The Times reports that “tempers, and hemlines, ran high” outside the Knesset yesterday, as dozens of parliamentary aides arrived wearing short skirts in solidarity with two female aides to members of the Knesset who were denied entry to the parliament building for wearing what officials regarded as “short” dresses earlier this week. Zionist Union MK Manuel Trajtenberg, also one of Israel’s leading economists, stripped down to his undershirt in solidarity at yesterday’s protest. The Knesset recently reiterated its dress code and indicated that it would be more tightly enforced.

The Financial Times includes a feature on what it calls the “Sabbath wars” in Jerusalem, which it says are “heating up” between the city’s ultra-Orthodox community and secular residents. The article says that disagreements over what is permissible on the Jewish Sabbath cover “issues ranging from weekend railway engineering works to Saturday football games,” with ultra-Orthodox pressure for a total closure of business, while secular Israelis advocate for a range of weekend activities.

In Syria, the Times reports that a ceasefire in Aleppo, brokered by Russia and Turkey, which would have allowed residents to leave the war-torn city, was scuppered by Iranian-backed Shia militias, who insisted that extra demands must be met. The Evening Standard says that fresh attacks by Hezbollah and Iranian forces began in Aleppo this morning.

The Guardian calls the discord over the Aleppo ceasefire, the “first real divergence between Tehran and Moscow” in Syria. Writing in the Times, Richard Spencer explains that Iran has suffered significant losses fighting in Syria and “will not let Russia take centre stage”. A Times editorial concludes that “Iran must not emerge as the victor” in Syria, with Tehran “well on its way to completing a Shia crescent” in the region, from Iraq to Lebanon. The editorial calls for “stiff sanctions” to be “enforced against anyone linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards”.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Haaretz is the news that Iranian-backed militia have prevented a ceasefire from taking hold in Aleppo, which would have allowed some of the city’s remaining residents to flee the violence. Israel Hayom also focuses on Aleppo and covers comments made by Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, who apparently bragged that war is like a computer game.

The top story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom, is the resignation of the IDF’s Director of Human Resources Branch, Maj. Gen. Hagai Topolansky, after a military laptop was stolen from his home. There appears to be no suggestion that the laptop was specifically targeted by burglars, who robbed other houses in the neighbourhood, but the Military Police are investigating whether Topolansky took the necessary measures to keep the computer safe at home, as required. Israel Radio news reports that IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot said that he accepted Topolansky’s resignation with a heavy heart.

Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom cover the news that residents of the West Bank outpost of Amona, have rejected a proposal put together by government officials and settler movement leaders, to re-house them nearby. A court order mandates that Amona be evacuated within the next ten days, as it is built illegally on private Palestinian land. A major objection from the residents towards the proposal is that it is subject to court approval and therefore does not constitute any kind of guarantee. Israel Radio news says that the residents’ decision means that a forcible eviction in the coming days appears to be the next step.

Israel Radio news also covers the National Insurance Institute’s annual poverty report, which indicates that 21.7 per cent of Israel’s citizens live beneath the poverty line, a total of 1,712,900 people. The report says that this makes Israel the poorest country in the OECD and with the greatest inequality.