Sky News and The BBC cover our main story on Netanyahu’s successful government formation, with the BBC detailing his assurances to domestic and international critics that the presence of far-right coalition partners will not lead to a dramatic roll-back of civil rights. “I’ll have two hands firmly on the steering wheel,” it quotes him saying to American media: “I won’t let anybody do anything to LGBT or to deny our Arab citizens their rights or anything like that, it just won’t happen. And the test of time will prove that.” The BBC‘s Newshour yesterday included an interview with BICOM Director Richard Pater discussing the composition and agenda of the incoming government [from 37.07].

The Independent covers Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din’s recent report alleging that only 1% of complaints made against Israeli soldiers result in an indictment. Citing 1,260 cases of alleged offences by Israeli soldiers, the report concludes that 248 (21.4%) were investigated by military authorities. A Yesh Din representative is quoted saying that such numbers “demonstrate the military law enforcement system’s complete disregard for Palestinians’ lives (and) precludes any possibility of deterrence.”

Reuters details the complaints of some Palestinian Christians in Gaza denied travel permits by Israeli authorities over the festive season. It cites COGAT figures showing 600 travel permits approved by the civilian authority for Gaza’s approximately 1,000 Christians, alongside quotes from human rights groups objecting to refusals given to travel requests by others.

Reuters reports yesterday’s clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters in the West Bank city of Nablus. “The Israeli military said that its forces were securing the entrance of Israelis to Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus when Palestinians hurled explosive devices and fired at them.” Soldiers returned fire, causing the death of Ahmad Daraghmeh, claimed by Hamas as a member of its West Bank organisation.

Reuters covers Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s announcement that the South American state is to open an embassy in the West Bank. “I am taking a risk (saying) this… we are going to raise our official representation in Palestine from having a charge d’affaires; now we are going to open an embassy.”

There is wide Israeli media coverage of Mossad chief David Barnea’s remarks on Iran, delivered during a ceremony in Jerusalem honouring security personnel. In wide-ranging comments describing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, regional terror sponsorship, and domestic repression, Barnea also alleged that Iran was planning to add “advanced nuclear weapons” to the drones and ballistic missiles with which it is supplying Russia for use in its war with Ukraine. Yesterday also saw a virtual meeting held between Israel’s National Security Advisor Dr. Eyal Hulata and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan, addressing the proliferation of Iranian weapons to the Ukrainian theatre. Coverage also details yesterday’s announcement from Iranian state news agency IRNA that four alleged “operational Israeli Mossad spy teams” had been arrested as part of the Islamic Republic’s crackdown on domestic protest.

Haaretz, meanwhile, discusses Israeli revelations that the technology used by Iran for its space missile programme could also be put to work to make ballistic missiles and to expand the range of its conventional weapons. Both rockets developed for launching satellites – the Zoljanah and the QAEM-100 – possess the potential to fulfil Iran’s ambition of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a half-tonne warhead a distance of 4,000 kilometres.

On the front page of Yediot Ahronot, Nahum Barnea speculates on Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to secure an accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia. “Since the elections”, writes Barnea, “Netanyahu has been holding talks under the radar on the Riyadh-Washington-Jerusalem triangle… With all due respect to Abu Dhabi, the real prize, the holy grail, is Riyadh.” Barnea also notes that the appetite for an accord is growing in Saudi Arabia, and that “Netanyahu is proposing a normalisation agreement that contains no Israeli commitment to making progress on the Palestinian issue. He does commit not to annex the territories throughout his term as prime minister and beyond. A similar commitment was extracted from him by the Americans during the work on the Abraham Accords… In everything pertaining to the Palestinian issue, MBS appears to be willing to make do with such a commitment.”

Maariv reports last night’s suspected ramming attack in the Israeli town of Kafr Kassem. Two police officers sustained light injuries when local resident Naim Mahmoud Badir lured them to his location before driving towards them. Badir was killed, a knife found in his car, and the building from which he had emerged discovered to contain a makeshift firearm, ammunition, and firebombs. Several members of Badir’s family have been arrested, and Police Central District Commander Maj. Gen. Avi Biton indicated that the nature of the attack suggested advanced planning.

Army Radio discloses the IDF’s overnight arrest of ten Palestinian suspects in the West Bank. Forces were met with rocks and firebombs and responded with riot control methods. No injuries were reported.

Kan Radio covers the killing last night of 41-year-old Umm el-Fahm resident Samer Agbariya by unknown gunmen at the Kafr Kara junction. Agbariya had no criminal record and the local municipality responded with a statement criticising the Israeli police for allegedly failing to stem the crime wave in Israeli-Arab society. “Arab society is bleeding,” local authorities said: “crime after crime, and the murderers face no deterrence.” Maariv alleges that the police are looking into the possible involvement of Hariri and Bekri crime organisations, and potential links between the shooting of Agbariya and another fatal attack in Haifa yesterday afternoon.

Ynet discusses EU anger at the use of its funds in the preparation of Palestinian school textbooks promoting incitement to violence and antisemitism. As part of a wider adopted resolution aimed at strengthening the prospects for a two-state solution, the organisation threatened the suspension of funding if the issue was not addressed by Palestinian officials. Both the PA and Hamas rejected the criticisms.

Israel Hayom reports on a Texas lawsuit in which the plaintiffs, who include the family of Taylor Force, a West Point graduate murdered by a Palestinian terrorist while visiting Israel in 2016, are suing the Biden Administration over US funding of the PA. The suit alleges that by providing Ramallah with American money, US taxpayers are implicated in a so-called “pay-for-slay” policy which sees the PA provide the families of terrorists with cash.

Haaretz reports yesterday’s sentencing of former science and technology minister Eliezer “Modi” Zandberg to seven months community service. Zandberg was also given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay a 50,000-shekel (£11,853) fine for his involvement in the so-called “Submarine Affair”. His trial was part of Case 3000, alleging corruption in two deals between Israel and German firm ThyssenKrupp – a 1.5-billion-euro (£1.31 billion) purchase of three submarines and a 430-million-euro (£378 million) deal for missile boats to protect Israel’s offshore natural gas rigs.

Ynet discusses the Jewish Agency’s announcement that 2022 saw the highest aliyah numbers for 23 years. 70,000 new immigrants from 95 countries arrived in the country, up from an estimated 28,600 in 2021. The majority of new arrivals (37,364 and 14,680 respectively) were from Russia and Ukraine.