Update from Israel: November 26, 2025

November 26, 2025 – October 7 War, Day 782, 2 hostage bodies remain in captivity. 

The body of hostage Dror Or was returned to Israel last night, leaving only the final two kidnapped hostage bodies in the hands of terror groups.

Hostages

• The body of murdered hostage Dror Or was returned to Israel last night by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and positively identified by Israeli forensic experts in the early hours of this morning.
• Or, aged 48 when he was murdered on October 7 at Kibbutz Be’eri, was posthumously kidnapped to Gaza. Information gathered in Gaza led to the announcement of his death in May of 2024.
• Dror’s wife, Yonat, was also murdered on October 7, and they left behind three children. Two of the children, Alma and Noam, were kidnapped to Gaza and returned in November 2023, two years to the day that Dror’s body was brought to Israel last night.
• The bodies of the final two murdered hostages remain in Gaza: those of Sudthisak Rinthalak, 43, from Thailand, murdered at Be’eri, and Ran Gvili, 24, murdered at Alumim.
• Last weekend, 17 hostages recently freed in the final release group joined nine previously released hostages for a visit to the United States. President Trump welcomed the delegation at the White House, where they expressed gratitude for U.S. intervention that helped secure their freedom. During their visit, the group also met with members of the Abraham Accords Caucus and the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Hostages, thanking lawmakers from both parties for their efforts and support on their behalf.

Violence in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)

• The past few weeks have seen widespread condemnation by Israeli leaders, across the political spectrum, of a spike in alleged settler attacks in the West Bank, coinciding with the olive harvest season—a period historically prone to friction. Allegations against groups of settlers include arson, beatings, vandalism, and assaults on Palestinian civilians and property.
  • On November 11, a group of masked men attacked Palestinian factories and farmland near Tulkarm, torching vehicles and clashing with IDF soldiers. Four Israeli suspects were detained.
  • On November 13, settlers are alleged to have torched the Hajja Hamida Mosque in Deir Istiya, burned Qurans, and scrawled racist graffiti.
  • On November 20, a group is said to have set fire to a scrap yard in Huwara, destroying around 150 out-of-commission cars.
• Despite criticism of weak law enforcement by police and the IDF, a broad spectrum of senior Israeli leadership have issued strong condemnations of these acts in recent days:
• President Isaac Herzog called the attacks “shocking and serious” and said they “cross a red line,” urging authorities to “act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon”.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged “forceful action against riots against Palestinians and IDF soldiers,” calling the attackers “a handful of extremists” who do not represent the settler community.
• IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said, “We will not tolerate the phenomena of a minority of criminals who tarnish a law-abiding public.” He warned that such violence diverts military resources from core missions.
• Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the head of the IDF’s Central Command (responsible for the region where attacks have taken place), described perpetrators as an “anarchist fringe” whose actions are “unacceptable and extremely serious.”
• Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the rioters for “harming the State of Israel, disgracing Judaism, and damaging the settlement project.”
• In addition, the leadership of the settler movement insists that the acts are being carried out by a small fringe, many of whom do not even live in settlements, and strongly says that those committing the illegal acts do not act in the name of the Jewish communities living “over the Green Line.” Yesha Council Chairman Yisrael Ganz denounced the violence, labeling perpetrators as “a small band of rioters” and “extreme anarchists” who undermine the legitimacy of the settlement movement.
• Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Netanyahu convened a meeting with senior security officials to address the surge in violence. During the session, the heads of the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police recommended creating a specialized investigative unit dedicated to tackling these incidents. Additional proposals included deploying more forces to act as buffers between settlements and nearby Arab villages; to monitor activity around unauthorized outposts to help prevent attacks; issuing restraining orders against settlers involved in violent acts; and revoking gun licenses for individuals implicated in these attacks.

