President Isaac Herzog announced on Sunday that he will hand Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to assemble a new Israeli government, according to RaiNews. The former military chief of staff said on X that the time had come for a national emergency government, adding that he would do everything in his power to prove equal to the task. Separately, the Hamas-run government press office in Gaza reported that the season's first winter storm flooded roughly 70,000 tents sheltering displaced people between 6 and 7 November, RaiNews reports.
Why it matters
The two developments point to pressure building on both sides of the conflict. Inside Israel, the mandate opens a path — though not a guaranteed one — to replacing Benjamin Netanyahu's government. In Gaza, the storm has worsened conditions for a population already worn down by years of war, destruction and scarce aid.
A narrow path to a new government
Eisenkot enters the process with backing from 48 Knesset members belonging to four parties in the opposition bloc, RaiNews reports. He also received recommendations from 19 lawmakers from Arab-led parties during the parliamentary consultations held with Herzog. Netanyahu was recommended by 46 members.
Under Israeli law, Eisenkot has 28 days to put together a coalition and may ask the president for a further 14 days. If he fails, Herzog could give the task to another candidate, or at least 61 of the 120 Knesset members could ask the president to assign the mandate to a candidate of their choosing. If those routes also fail, the parliament would be dissolved and new elections held.
Eisenkot's stated plan is a minority government made up of the four parties in his bloc, open to anyone who accepts his four principles: a declaration of independence, the Jewish and democratic character of the State of Israel, condemnation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation, and military service for all.
The Arab party Ra'am will support a government led by Eisenkot even without a coalition agreement, the newspaper Haaretz reported, citing a senior figure in the party, which won eight Knesset seats. According to RaiNews, Ra'am wants to prevent Eisenkot's bloc from having to rely on outside backing from the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi party United Torah Judaism, and aims to see a new government installed as soon as possible even without a solid, guaranteed majority.
The other Arab party, the Joint List, will not vote in favour of such a government but will not work to bring it down either. Both parties intend to cooperate with Eisenkot's bloc to replace the current Knesset speaker, Likud's Amir Ohana, as soon as possible, and to set up a state commission of inquiry into the 7 October attacks.
Avigdor Liberman, leader of the right-wing nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, recently reversed course and opened the door to a government with the ultra-Orthodox — even at the cost of what he called painful compromises on conscription — but firmly rejected relying on external support from Arab parties, RaiNews reports.
Flooded tents and a deepening humanitarian crisis
In Gaza, the Hamas-run government press office put damage from the rains at around $3 million, according to RaiNews. Civil defence teams received about 1,500 calls for help, and water rose 30 to 40 centimetres in several camps. Walls and abandoned homes already damaged by bombardment collapsed, injuring people, though no deaths were directly attributed to the rain.
Accounts from the affected areas describe camps turned into expanses of mud and water mixed with sewage, with soaked mattresses and blankets, families trying to bail out tents with buckets, barefoot children and people sleeping on the ground. Gaza City, Khan Younis, Deir el-Balah and the coastal al-Mawasi area, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are concentrated, were among the worst hit.
Gaza authorities accuse Israel of blocking the entry of shelter materials and equipment. Israel cites the risk of "dual use" — materials that could be converted for military purposes — and accuses Hamas of diverting aid. COGAT, the Israeli agency coordinating aid, said it had stepped up efforts to improve sanitation ahead of the expected rains.
Shelter stocks cover only a fraction of what is needed, and local authorities are asking for about 200,000 tents and heating materials as winter begins.
Regional flashpoints
The same RaiNews report noted other developments in the region. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said two more oil tankers caught fire after striking naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the vessels were trying to sail along unauthorised routes. One incident occurred in the eastern part of the strait and the other inside it. The Guards said both tankers had switched off their navigation and positioning systems to cross prohibited zones; the flags of the ships and any casualties were not specified. A day earlier, a tanker had caught fire and been left immobilised after hitting a mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz.
Witnesses told AFP that Riyadh's financial district was targeted, including an Aramco building that was damaged, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted missiles fired by the Houthis from Yemen. One witness said the Aramco tower in the King Abdullah Financial District was hit and that this was certain; two others confirmed they had seen damage. Powerful explosions were heard in Riyadh after a warning of a hostile air threat, witnesses said.
What to watch: whether Eisenkot can assemble a majority within the legal window, and whether shelter supplies reach Gaza before the next storm.
