The Guardian online reports that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a keynote address yesterday at a Tel Aviv think tank, that Israel supports Kurdish independence from Iraq. His comments were made as part of a wider address on regional instability in the wake of the military gains made by the Sunni Jihadist group ISIS. Netanyahu also said that Israel must maintain a military presence in the West Bank to guard against such threats, but that this does not preclude a potential peace agreement with the Palestinians. The Times also notes Netanyahu’s comments on Kurdish independence in a wider piece which says that the Iraqi army’s counter-offensive against ISIS in Tikrit is struggling, as reported by the Independent online too.

The Times includes a report on potential support for ISIS in Jordan, especially in the southern city of Ma’an, where unemployment and a sense of disenfranchisement have helped prompt pro-ISIS rallies. The Times and the online editions of the Guardian, Independent, Telegraph and Financial Times all report that ISIS announced yesterday that it has established a Muslim ‘caliphate’ in Syria and Iraq, in what all reports say will be a major challenge to al-Qaeda’s leadership of Jihadist Islam. Meanwhile, the Times online says that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has vowed to crush ISIS, which he described as a “handful of terrorists.” The online editions of the Times and Telegraph say that ISIS recently carried out at least eight crucifixions in Syria.

Both the Times and Telegraph report comments made by Prime Minister Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting yesterday, at which he addressed the ongoing rocket fire from the Gaza Strip aimed at southern Israeli communities. He suggested that Israeli forces could expand their operations to stop the rockets.

Meanwhile, the Independent and i both note that Israeli police yesterday arrested hundreds of African migrants who had left a detention centre in southern Israel and walked towards the Egyptian border in protest at their continued detention.

The Times includes a report on the growing number of French Jews who are leaving France to live in Israel, due to the growing number of anti-Semitic attacks in France, including a number of violent incidents.

In the Israeli media, a mass rally in central Tel Aviv yesterday evening in support of the three youngsters kidnapped over two weeks ago in the West Bank is the top item. Well-known Israeli singers performed and the families of the abducted teenagers as well as President-elect Reuven Rivlin addressed the crowd of around 85,000 people. Yediot Ahronot’s headline calls it a “rally of love” while it is also the top story in Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom.

The Israeli media also widely reported on Netanyahu’s remarks on the region, included the idea that Israel will need to maintain a security presence in the West Bank “for a very long time” to guard against the threat from the country’s east. However, he said this could be done in coordination with Palestinian forces. The speech is a leading item in Maariv.

Israel Radio news highlights a decision taken yesterday by the cabinet to approve a £51 million budget to improve socio-economic conditions in East Jerusalem, which is largely comprised of Arab neighbourhoods. The money will reportedly go towards improving infrastructure, education and security.