the authority to take Mr. Netanyahu into custody.

“You know, it became very trendy to do politics by blaming Israel,” Mr. Danon said. He stressed, “For us, it’s important the Prime Minister will come.” Netanyahu has become an increasingly polarising figure over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Mr. Mamdani, whose office did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Tuesday (September 8, 2026), has pointed to the arrest warrant issued by the world’s top war crimes tribunal against Mr. Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him and another Israeli official of crimes against humanity.

The International Criminal Court warrant said there was reason to believe Mr. Netanyahu used “starvation as a weapon of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeting civilians in the campaign against Hamas – charges Israel denies.

While New York City does not have legal authority to execute an ICC arrest warrant, Mr. Mamdani has encouraged the federal government to do so.

The U.S. and Israel are not members of the court, and the Trump administration has imposed a series of sanctions on ICC staffers in a campaign to dismantle the tribunal.

Mr. Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in New York late on September 23, address the UN General Assembly on the afternoon of September 24 and fly back to Israel that night, Mr. Danon said.

Mr. Danon noted that the meeting of leaders from the 193 UN member nations is taking place during the Jewish holidays and an election campaign as Mr. Netanyahu tries to keep his job as Prime Minister.

Mr. Danon said protests against Netanyahu would “create more chaos” on New York streets during the high-level meetings the week of September 22-28.

Last year, there was a mass walkout from the UN General Assembly hall when Mr. Netanyahu started to speak from the podium. This year, Mr. Danon said, “I expect that there will be something like another show.” But the ambassador said Mr. Netanyahu is experienced, “and I’m sure he will deliver his speech despite those attempts”.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the evacuation of some settlements in the occupied West Bank deemed illegal under Israeli law, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday (September 6, 2026).

“To my knowledge, Netanyahu has given the instruction to evacuate” certain settlements, Mr. Smotrich said, adding that he did not approve of the measure.

While all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, some established without government approval — often consisting of just a few prefabricated homes — are also considered illegal by Israel.

Several Israeli media outlets also reported on Sunday (September 6) that Mr. Netanyahu had issued the order, with Israel’s largest news site Ynet saying it was the result of U.S. pressure.

At the end of August, Mr. Netanyahu had promised to continue establishing settlements in the West Bank despite growing international backlash.

The construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory has increased significantly under his government.

According to Mr. Smotrich, the evacuation concerned outposts built in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority and without official authorisation.

The leader of a far-right party that advocates the annexation of the entire West Bank, Mr. Smotrich boasted on Sunday (September 6) that he had led “a revolution” by building and legalising “villages, farms, roads and thousands of homes” in the territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office, contacted by AFP, did not respond to the reports.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, among some three million Palestinians.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the West Bank on Saturday (September 5) in support of Palestinians with U.S. citizenship who have been victims of attacks by settlers.

“Our clear message is that crime is crime, terror is terror,” Mr. Huckabee said, stopping short of naming Israel.

“When people do it they should have an expectation that they will have severe consequences.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a diplomatic deal was not possible with the “savages” who rule Iran as he hailed U.S. President Donald Trump’s new campaign of economic pressure.

Recounting a recent meeting with Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu told an event late on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) that they had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with Iran and said: “I doubt, however, that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages. I tell you — an agreement cannot be reached.”

Israel warned Hamas on Sunday (August 23, 2026) that it would step up operations in Gaza if launches of kites, drones and balloons towards Israel continued, after a recent increase in such incidents, while Hamas denied responsibility.

Israeli media reported that four kites were found in communities near the Gaza border on Saturday (August 23, 2026) and one was shot down by the army on Sunday (August 24, 2026), bringing the total number recovered in recent days to around 10.

The incidents have revived memories of waves of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza in previous years, which sparked fires in agricultural lands in southern Israel.

According to the reports, the Israeli military believes Hamas was behind the launches, which did not carry explosives, and may have been testing how Israel would respond.

“Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not cease immediately, the IDF will take action to intensify targeted operations against those responsible… and will evacuate the population from areas from which kites, drones and balloons are launched,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.

They said they had held a security assessment with top military and security officials on Sunday (August 24, 2026) to discuss the matter.

Uri Epstein, a leader for Gaza border communities — many of which were attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023 — told Channel 12 that “after October 7, we will no longer tolerate the words ‘It will be ok’”.

“The writing is in the sky, and it’s the army’s responsibility to act in time.”

Hamas meanwhile denied responsibility for the launches.

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said in a statement that the kites were “launched from Gaza by children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble”.

In a separate statement, the Islamist group accused Israel of using the kites as a “pretext” for airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday (August 24, 2026), in which three people were killed according to Gaza’s civil defence rescue service.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday (June 26, 2026) that Israel would remain in south Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms, shortly after the announcement in Washington of a framework agreement with the United States and Lebanon.

“The most important thing is, first of all, that Israel remains in the security zone in southern Lebanon. This is a major achievement, and we will maintain it as long as Hezbollah has not disarmed,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video shared with Israeli media shortly after the trilateral framework agreement was announced.

Also Read : West Asia war LIVE

The agreement — details of which were not announced — is the result of five rounds of talks in Washington aimed at ending decades of hostilities and weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The agreement “begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony.

In his video statement, Mr. Netanyahu added that Israel’s military would also allow the Lebanese army to take control of territory in two areas.

“We are implementing two pilot areas, both at the army’s recommendation. One is entirely outside the security zone and south of the Litani River, while the other is north of the Litani,” a river in south Lebanon.

Mr. Netanyahu added that Lebanese civilians displaced from the so-called “security zone” that Israeli forces established in south Lebanon won’t be allowed to return home.

“We are maintaining the original security zone at all times, outside the range of anti-tank fire. We are not allowing Hezbollah to enter it, nor are we allowing the civilian population to enter,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader West Asia war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel intended to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Israel then launched devastating air strikes and an invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,200 people.

Under U.S. pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks with Israel in April in Washington, and a truce was announced on April 17 that ultimately failed to stop the fighting.

A new ceasefire was declared this month, with Tehran insisting that its deal with Washington to end the broader conflict launched by the United States and Israel in late February must include Lebanon.

Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year, his party ​announced on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he wasn’t ‌sure if the Israeli prime minister would stand again.

In a brief statement, Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party said he would run in the election and, God willing, win. The election has not yet been formally announced but must ‌be held by October.

Earlier, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl posted on X that Mr. Trump ‌had told him he did not know if Mr. Netanyahu ‌would ⁠stand.

“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing ⁠career. Does he want to continue?” the journalist quoted Mr. Trump as saying.

The Israeli election will be the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas ​attack, the country’s worst ‌security failure, which precipitated Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Netanyahu has faced a tumultuous term since returning to power in December 2022 at the helm of the most ‌right-wing coalition in Israeli history. He faced mass anti-government protests ​before the wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Polls have repeatedly indicated that his coalition ⁠would fail to win a majority at the next election. A poll published by the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute think tank ‌on June 9 said that 61% of the Israeli public believe he should not run.

Israeli lawmakers set up special tribunal, allow for death penalty for Hamas-led 2023 attackers

However, polls also show that a potential coalition of opposition parties would fall short of a parliamentary majority unless they form a coalition with Arab parties, which some opposition leaders have ruled out.

U.S. and ‌Israeli officials say Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu, who launched the Iran war together ​in February, still have a close relationship. However, it has at times seen strain, including in recent ⁠weeks as Mr. Trump has demanded Israel curb military action in Lebanon ⁠while Washington negotiates a peace deal with Tehran.

Last week, Mr. Trump acknowledged calling Mr. Netanyahu “fucking crazy” in a ‌hot-tempered phone call, though he also said they get along well. He has repeatedly called on Israel’s president to ​pardon Mr. Netanyahu over outstanding corruption charges that Mr. Netanyahu denies.