Widespread coverage continues of Operation Protective Edge. Israel’s continuing air offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has destroyed significant Hamas infrastructure but also resulted in civilian casualties, is the focus of reports in the Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Times, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Sun, Evening Standard and Metro. However, several titles emphasise the measures Israel takes to avoid civilian casualties, including advance phone calls and warning fire before an air strike. The Times and Evening Standard both note that Israel has acknowledged a tragic mistake in which an air strike targeting a Hamas commander killed seven civilians in Khan Younis. The Independent i includes an eye-witness account of the situation in Gaza from a local resident.

The Guardian includes a report on the rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, which targeted Jerusalem and Tel Aviv yesterday, but says that everyday life in Tel Aviv continues defiantly. A separate item covers comments by United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said that the region cannot afford an all-out war. The Telegraph focuses on US Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments, in which he said “no country” can tolerate the kind of rocket fire Israel is experiencing.

BICOM Senior Visiting Fellow Mike Herzog writes in the Guardian that Operation Protective Edge is a necessary measure by Israel, given the flow of Gaza rocket fire. He says that Hamas is acting out of desperation and that a long-term solution would be for moderate Palestinians to assume real control of the Gaza Strip.

In further commentary, Michael Burleigh in the Daily Mail says that the conflict is escalating but that both sides know it is “in their interests not to let it spiral out of control.” Shashank Joshi says in the Telegraph that both sides could be heading into a deepening conflict that neither really wants, as there is no obvious mediator between them. The Financial Times says that while Egypt has previously brokered ceasefires between Israel and Hamas, new Egyptian President al-Sisi is taking a “hands off” approach as he is not so eager to spare Hamas from suffering material damage. The online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph say that US President Obama has offered to act as a mediator.

In other regional news, the Telegraph online reports that John Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will both travel to Vienna at the weekend to join talks between the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme, although no significant progress has yet been made in the negotiations. The Times says that Iran is sending senior military and intelligence figures to Iraq in order to help the Baghdad government tackle ISIS.

In the Israeli media, Operation Protective Edge is once again the full focus of coverage. Israel Hayom leads by quoting IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who said “We’ll attack, defend, keep going.” Meanwhile, the top story in both Maariv and Haaretz deals with the possibility of an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza. Israel Radio news reports that Gaza rocket fire has continued on parts of southern and central Israel this morning. It also reports that at least one rocket was fired from Lebanon into the Upper Galilee region. There were no injuries or damage reported.

In commentary considering Israel’s next steps, Yediot Ahronot’s Alex Fishman says that an increase in air strikes could bring about greater civilian casualties, which would likely see an increase in international pressure for a ceasefire. Writing in Israel Hayom, Yoav Limor quotes a high-ranking Israeli military officer, who said that so far “There is a huge gap between us and Hamas.  On our side there are cumulative achievements, and on their side—cumulative failures,” with rocket fire, tunnels and attempted infiltrations by sea having failed to deliver any real results for Hamas.