Israel: Eisenkot cancels a meeting to hold talks with Likud following Netanyahu’s speech

Another oil tanker is reportedly on fire in the Strait of Hormuz after striking a naval mine. According to reports by the satellite TV channel Al Jazeera, this claim comes from the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian Pasdaran, who allege that the vessel was travelling along an ‘unauthorised’ route. If the report is confirmed, this would bring the total to three oil tankers damaged in the Strait of Hormuz today.

FOTO D'ARCHIVIO: Navi nello Stretto di Hormuz, viste da Musandam, Oman, il 19 ottobre 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/Foto d'archivio

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot revealed that a negotiation meeting with Likud had been scheduled for tomorrow, but announced its cancellation following Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the Knesset today. “In light of the outgoing Prime Minister’s divisive speech and the desecration of the swearing-in ceremony at the Knesset – and, with it, what remains of the state under his government – the chairman of Yashar has instructed that the scheduled negotiation meeting be cancelled,” Eisenkot said in a statement. “Unity is an important value for Israel; Israeli solidarity is a component of national security. But the outgoing Prime Minister lashed out at the citizens of Israel this evening: Netanyahu does not want unity. As always, when it comes to choosing between the importance of the moment and the strength of Israeli society on the one hand, and his own political survival on the other, Netanyahu will always choose himself,” he added.

Hospital authorities in Gaza report that Israeli attacks and gunfights have resulted in the deaths of five people. Houthi officials claim that overnight attacks in Yemen have left at least one person dead and nine others injured in Sana’a. Meanwhile, Iranian state television has broadcast footage of an underground missile facility. A senior Iranian security official claimed that the war has ‘devastated’ the United States, whilst US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran is ‘bleeding economically’.

The vote to elect the new Speaker of the Knesset will take place next Tuesday at 4.00 pm Israeli time (3.00 pm in Italia), following a request from 67 members of the new Knesset (120 seats in total). This was announced by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, as reported by the Israeli news website Ynet. The news comes after the leaders of Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc agreed on the appointment of Matan Kahana to the post and after Yashar, Eisenkot’s party, confirmed that it had submitted the signatures of a majority of MPs to Ohana to effectively request his replacement. The Israeli media emphasise that, although this is a standard procedure, Ohana described it as ‘exceptional’. “Despite my strong opposition to the intentions of the emerging coalition,” he said, “I will act as promised to respect the will of the majority of Knesset members.”

“We do not want to create an Islamic state or an Arab state or anything else here.” This was stated by Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra’am, in comments to Channel 12 reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz following remarks made by Benjamin Netanyahu on the day of the first meeting of the Knesset following the 27 October election in Israel. ““We support peace and an end to the conflict based on a two-state solution,” he added, emphasising that “we define ourselves as citizens of the State of Israel” and criticising Netanyahu for “the accusation that we support terrorism and undermine the existence of the State of Israel and its security”. “We condemn and reject terror, and we too are victims of terror,” he declared.

Intense talks are under way between MPs from the Arab Ra’am party, the party’s leader Mansour Abbas himself, and a number of mediators from the Change Bloc who are seeking to persuade him to recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation. This is the fourth condition of principle set out by Gadi Eisenkot. In return, Abbas is demanding that the Change Bloc demonstrate in practical terms its willingness to establish a genuine political partnership with him, making him a potential partner in a future coalition. This was revealed by Ynet. Abbas has not denied the report. Acting as mediators are the Democratic Party and several representatives from Eisenkot’s party.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the Israeli public has ousted him. Now he is lying and inciting hatred against Arabs in an attempt to cling to power by force.” This was stated in a post on X by the leader of the Democrats, Yair Golan, following remarks made by the outgoing Israeli Prime Minister on the day of the new Knesset’s first sitting. “He will soon move from the Prime Minister’s seat to the opposition benches,” he added.

“Delusional, divisive, hate-filled and shameful”. This is how Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar, described Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the Knesset, as reported by the Israeli media. “I am increasingly convinced that he is not fit to remain in his post for even another minute,” he added.

Benjamin Netanyahu is standing his ground. In his address to the Knesset, following the 27 October election in Israel, he stated – as reported by the Israeli newspaper *Haaretz* – that there should be “a thorough investigation into foreign entities suspected of using large sums of money to influence the election results”. Following Netanyahu’s remarks, Naftali Bennett took the floor and, with the ‘Qatargate’ scandal in mind, asked: “What about the Qatari advisers in your office?”

Il primo ministro israeliano Benjamin Netanyahu pronuncia un discorso durante un brindisi dei leader delle fazioni politiche israeliane, nel giorno dell'insediamento del 26° parlamento israeliano, alla Knesset di Gerusalemme, il 10 novembre 2026. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

The bloc of parties led by Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar, tabled a series of bills on the day of the Knesset’s first sitting following the 27 October elections, including one to establish a commission of inquiry into the massacre of 7 October 2023 in Israel and another that would impose term limits on prime ministers. This has been reported by the Israeli media.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that there is “no need” for a large-scale military operation against Iran following the NATO ministerial meeting in Paris.

Il segretario di Stato americano Marco Rubio osserva mentre parla alla stampa durante il vertice dei ministri degli Esteri del G7 presso il George C. Marshall Center dell’Hotel Talleyrand a Parigi, in Francia, il 10 novembre 2026. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS

The House is expected to vote at 5.30 pm local time – 11.30 pm in Italia – on a ‘procedural motion’ concerning the impeachment of Pete Hegseth, tabled by the Republican Thomas Massie. In practice, MPs must decide whether to set the resolution aside or refer it to a committee for consideration. More specifically, supporters of the Defence Secretary will propose to ‘set aside’ the resolution. If this motion secures a simple majority, the impeachment resolution will be deemed dead and the process will cease immediately. The alternative is to refer the measure to the Justice Committee, led by Donald Trump’s ally, Jim Jordan. If approved, this motion would ‘freeze’ the impeachment proceedings, removing them from the chamber. If neither option secures a majority, the House would proceed to vote directly on the impeachment resolution against the Defence Secretary. Should it be approved by the House, Hegseth’s formal removal from office would require a trial and a two-thirds majority in the Senate. At present, this is considered a highly unlikely scenario.

Messages are emerging from Donald Trump and Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader – messages that are still uncertain, but which have not been heard in recent months – regarding the possibility of launching negotiations to bring an end to the war in Iran.

Last Sunday, Trump told CNN that further military strikes “are highly unlikely” if Tehran makes progress towards an agreement on its nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. And during an interview on the CBS programme “60 Minutes”, he went on to say that he “did not want to see the conflict escalate further”. However, both Trump and the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, subsequently made it clear that ‘the military option’ remains on the table, confirming the possibility that the White House may launch – as announced on several occasions – a new wave of air strikes against the regime in Tehran.

Three people were killed in two separate Israeli attacks in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital. In the southern town of Khan Younis, another person was shot dead after crossing the ‘Yellow Line’, according to Nasser Hospital. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it had targeted militants in Gaza City, but did not comment on the shooting in Khan Younis.

“Almost 80 per cent of the people have chosen you, and you must do everything in your power to avoid having to hold another election.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog made these remarks in the Knesset during the inaugural session following the 27 October election, as reported by the Israeli news website Ynet.

“We must leave no stone unturned; we must investigate and understand how the disaster of 7 October (2023 in Israel) could have occurred, and draw lessons and conclusions from it.” This was stated by the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, in the Knesset, as reported by The Times of Israel.