Hezbollah

• The past week marked a major escalation in Israeli operations against Hezbollah across Lebanon, including the first IDF strike on Beirut since June.
• Israel says the strikes were aimed at stopping Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its military capabilities and violating the year-old ceasefire.
• On Sunday, Israeli jets struck an apartment block in Beirut, killing Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s military chief of staff and number two in the organization’s overall structure. The attack also killed four other senior operatives.
• Tabatabai had been declared a wanted terrorist by the US in 2016, and a $5 million bounty had been placed on his head by the American government.
• The strike, considered a momentous intelligence and military success by Israel, was a significant blow to the terror group.
• Israeli media said that the Israeli attack had been welcomed by the Trump Administration (which was informed about developments shortly after Israeli jets hit their target), as both Israel and the US seek to send a message to the Lebanese government that it needs to do more to disarm Hezbollah and stop it from re-establishing itself in southern Lebanon.
• Israeli commentators also pointed out the dilemma now faced by Hezbollah. If the terror group does not retaliate, it will be perceived as weak – a difficult position to be in, in the Middle East. On the other hand, any further attacks would likely see heavy retaliation, a situation that the terror group would find difficult to confront in its current form.

Gaza

• While the ceasefire remains in place, numerous breaches by Hamas and other armed parties have led to Israeli responses, as the IDF has stated that violations of the ceasefire agreement will not be tolerated.
• Earlier in the week, a Hamas gunman approached the Yellow Line (the agreed perimeter inside Gaza) and opened fire on Israeli troops near a humanitarian corridor. The IDF called this a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
• Hamas fighters also attempted to emerge from tunnels in Rafah; 17 were captured or killed during clashes with IDF forces.
• In retaliation for the gunfire and other activity, Israel launched precision airstrikes across Gaza this week, killing five senior Hamas commanders, including Alaa Hadidi, head of Hamas’s weapons supply unit. These strikes were among the deadliest since the truce began.
• Earlier in the week (Nov. 19), 25 Palestinians were killed in four Israeli airstrikes after Hamas fired on IDF troops.
• Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that, “Israel has fully honored the ceasefire; Hamas has not. We responded with force to protect our soldiers.”
• Also this week, the IDF’s Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir dismissed several high-ranking officers from reserve duty for their failures on October 7. Among those ordered to leave the reserves were the generals who, on October 7, headed the Southern Command, the Operations Branch, and Military Intelligence.

International Diplomacy

• Earlier this week, the IDF hosted over 100 senior military representatives from nearly 20 countries for a five-day program, sharing lessons learned from two years of multi-front conflict.
  • Attendees included military figures from the United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, France, India, Greece, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia.
  • According to reports, sessions focused on advances in military use of data and AI; coordinating drones and artillery to protect advancing troops; and improving survival.
  • Several participating countries had previously criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, including France and Canada, which recently recognized a Palestinian state.
  • Despite public condemnations, the nations in attendance still sought Israeli insights and expertise in military and intelligence matters, including key takeaways from the manner in which Israel conducted the war.
• Following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, it was announced that the US agreed to supply the Kingdom with advanced F-35 fighter jets, raising concerns in Israel about the potential erosion of its Qualitative Military Edge (QME). Israeli officials emphasize that any aircraft delivered to Riyadh will be downgraded compared to Israel’s version, and reaffirmed that U.S.-Israel understandings on preserving QME remain intact. Israeli media also noted that Palestinian issues appeared to have been sidelined during the talks, with no clear push for normalization with Israel tied to progress on that front.

Further Reading

• The Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill is Not Constitutional and Will Deal Grievous Harm to Israel
• ‘No atheists in foxholes’: Survey shows Israelis becoming more religious after 2 years of war
• Why Israel Fears Turkey’s Involvement in Gaza
• America’s Exit Strategy: The New Middle Eastern Air Alliance Taking Shape
• How Israel’s Victory Strengthens America’s Hand
• Explainer: What is the State Commission of Inquiry sought by many in Israel to examine the failures of October 7?