The Guardian online includes a feature on Hamas rebuilding its’ extensive underground tunnel network, which it intends to use to attack Israeli civilian or military targets in a future conflict. The tunnels were a major feature of Operation Protective Edge in summer 2014, providing Hamas leaders with cover and serving as launching pads for attacks. Although Israel destroyed at least 30 tunnels during the conflict, as the article notes Hamas has admitted to rebuilding the tunnel system. The article also reports that residents within Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip are fearful that they will become the targets of tunnel attacks and claim to have heard digging underneath their properties.

The Financial Times includes a feature on Israel’s growing relations with African states. Kenya’s leader visited Israel last month and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit four east African countries in July. The article says that Israel is trying to build a “wall of friendly countries” on the continent, where many want to boost economic relations and share the threat of Islamist terror.

The Independent online reports that Israeli transgender teen Aiden Katri has been jailed for a week for refusing to be drafted to the Israeli army. All 18-year-olds are required by law to serve in the military (with some exceptions for cultural, religious or medical reasons), but Katri has refused on ideological grounds.

The Independent i notes that Palestinians yesterday marked the fortieth anniversary of “Land Day,” which commemorates a protest in 1976 by Israeli Arabs, in which several people were killed. They had been demonstrating against the confiscation of property.

The Independent i and the online edition of the Daily Mail both report that US Senator Patrick Leahy and ten members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking him to investigate allegations of “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli forces of wounded Palestinian terrorists who had been subdued when killed. In near-daily attacks by Palestinians, at least 31 Israelis have been killed since October. The Daily Mail online also reports that the IDF Chief of Staff is sending a special letter to troops, to reiterate the rules of engagement and underscore the Israeli army’s code of ethics.

The online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph both report that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has said that Iran’s ballistic missile programme will continue. The UK, US, France and Germany sent a joint letter this week to the United Nations (UN) to urge action on recent Iranian missile tests which violate UN Security Council resolutions. However, Khamenei said that negotiations and missile development must go side by side.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom, Maariv and Haaretz is the announcement yesterday that leader of the opposition, Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog is under investigation over allegations of corruption, relating to campaign financing during the 2013 Labour Party leadership contest. The news comes a day after it was announced that Shas leader, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri is also being investigated for corruption in an unrelated case. Deri was imprisoned in 2000 for corruption during his time as Interior Minister during the 1990s. Maariv leads with the headline “Trouble at the top,” while Israel Hayom declares “Double trouble.” Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Nahum Barnea says that Herzog’s position within his own party will be impacted, but that Deri has the luxury of no serious internal rivals.

Israel Radio news reports that Israeli security forces last night destroyed the house of a Palestinian terrorist in Hebron, who stabbed and murdered 41-year-old Gennady Kaufman at the end of last year. The terrorist was shot and killed as he carried out the stabbing. However, Israeli authorities believe that house demolitions act as a deterrent to future would-be terrorists.

Israel Hayom and Israel Radio news both report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to US Senator Patrick Leahy’s concerns over the actions of Israeli soldiers, saying that Israeli servicemen are not murderers and are simply protecting civilians from those who wish to kill them and do harm.