The Guardian, BBC News Online and the Mail Online report on the IDF’s destruction of a tunnel from Gaza. During the operation seven Palestinians, including an Islamic Jihad commander and two members of Hamas were killed. Islamic Jihad has put its fighters on high-alert after the incident.

The Guardian and the Mail Online report Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday. Turnbull said that the relationship between Australia and Israel has never been more profound and pledged greater cooperation on cyber security. Iran was also discussed at length with Turnbull reiterating Australia’s position that the nuclear deal should be maintained.

The Guardian reports statements by Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry that urge the UK government to recognise Palestine.

The Times reports statements by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani that Saudi Arabia wants to “topple” him, and that he fears that the Gulf crisis could escalate to armed conflict.

All the Israeli media focus on the tunnel destroyed by the IDF inside Israeli territory yesterday with Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom focusing on the fear of escalation. Many Israeli analysts argue that the demolition was significant and could lead to escalation, but neither Israel nor Hamas are interested in such escalation.

In Yedioth Ahronoth, Yossi Yehoshua argues that the tunnel’s demolition should be considered an impressive success for the IDF “from three aspects: from the intelligence aspect, since the IDF knew about the tunnel and knew when it would cross the border; from the technological aspect, since this is the first time that advanced technology to locate tunnels has proven itself on a very precise level; and from the operational aspect, since the IDF succeeded in destroying the tunnel deep underground.” Also in Yediot Ahronot Alex Fishman warns that “Yesterday’s incident was…the most dramatic since the summer of 2014, and it puts the cease-fire agreement to its most serious test so far” In Maariv Yossi Melman writes that “neither side wants – as of now – a fourth round of warfare”. Israel wishes to avoid a fresh conflict as it wants to maintain the quiet in southern Israel; enabling its economic prosperity to continue to grow while avoiding casualties. Hamas, because it continues to be isolated diplomatically and desires sponsorship and aid from Egypt and Iran. Additionally Hamas is currently in the process of reconciling with the PA and it hopes for the Gaza Strip’s economic rehabilitation and its military capabilities are limited.” Yoav Limor agrees that “Hamas most likely does not want an escalation in the fighting at this time” but adds that “the decision is not entirely up to Hamas: the tough blow that Islamic Jihad took – it lost both an asset as well as people and prestige – ostensibly requires that it respond.”

Haaretz and Kan Radio report that associates of Labour Party Chairman Avi Gabbay are fed up with MK Zouheir Bahloul’s positions. Bahloul announced that he would boycott the ceremony marking the 100^th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.  Maariv reports this morning statement by Gabbay that anyone with such extreme positions will lose his place on the Labour list.

Maariv, Haaretz and Times of Israel report that an EPA photographer Atef Safadi who was due to cover Netanyahu’s press conference with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull was asked to remove his trousers. He refused and left, as did other journalists in protest. The Foreign Press Association slammed the “humiliating” treatment.

This morning, online media reports published an army statement that a vehicle approached soldiers near the northern West Bank village of Nabi Saleh “in a suspicious manner” and an IDF force at the site opened fire, hitting the vehicle four times and leaving the Palestinian driver moderately wounded.