BBC News reports that 65 Israeli Arabs have been arrested over illegal arms deals, in what has described as the biggest operation of its kind. The majority of the suspects were from northern Israel, while some were from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The arrests come amid promises by the Israeli government to tackle crime in the Arab community. According to a non-governmental group, at least 106 Israeli Arabs, including women and children, have been killed over the last deal because of deadly violence.

The Financial Times reports that several human rights groups operating in the West Bank have said that their phones were infected by the Israeli NSO Group’s spyware. A French and US citizen are among some of the activists. A Dublin human rights-based group discovered the hacks in mid-October and The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab confirmed the hacks as well. According to the paper, this is the first known instance of the spyware being found on the phone of Palestinian activists.

The Independent reports on how oil has polluted northern Syria and created a toxic wasteland causing environmental problems. The paper notes: “Gases, including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, by-products of oil production and refining, are burned or released into the atmosphere. All of this has been made worse by an unprecedented drought in Syria this year, leading to a dire shortage of water to dilute and flush the pollution downriver.”

The Guardian publishes a series of photographs titled “Killing us slowly,” documenting how drought and damns in Syria have impacted water access for close to half a million people.

Reuters reports that Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE’s Foreign Minister, led a senior delegation of Emirati official to Syria this week. The Emirati delegation met with President Bashar al-Assad yesterday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is the most senior figure to visit Syria in over a decade following the civil war, during which time several US-allied Arab states backed the insurgent against Assad. The visit is a sign of improving ties between Arab countries and Syria, a move the US has called concerning. The Biden administration has insisted that progress towards a political solution must begin before any normalisation with the Assad regime or rehabilitation of the country.

The New Statesman publishes an interview with Richard Ratcliffe on why he is on a hunger strike over the continued imprisonment of his wife by Iranian authorities.

The Independent reports that following the assassination attempt on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iran’s Quds force commander made a surprise visit to Baghdad. There is growing scrutiny that Iranian-backed militias were responsible for the assassination attempt. The Prime Minister said: “We will pursue those who committed the crime. We know them well and we will reveal their identities.”

The Guardian reports that a pregnant journalist was killed in a car bombing in Yemen’s port city of Aden. Rasha Abdullah Al Harazi was a Gulf based journalist. Her husband, who was also in the car, was injured.

All the papers report that Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, was evacuated under heavy security after an event at the London School of Economics on Tuesday evening amid a large protest by pro-Palestinian activists against her presence. Video from the scene showed security guards rushing Hotovely, who was clutching a bouquet of flowers, into a vehicle, while others tried to fend off a group of jeering activists, who chanted, “Aren’t you ashamed?” An Instagram account called “LSE Class War” posted ahead of the event: “Whoever smashes the Ambassador [sic] car window…gets pints. Let’s fuckin frighten her.” Ambassador Hotovely was invited by the university’s student union to take part in a debate forum. Secretary of State for Education Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: “This is deeply disturbing, I am so sorry Ambassador Hotovely.” Army Radio reports that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid spoke to Hotovely following the attack and told her that Israel’s ambassadors are the spearheads of the campaign to fight de-legitimization of Israel and anti-Semitism.

In the Israeli media, Yediot Ahronot reports on King Abdullah II’s meeting yesterday with United Arab List Chairman MK Mansour Abbas at the royal palace in Amman. It lasted four hours, in the course of which the two men discussed three main issues: ways to advance negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the two-state solution; Muslim worship on the Temple Mount, which is under Jordanian auspices; and the difficulties that thousands of Arab Israeli students who attend universities in Amman have encountered trying to move between the two countries during the coronavirus crisis. A senior Jordanian government official told Yediot: “Our conclusion from the meeting is that there is good coordination between the palace and Bennett’s office, which didn’t exist during Netanyahu’s term.” The official went on to say that the fact that the King met with Abbas had somewhat dulled the lustre of Abbas’s political rivals from the Joint List, MKs Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi. “It is very important to note that the king chose to invite Abbas specifically, after he recognised his special status and influence over a range of issues. Our assessment is that thanks to Abbas’s unique behaviour, he has come to influence parts of the Jewish public in Israel. We too consider him to be an exceptional politician.”

Channel 12 News takes a different angle on the meeting between King Abdullah and Abbas. “Officials in Jordan, like many other countries around the world, were intrigued by UAL’s historic decision [to become the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition], and wanted to become better acquainted [with the party leader, Abbas]. Some factions of the Muslim Brotherhood—with which the United Arab List is also affiliated — are outlawed by Jordan, and Jordanian officials wanted to learn more about where the UAL fits in on the matrix.” The article quotes Abbas, who said: “I’ve remained [firm] in my position. I went into the elections with a goal of taking care of the Arab population—and I’m sticking to that. Any political contact [i.e. any discussions about matters of state], and there have been many, was coordinated with the prime minister and the foreign minister. I won’t use the international arena to bash Israel, and I’m not interested in setting myself apart or playing any role.”

Kan Radio reports that the Health Ministry’s Vaccination Committee and Pandemic Response Team will meet this evening to finalise plans to vaccinate children aged 5-12. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz recommended holding the deliberations behind closed doors because healthcare professionals are concerned about threats stemming from airing their recommendations to the committee. The committee is expected to recommend launching the campaign this evening, and Health Ministry Director General Prof. Nachman Ash is expected to make a final decision on the matter next week.

Maariv writes that Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, representatives of the National Security Council and other security officials met yesterday to discuss bringing the last members of the Beta Israel Jewish community in Ethiopia to Israel. Minister Tamano-Shata spoke about the gravity of the situation in Ethiopia and demanded that the state expedite its efforts to bring all 8,000 people to Israel in response to the deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia as a result of the civil war there. However, the National Security Council’s assessment is that the security situation in Ethiopia currently does not mandate airlifting them to Israel at present. Minister Tamano-Shata disagreed with the National Security Council’s position, and demanded that a solution be found for the Jews in Ethiopia whose lives are in danger. A decision was made at the meeting yesterday to expedite bringing thousands of Jews to Israel, and security officials were asked to draft plans for a possible deterioration in the security situation in Ethiopia.