Alleged revelations by Israeli secret services could hinder talks about the release of hostages, the court rules

Welcome back to World Brief, where we delve into an alleged case Israeli Intelligence leak, the final section of the US Election season and MoldovaPresidential election results.

Intelligence leak

Authorities are investigating Eliezer Feldstein, a top aide in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, for allegedly leaking classified information to foreign media that may have affected Israel's ability to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli authorities believe around 60 living hostages remain in the enclave, along with the bodies of around 35 others.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we delve into an alleged case Israeli Intelligence leak, the final section of the US Election season and MoldovaPresidential election results.

Intelligence leak

Authorities are investigating Eliezer Feldstein, a top aide in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, for allegedly leaking classified information to foreign media that may have affected Israel's ability to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli authorities believe around 60 living hostages remain in the enclave, along with the bodies of around 35 others.

Information taken and “illegally released” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) may have affected Israel's ability to free the prisoners, according to a gag order that an Israeli court relaxed on Sunday.

The documents published for the first time in Jewish Chronicle and the German newspaper Picture In early September, Hamas outlined a plan to smuggle senior militant leaders and Israeli hostages through the Philadelphia Corridor to Egypt, where they would then be transferred to Iran. The documents also alleged that Hamas attempted to manipulate the Israeli public to delay the negotiations.

However, Israeli opposition lawmakers have condemned the alleged intelligence leak as a ploy by Netanyahu to thwart ceasefire talks. The prime minister's office leaked “falsified secret documents to torpedo the possibility of a hostage deal – to launch an operation to influence public opinion against the families of the hostages,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said. A spokesman for Netanyahu's office downplayed the revelation, saying the possibility that it would have an impact on negotiations was “ridiculous.”

Netanyahu has been accused of repeatedly thwarting potential ceasefire agreements with last-minute demands. Some said an end to the conflict would force the prime minister to call new elections. Netanyahu has rejected these allegations.

But on September 2nd, just a few days before Jewish Chronicle And Picture released the secret documents and a day after an autopsy revealed that six Israeli hostages had recently been shot dead by their captors in a Gaza tunnel, Netanyahu set a new condition for ceasefire talks that stalled peace efforts: Israel's permanent presence in the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent weapons smuggling. Hamas maintains that any permanent ceasefire agreement must include the complete withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the enclave.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Sunday that it had launched a ground attack on Syria “in recent months.” This is the first time in the past year that his troops have operated on Syrian soil. Israeli officials did not specify when the offensive took place; However, they said Israeli forces had captured Ali Soleiman al-Assi, a Syrian national who the IDF said was linked to Iranian networks and who was said to have targeted the Israel-annexed Golan Heights. Syrian authorities have not yet confirmed the announcement.

Most read today

The world this week

Tuesday, November 5th: Presidential elections are taking place in the United States.

Parliamentary elections are taking place in Palau.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni receives NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

French President Emmanuel Macron receives Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz receives Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Wednesday, November 6th: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov begins a two-day trip to Kazakhstan.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen receives French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Friday, November 8th: Hungary is hosting an informal summit with European Union leaders in Budapest.

Indonesia and Russia conclude five-day joint naval exercises.

Sunday, November 10th: Parliamentary elections are taking place in Mauritius.

Monday, November 11th: The United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Azerbaijan.

What we pursue

Campaign stops. US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are using the last hours of campaigning before Election Day on Tuesday.

Harris spent much of her time this weekend in Michigan, a swing state with a large Arab-American population. In her commencement speech Sunday at Michigan State University, she pledged to end the war in Gaza and be a “president for all Americans.” She also made a surprise appearance at Saturday Night Live along with comedian (and Harris impersonator) Maya Rudolph to tell voters to “keep calm and carry on.”

Meanwhile, Trump flew to Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia this weekend, where he denounced baseless election fraud claims, suggested he wouldn't mind if an assassin shot reporters trying to get to him and pushed back against accusations of misogyny defended himself, although he chuckled when one of his rally attendees made a crude joke (incorrectly) and implied that Harris was a prostitute.

For more up-to-date analysis and expert commentary, follow FP's live coverage.

Pro-Western victory. Incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu won re-election on Sunday with around 54 percent of the vote, the country's electoral commission confirmed on Monday. The pro-Western leader's success stands in direct contradiction to alleged pro-Russian efforts to draw the Eastern European nation closer into Moscow's sphere of influence. Opposition candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo called for stronger ties to the Kremlin in order to better protect the country's security.

Sandu's victory also follows the narrow outcome of a referendum that will enshrine future EU membership in the country's constitution. Sandu has accused Russia of foreign election interference, but Moscow has rejected such claims.

“It requires a rare strength to overcome the challenges you faced in this election,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, referring to the allegations of interference.

Deadly outbreaks. A series of volcanic eruptions on the Indonesian island of Flores killed at least ten people on Sunday, authorities said on Monday. Smoke rising from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki rose to nearly 885 feet and the eruption triggered more than a dozen earthquakes. Around 10,000 people in ten Indonesian villages were affected.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted 43 times since late October, in what the head of Indonesia's geological agency described as a “significant increase” in activity. The country's volcano alert status remains at the highest level as experts expect more earthquakes.

knick-knacks

Anyone who wants to toss coins into Rome's famous Trevi Fountain will have to settle for throwing them into a makeshift wooden pool instead. As the 18th-century fountain undergoes maintenance, local officials encourage tourists to be patient and drop their money into an unadorned plywood box. According to legend, the thrower is supposed to return to the Eternal City by tossing a coin into the waters of the baroque landmark. But according to a recent traveler, some tourists don't trust the temporary pool facility and instead waste their money on the site's fencing.