The Guardian online covers reports that a leading Hezbollah commander, Mustafa Badreddine, has been killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this week. Hezbollah announced the death of Badreddine, thought to be a veteran terrorist and senior figure in the organisation. There has been no confirmation over how Badreddine died, although there were reports in the Arabic media earlier this week that Israel struck a Hezbollah arms convoy near the Syria-Lebanon border. Israeli leaders recently admitted for the first time that air strikes have been carried out during the Syrian Civil War to prevent Hezbollah from receiving advanced weaponry, which could be used against Israel.

Writing in the Daily Express, Frederick Forsyth notes that 1.2 million Israeli citizens are in fact Palestinians who chose to remain part of Israel at the country’s establishment in 1948. He says that their existence is “hard to explain away” for those who criticise Israel, especially as they enjoy “more civil rights… than anywhere within a 1,000 mile radius” and play a full and equal role in Israel’s political and judicial institutions.

In the Guardian, Giles Fraser provides an historical profile of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Judaism, explaining opposition towards Zionism and the State of Israel among some haredi groups, who believe it usurps God’s divine plan for the Jewish people. Fraser’s piece is something of a response to Chief Rabbi Mirvis’ recent article which said that Zionism cannot be separated from Jewish religious identity.

The Telegraph online reports that in Syria, President Assad’s forces prevented an aid convoy from reaching the stricken Damascus suburb of Daraya and then shelled the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, according to the Independent online, an elected female parliamentarian in Iran has been prevented from taking office by a judicial body, following pictures which emerged of her without a headscarf while abroad.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Haaretz is Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog’s first public response yesterday to speculation that his party will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. He said, “No fitting offer has been made to us up until this moment. If there is a fitting offer, we will consider it seriously,” but that “I have no interest in being in the government unless I can hold the steering wheel,” including progress on peace. However, leading Zionist Union MKs including Erel Margalit, Stav Shaffir and Shelly Yachimovich have all publicly opposed joining the government. Meanwhile, Hatnuah head Tzipi Livni has indicated that her faction within the Zionist Union, which comprises five MKs would also oppose such a move.

Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon says that even Herzog, who is widely considered to be a trustworthy politician, “when it comes to the question of his personal survival, he displays the same contortionist-style flexibility that other politicians display when this issue is at stake.”

However, the top story in Israel Hayom, which is also a major focus in Maariv, is yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations, which saw Israelis fill the country’s national parks and beaches to participate in traditional barbeques. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force conducted its annual fly-past of the country’s major cities.

Israel Radio news this morning reports the announcement by Hezbollah that senior commander Mustafa Badreddine has been killed in Syria. Badreddine was apparently appointed to succeed arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated in Syria eight years ago. There has been no response by Israel to Badreddine’s death.