Knesset

The United States carried out limited air strikes on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on 3 Nov, targeting a surface‑to‑air missile launcher. President Donald Trump had posted on 2 Nov that a peace agreement with Iran might be reached that day, a claim that coincided with oil prices dropping more than seven percent. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect talks were under way, while the United States is set to host Ukraine and Russia delegations in Abu Dhabi on 10‑11 Nov to discuss a post‑war settlement. Senior US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will lead the talks, and President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a new round of trilateral discussions, though Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on any deal.

On 3 Nov opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot met with fellow opposition figures in Herzliya, but Arab‑majority parties did not join the discussions. The meeting follows a stalemate election on 28 Oct that left Netanyahu's Likud bloc with 53 seats and Eisenkot's bloc with 48 seats in the 120‑seat Knesset, while the two Arab lists together hold 19 seats, the highest ever. Protesters continue to demand a coalition that includes Arab parties, with slogans pointing to a potential 67‑seat anti‑Netanyahu majority.

The 27 Oct election results will be certified and delivered to President Isaac Herzog on 4 Nov, confirming that Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats while the Change bloc won 48 and Arab parties captured a record 19 seats, leaving no side with the 61 seats needed to form a government. Voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest since 1999. Herzog can assign a 28‑day coalition mandate, extendable by 14 days, and is expected to consult party leaders before deciding whom to task with building a coalition.