Oct 04, 2026

Israel News Today: Third Anniversary of October 7 Approaches as Flydubai Terror Plot Deepens, Suspected Ebola Case Reported, and Elections Heat Up

As Israel prepares to mark three years since the October 7 massacre, new details are emerging about the alleged Flydubai terror plot, a suspected Ebola case has been reported at a major Israeli hospital, and the country's election campaign — with voting set for 27 October — is intensifying across all fronts. Al-Qaeda has also praised the Omani co-pilot and called for copycat attacks targeting Israel and the United States.

Flydubai Terror Plot: New Evidence, Institutional Blame, and Al-Qaeda's Response

Fresh investigative reporting has added significant detail to the Flydubai incident covered in recent days. According to Ynet, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera analysed the flight minute by minute, with two Boeing 737 captains who reviewed footage concluding that emergency lights were activated while the aircraft was still airborne — indicating the co-pilot may have shut down both engines mid-flight. Maariv reports that this possibility is still being investigated and has not been officially confirmed.

Arutz Sheva reports that Israeli Mossad agents and aviation experts have joined the UAE investigation into the alleged plot, in which the co-pilot reportedly planned to crash the aircraft into Tel Aviv's Azrieli Towers.

A significant institutional row has broken out over how the co-pilot — an Omani national — was ever allowed to operate a flight to Ben Gurion Airport. Maariv reports that the crew's details were in Israel's possession before the plane took off, yet the Omani co-pilot was assigned to the flight regardless. Israel's Ministry of Transport and security agencies are now trading blame over who bears responsibility for the failure. Ynet adds that Israel's Ministry of Transport conducts rigorous background checks on pilots for private flights only — leaving the commercial sector, where the potential damage is far greater, poorly regulated. A document obtained by Ynet shows that Flydubai gave Israel a written commitment years before the incident.

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, described the episode as "a failure and a debacle," and said Transport Minister Miri Regev is "manifestly unfit" for her role, according to Maariv. Yair Golan also attacked, calling it "living testimony to rot," Maariv reported.

Most gravely, Arutz Sheva reports that Al-Qaeda — the organisation behind the 9/11 attacks — has praised the Omani hijacker and is now calling on others to hijack planes to attack the United States and Israel.

Third Anniversary of October 7: Remembrance and Commemoration

With the third anniversary of the massacre days away, a series of memorial events and cultural moments are marking the occasion across Israel.

Maariv reports that families of soldiers killed at the Paga outpost — Shalo Branes, Dolev Amoyal, and Dekel Suissa — returned to the site of their deaths three years on. A Torah scroll was brought in their memory, and the Paga Association is bringing their story to soldiers and communities across the country.

Ynet and Maariv report that families of those murdered, taken hostage, or wounded on 7 October are sharing final messages sent by their loved ones on that Black Saturday, under the hashtag #WeAreAll710. Among them, Osnat, whose husband Haim Peri was abducted and murdered in captivity, wrote: "Terrorists took Haim."

The Jerusalem Post reports that three new artworks have joined the ANU Museum's "October 7" exhibition ahead of the anniversary, alongside the documentary work "Local Testimony for 2023" and a musical playlist of Israeli songs that have become part of the war's soundtrack.

The Jerusalem Post also reports that COGAT has announced the closure of West Bank and Gaza crossings for October 7 remembrance ceremonies, with passage through West Bank crossings permitted only in humanitarian, medical, or exceptional cases subject to COGAT approval.

A School Principal Arrested for Displaying Images of Sinwar and Arafat

Maariv reports that a school principal in Al-Eizariya was arrested on suspicion of incitement and encouraging terrorism, after images of Yahya Sinwar, Yasser Arafat, and other material were found on the school's premises. When asked by police who the figures in the images were, she reportedly replied: "Heroes of Palestine."

