BBC News, The Independent, The Guardian,  Sky News, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Sun and The Standard all report on Britain’s decision to halt some arms sales to Israel. The Financial Times reports on Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis attacking the decision. BBC News and The Times report that this is the third decision in two months that the new Government had taken against Israel.

Sky News publishes a piece arguing that: “if David Lammy’s arms ban was designed to ‘satisfy’ or ‘appease’ the Labour left or was ‘the result of pressure’ from ‘pro-Gaza protests’, it hasn’t worked.” The Times’s Leading Article describes the move as ‘cynical’ and ‘performative’.

The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Times and Sky News cover PM Netanyahu’s speech last night, where he outlines his beliefs on what Israel should keep control over in any deal scenario to avoid Hamas regaining power. BBC News focuses on Netanyahu ‘apologising’ to hostage families during the speech.

BBC News, Sky News, The Guardian, The Independent and The Financial Times report on the General Strike held yesterday (Monday) in Israel. BBC News and The Guardian also report on the protests countrywide.

BBC News publishes an article on the state of protest in Israel, saying that protesters, hostage families and the opposition are at ‘breaking point’ after the murder of 6 hostages by Hamas.

BBC News and The Telegraph report on President Biden accusing PM Netanyahu of ‘not doing enough’ to seal a deal and bring hostages home. The Independent reports that the family of a murdered hostage, Carmel Gat, have ‘begged’ Netanyahu to bring hostages home.

BBC News reports on Israeli Settlers in the West Bank, and how they are expanding settlements under PM Netanyahu’s government.

Jake Wallis Simons writes for The Telegraph, arguing that Israel is held to a different standard than other countries in warfare.

Charles Moore in The Telegraph writes: “One does not have to be a fan of Mr Netanyahu to see how unfair it is to stigmatise him as the obstacle to peace in Gaza”.

All the Israeli media cover Prime Minister Netanyahu’s press conference last night where he reiterated that the IDF would not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor because it is Hamas’s “oxygen line.” Netanyahu said Israel is in an existential war against Iran, which wants to annihilate us. Netanyahu also addressed the six families whose loved ones were murdered by Hamas while in captivity. Netanyahu said, “I ask your forgiveness that we failed to get them back alive. We were close, but we didn’t succeed. And I reiterate: Israel won’t go about business as usual after that massacre. Hamas will pay a very high price for that.” Netanyahu also said, “We set four objectives: destroying Hamas; getting all our hostages back; guaranteeing Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and bringing our residents along the northern border back home.”

Kan Radio also included the reaction from the Leader of the Opposition Lapid who accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of trying to “disavow his responsibility for the worst failure in Israeli history.” Lapid added, “What we heard this evening from Netanyahu is a groundless political spin… What Netanyahu said about the Philadelphi Corridor bears no connection  to reality. There isn’t a single professional who buys that spin. Everything that he described today is his own failure and his own debacle. It isn’t the Philadelphi Corridor that truly worries him but the Ben Gvir-Smotrich …That is only his latest trick to prevent his coalition from falling apart. This is politics and politics only.”

All the media cover the funerals of the recently murdered hostages. Yediot Ahronot reported that thousands of people gathered in Jerusalem to pay their final respects to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was abducted and murdered in captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Goldberg-Polin was laid to rest at the Har HaMenuchot cemetery in Givat Shaul, with Israeli President Herzog delivering a eulogy at the family’s invitation. Many citizens lined the funeral procession route with Israeli flags, while members of Hapoel Jerusalem, the basketball team Goldberg-Polin passionately supported, attended the service wearing red shirts emblazoned with the word “Sorry.”

In his eulogy, President Herzog expressed profound regret, “I ask for forgiveness—from you, Carmel, Uri, Eden, Almog, and Alex. I ask for forgiveness on behalf of the State of Israel. We failed to protect you in the horrific events of October 7. We failed to bring you home safely.” Herzog continued, “Hersh, your unique light touched all of us from the first moment, even through the posters pleading for your return. Most of us never had the privilege of knowing you in life, but for the past eleven months, you have lived within us. Michal and I met with your parents and family many times over the past year and were honoured to know people of exceptional character and to learn an unforgettable lesson—from them—about the boundless love of a mother and father.”

