*Herzog Gives Eisenkot Mandate to Form Israel's Next Government* President Isaac Herzog gave Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's next government on Sunday. Factions representing 67 Knesset…

*Herzog Gives Eisenkot Mandate to Form Israel's Next Government* President Isaac Herzog gave Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's next government on Sunday. Factions representing 67 Knesset members recommended Eisenkot during consultations with Herzog. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension. If he reaches a deal, his proposed government will face a confidence vote in the Knesset. If his attempt fails, Herzog can give another lawmaker a chance to form a government.

President Isaac Herzog's office says he will formally give Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's next government at 5 p.m. Sunday at the President's Residence. Herzog informed Eisenkot of his…

President Isaac Herzog's office says he will formally give Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form Israel's next government at 5 p.m. Sunday at the President's Residence. Herzog informed Eisenkot of his decision Saturday evening after holding further talks over the weekend, following the formal round of consultations that ended Thursday. Factions representing 67 of the Knesset's 120 members backed Eisenkot for the mandate, while factions representing 46 backed Prime Minister and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu. One faction with seven seats declined to recommend a candidate. Once Eisenkot receives the mandate, he will have 28 days to form a government. Herzog can grant him up to 14 additional days under Israel's Basic Law.

Weekend Recap *Trump Says U.S. Struck Iranian Air Defenses* President Donald Trump says the U.S. military carried out a limited strike on an Iranian air defense system Friday. Iranian state media reported explosions on…

Weekend Recap *Trump Says U.S. Struck Iranian Air Defenses* President Donald Trump says the U.S. military carried out a limited strike on an Iranian air defense system Friday. Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar's prime minister said Saturday that Doha was continuing to mediate between Washington and Tehran. *Iran Drops Missile Range Limit as U.S. Widens Blockade Effort* Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has lifted its self-imposed 2,000-kilometer limit on ballistic missile range. Its spokesman gave no details on whether Iran currently has missiles that can travel farther. U.S. Central Command announced a task force aimed at restricting Iranian weapons shipments across land borders and the Caspian Sea. Iran's navy separately said a tanker caught fire after hitting a mine east of the Strait of Hormuz. *Herzog Expected to Assign Coalition Mandate Sunday* President Isaac Herzog says he plans to give an MK the first chance to form a government on Sunday. Factions representing 67 MKs recommended Gadi Eisenkot, while 46 backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman reiterated Friday that he opposes a government that depends on Ra'am and the Joint List abstaining. *Channel 12 Reports Setbacks in Election Interference Probes* Channel 12 says a suspected voter-bribery case involving Ra'am could be closed unless new evidence emerges. In a separate probe involving alleged funding for the Joint List, law enforcement officials told the network that the intelligence shared with police contained no reference to Qatar. *Netanyahu's Office Denies Report of Pre-Election Iran Operation* Channel 12 reported Friday night that Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman sought to carry out an operation against Iran shortly before the October 27 election, and that Washington intervened after learning of the plan. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report. *IDF Denies Report on Jericho Settler Takeover* Haaretz reported that IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth knew in advance that settlers planned to enter eight homes near Jericho. The IDF denied the allegation. Separately, footage published Saturday showed settlers beating a Palestinian man during an overnight attack in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. *Heavy Rain Floods Gaza Tents and Knocks Out Power in Parts of Israel* Gaza's Hamas-run media office says about 70,000 tents were flooded. COGAT says it coordinated with aid groups ahead of the storm and that four additional sewage-pumping trucks entered Gaza this week. In Israel, heavy rain flooded parts of Binyamina and left residents in and around Gan Yavne without power for much of Saturday. *Houthis Blame Saudi Arabia for Deadly Strikes Near Sanaa* Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry says airstrikes near Sanaa killed 25 people and wounded 30. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia, which had yet to comment on the strikes. The Saudi-led coalition separately said it intercepted a Houthi missile headed toward Riyadh. Yemeni officials told AFP that Syria plans to send thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to help fight the Houthis.

Israel's Home Front Command has reviewed how it would alert the public in the event of renewed military operations against Iran or intelligence indicating an imminent Iranian missile attack. The discussions, led by Home…

Israel's Home Front Command has reviewed how it would alert the public in the event of renewed military operations against Iran or intelligence indicating an imminent Iranian missile attack. The discussions, led by Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shai Klepper, examined different warning procedures depending on how a confrontation begins, including scenarios involving American and Israeli strikes or an Iranian attack. When Israel initiated previous operations against Iran, Home Front Command activated sirens, issued mobile phone alerts, interrupted television and radio broadcasts, and deployed military representatives to explain the situation to the public. In other confrontations, advance warnings were communicated primarily through the media without activating sirens. A military official told Maariv that the command has examined a range of responses, from comprehensive public alerts to more limited notifications depending on the circumstances. The official said Home Front Command intends to use geographic warning zones established during Operation Roaring Lion to limit shelter instructions to areas assessed to be at risk, rather than automatically placing the entire population under restrictions.