IDF Activity in Lebanon: Troops Prepare for Winter Operations

Ynet reports that Brigade 55 has deepened its defensive line to 12 kilometres from the Lebanese border, as IDF forces adapt to a new operational mode ahead of winter. The concern, Ynet reports, is that Hezbollah will exploit the ceasefire to attempt to penetrate pockets along the front line. Recent accidents in southern Lebanon, Ynet notes, illustrate the risks of this new posture. Separately, the municipality of Kiryat Shmona issued a notice to residents warning that the IDF would be conducting strikes in Lebanon within hours, according to Maariv.

Suspected Ebola Case at Sheba Medical Center

Israel's Ministry of Health has announced that a person who returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo developed a fever and is being held in isolation on suspicion of Ebola, according to both Arutz Sheva and Maariv. Arutz Sheva reports the suspected case is at Sheba Medical Center. No test results had been received at the time of reporting.

Iran's Missile Ambitions

Iran's military spokesperson announced a decision to increase the range of the country's missiles, according to a Maariv breaking news report. No further details were provided in the available sources.

Israeli Elections: Courts, Campaigns, and Foreign Interference

With elections three weeks away, Israel's political landscape is shifting rapidly.

Maariv reports that the Supreme Court (Bagatz) rejected a petition by the Democrats party to disqualify Otzma Yehudit — Itamar Ben Gvir and Tali Gottlieb — from running, ruling that the petitioners had not met the required burden of proof and noting procedural delays in bringing the challenge.

Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party has published a formal four-stage policy plan for Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, according to Maariv and Ynet. Ynet reports that Lieberman proposed separating the West Bank and Gaza, and finding an internationally accepted Arab actor — potentially Jordan — to administer Palestinian life in the West Bank, warning that otherwise "our future will be determined by others." On Gaza, Lieberman stated there is "no" military solution without a political framework, Ynet reports. The plan describes Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas as a "Holocaust denier," according to Maariv.

Arutz Sheva reports that a Kan News investigation has revealed foreign-linked bot networks were active on October 7, spreading anti-Israel narratives, and have now returned ahead of the elections, seeking to influence Israel's political discourse.

Benny Begin has publicly called on the public to leave Likud, according to a Maariv breaking news report, adding that "this is urgent, it is not healthy."

IDF Paratrooper Yosef Haguel, Linked to Beloved Remembrance Song, Dies at 80

The Jerusalem Post reports the death of IDF paratrooper Yosef Haguel, associated with the celebrated "Ballad for a Medic." The song, which became one of singer Yehoram Gaon's most beloved compositions, was not played on Israeli radio for several years except on Remembrance Day. Haguel was 80.

Hit-and-Run Death in Jerusalem's Rehavia

A woman in her 70s was killed in a hit-and-run incident on Rehavia's Rashba Street in Jerusalem on Sunday, according to both the Jerusalem Post and Ynet. A man in his 20s from east Jerusalem was arrested following an extensive search, Ynet reports. Magen David Adom personnel described the scene as "a severe incident," saying she was found unconscious with no pulse.

What This Means for Diaspora Jewish Communities

The Al-Qaeda statement praising the Flydubai co-pilot and calling for copycat attacks on Israeli and American targets is a direct concern for Jewish communities in the UK, Germany, and the United States. The call to action from a globally active terrorist organisation, issued days before the October 7 anniversary, raises the threat environment for Jewish institutions and communal gatherings. Community security organisations in all three countries should be informed of this development.

The sharing of final messages by families of October 7 victims under the #WeAreAll710 hashtag offers diaspora Jews a direct and deeply human window into the grief that will mark this anniversary. Engaging with these testimonies — and supporting the families behind them — remains one of the most meaningful acts of solidarity available to Jews abroad.

The attempted disqualification of a party from Israel's elections, the revelation of foreign bot networks targeting Israeli political discourse, and the deepening institutional failures exposed by the Flydubai affair all point to a democracy under significant pressure as it heads to the polls on 27 October.