The Times reports that Jordanian armed forces have cracked down on Syrian drug smugglers, killing two after shooting 27 dead last month. Syrian drug traffickers regularly use the 230-mile border with Jordan, their only land route to wealthier Arab nations, to transport drugs. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are their main markets.
 
The Guardian writes up findings from a new report on aid in Syria. Based on interviews with UN officials and humanitarian workers in Syria, the Rescuing Aid in Syria report by the Centre for Strategic & International Studies finds that the manipulation of aid by Bashar al-Assad’s regimes in Syria is a unique and persistent form of control that needs to be urgently addressed.
 
Also, in The Guardian, Saudi Arabia has transferred shares worth $80bn to its sovereign wealth fund as the oil-rich nation hopes to rival Norway and Singapore’s state-managed funds and invest in green projects. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, said 4 per cent of shares in Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil exporter, would be transferred to the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund as part of efforts to recalibrate the oil-dominated economy.
 
The Financial Times writes how Saudi Arabia is planning to become the world’s largest hydrogen producer. On the northwestern shores, plans are under way for a multibillion-dollar hydrogen plant as the world’s biggest oil exporter bets on becoming the biggest producer of the clean energy source.
 
In the Independent, Bel Trew explains how Populist president, Kais Saied, is threatening Tunisia’s democracy after he announced a state of emergency last year and seized absolute control of both the executive and legislature.
 
Reuters reports that a prisoner swap between Iran and the US is on the agenda in parallel with the nuclear talks in Vienna. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian security official said on Monday that progress in talks to salvage the JCPOA nuclear deal was becoming “more difficult” as Western powers only “pretended” to come up with initiatives.
 
In the Israeli media, Maariv reports that the police review of allegations of unlawful use of spyware against witnesses and suspects in the Netanyahu trial has turned up no irregularities. The Jerusalem District Court, which cancelled the session scheduled for this week, instructed the state to provide a full response by Wednesday afternoon. The leaders of the opposition parties (the Likud, Shas, UTJ and the Religious Zionist Party) issued a joint statement yesterday calling for a state commission of inquiry to be formed: “We reject outright the attempts to silence the spying affair against Israeli citizens, which is one of the most severe affairs in the country’s history. Every day that passes without a state commission of inquiry increases the chances of obstructing the investigation, coordinating accounts and evidence disappearing.” Walla cites the former commissioner of police, Roni Alsheich, who told a conference at Reichman University that the police do not have the Pegasus software and the entire story is a spin.
 
Yediot Ahronot writes that tensions between Palestinians and Israeli Jews continued yesterday in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood. The violence started when a firebomb was thrown at a Jewish-owned house in the neighbourhood on Saturday. Several dozen right-wing activists made their way to the neighbourhood in reaction, which drew a crowd of Palestinians—producing a situation that devolved into stone-throwing and other violence. MK Itamar Ben Gvir (Religious Zionist Party) announced he would open an “office” in the neighbourhood, but this was shut down by the Police yesterday. Ben Gvir reportedly fainted during the eviction and was taken to hospital. Right-wing activists also clashed with MKs Ahmad Tibi, Ofer Cassif and Osama Saadi of the Arab Joint List, who came to the neighbourhood and went into the home of the Salam family, who will be evicted at the end of this month after a long legal process. Stones were thrown into the house, after which firecrackers were lit, and stones were thrown from another house at the Jewish demonstrators outside. Hamas and Islamic Jihad threatened to respond to what was described by one Hamas spokesperson as “settlers’ attacks in Sheikh Jarrah,” and urged the Palestinian public to resist.
 
Kan Radio reports that a 17-year-old boy was killed by IDF fire in the village Silat al-Harithiya near Jenin. Three Palestinians were also injured. IDF forces entered the village to demolish part of the home of one of the terrorists who killed Yehuda Dimentman in a shooting attack in Homesh two months ago. The IDF said that hundreds of rioters threw stones and firebombs at the forces. The troops responded with crowd-control measures and shot at armed men.
 
Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Amos Gilead reviews the current standoff in Ukraine and reflects on the ways in which the developments in Eastern Europe might impact Israel and the Middle East. He writes that if Russian plans to gain control of Ukraine are successful, the strategic threat to Israel from Iran, Arab countries and the Middle East is likely to worsen. “Iran is developing impressive offensive capabilities that are designed to strike primarily at the civilian strategic infrastructure of Israel and Arab countries, using failed states as bases. That said, that could also create opportunities for Israel. First and foremost, the US may come to the conclusion that it has no alternative to the Middle East as a vital strategic asset for its national security, and it will slow the pace at which it is abandoning the region.”
 
Haaretz follows comments on Ukraine by Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday. Lapid said that “everything must be done to prevent an armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” adding in a press briefing that fighting “can and should be prevented”. Lapid also held talks with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss over Ukraine last night. According to the Foreign Secretary, she spoke “to Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid this evening about the serious situation of Russian aggression towards Ukraine as well as the talks in Vienna to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. We are deepening the UK-Israeli economic and security cooperation through a new Bilateral Roadmap.”
 
Israel Hayom reports that Tel Aviv has ranked 2nd in global cleantech ecosystem report coming behind Silicon Valley and ahead of key global hubs including Stockholm, London and Los Angeles. “For years Israel has been a global leader in the development of efficient solutions adapted to its resources in agriculture, waste management, clean energy, and water treatment, among others. These two ecosystems are punching above their weight and leading the world in Cleantech innovation,” the report notes.