Haaretz reports on the ongoing protest, that for the third straight day, tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in cities across the country demanding a cease-fire and hostage deal. In Tel Aviv, thousands of protesters gathered near the Defence Ministry headquarters. A number of speakers made statements, including Danny Elgarat, the brother of the hostage Itzik Elgartat, who said, “We are not stopping this fight, and this square will always be full of people. … Bibi says that he who kills hostages doesn’t want a deal – Bibi? You don’t want a deal! You want to turn the Philadelphi corridor into a mass grave. We won’t let you do that!” After a number of speeches, protesters began marching towards the Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv, despite police attempts to block roads around the area. Kan Radio News also noted that thousands of people also demonstrated in Jerusalem. Hundreds of them clashed with the police outside the prime minister’s private residence on Azza Street. The police arrested 15 people for allegedly disturbing the peace.

Ynet covers the latest IDF announcement that the Israeli Air Force struck a compound where Hamas terrorists were operating in Gaza City. According to the IDF “Eight Hamas terrorists from the Daraj Tuffah Battalion were eliminated during the strike, including Ahmed Fozi Nazer Muhammad Wadia, the commander of the Nukhba Company in the Daraj Tuffah Battalion and a member of Hamas’ paragliding unit. On October 7th, Wadia invaded the community of Netiv HaAsara using a paraglider and took command of the massacre of civilians carried out by Hamas terrorists in the community.” The statement further noted, “Wadia is the terrorist who drank cola inside the Taasa family home in view of Gil Taasa’s children, who had survived the massacre after terrorists murdered their father on October 7th….Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”

Israel Hayom prominently highlights the ongoing security threat from the West Bank, according to the paper, “The IDF is operating under the definition of Judea and Samaria as a secondary theatre, second in line after Gaza. Notably, this is currently only a preliminary change in the guidelines; significant changes on the ground will take time. Meanwhile, a series of operations are expected soon across Judea and Samaria. “The operation in Jenin is not the end of the story,” said defence officials. Last week, Operation Summer Camps was launched in northern Samaria. It is the longest IDF operation in the West Bank since Operation Defensive Shield, in which two brigade combat teams are operating in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps. The operation is expected to continue in the near future.” The paper also notes, the “Palestinian Authority security forces have been cooperating meaningfully with Israel, including on Sunday’s terror attack, not because they love Israel but out of their own interests. A military operation could accidentally lead to a more wide-scale escalation. Israel does not want this.”

In the commentary, Ben Caspit in Maariv writes, “Netanyahu incriminated himself yesterday on live television. He explained at great length how he knew, even before disengagement (which he supported), that Israel must not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor. That the Philadelphi Corridor is the mother of all sins….If you knew all that, Mr. Netanyahu, why did you wait for Hamas to murder 1,700 Israelis, conquer communities, overrun bases and burn the Gaza periphery before you decided to take action? Why, instead of seizing the Philadelphi Corridor in 2009, did you grant Hamas immunity and persuade Qatar to give Sinwar 30 million dollars in cash every month?” He focused on other assertions that Netanyahu made yesterday. “Surprisingly, he repeated that “we discovered that we are in an existential war against Iran.” You’ve only discovered that now, Bibi? You’ve been giving speeches about that for 20 years. You haven’t stopped droning on about that issue on land, at sea or in the air. Iran, Iran and more Iran. But now you’ve discovered the threat. Now, after the disaster. Not before. Netanyahu said yesterday, “The moment we left there (the Philadelphi Corridor), no obstacle remained to prevent a massive influx of arms and weapons and arms-production machinery… Gaza became a huge threat to the State of Israel… I said that if Israel were to concede control over Philadelphi, Gaza would become a terrorist enclave.” According to Caspit, “That, of course, is a gross lie. Gaza was a threat even before we left the Philadelphi Corridor. We have been fighting terrorism out of Gaza since before the State of Israel was established.” Caspit concludes, “You want unity? There is a simple way to achieve that: Reach an agreed date for elections, form a state commission of inquiry and calm the Israeli public.”