The Telegraph has published a column by a former advisor to UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Nick Timothy, who argues that “Britain must make it harder for people to march in support of Hezbollah”. He writes that Hezbollah’s “political leaders glorify terrorism. They encourage their supporters to commit acts of terrorism. They are indiscriminate in their attacks, in Israel and around the world. And they are spreading hate, here in Britain. The time has come to act. There is no reason not to do so.”

The Independent reports that a photo of a state-of-the-art Israeli F-35 stealth fighter jet flying over the Lebanese capital of Beirut in broad daylight has sparked criticism over the blatant “flaunting of Israeli power”.  General Mouawad Tannous, a former Lebanese military intelligence officer and former defence attache with the Lebanese Embassy in Washington DC, said he thought the release of the photo was part of a game of psychological warfare.

The Independent and the Daily Mail report that the Israel-Gaza border is quiet again after the most significant round of hostilities between Hamas and Israel in four years. A de facto ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday after Hamas said a truce had been brokered by Egypt, following the biggest attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip since the 2014 war. Israel did not formally acknowledge any ceasefire with the militant Hamas and smaller organisation Islamic Jihad, and both sides warned the other that any further military escalation would give rise to a new round of fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday afternoon that Israel had delivered on its promise to deal with the Hamas provocation with “force,” saying the Israel Defence Force (IDF) had dealt the Gaza militants the “harshest blow” in years.

The Financial Times published a column by International Affairs Editor David Gardner, which argues that the US is writing itself out of the Middle East and is giving Putin more leverage as a result.

The Daily Mail reports that Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of holding “antisemitic views” by one of Britain’s senior Jewish leaders. Jonathan Arkush, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the Labour leader’s election as Prime Minister could drive Jewish people out of the UK. He said that, after Corbyn failed to stamp out antisemitism in his party, Jewish people had been left asking each other: “Do we have a future here?” In his final interview before stepping down, Arkush – one of two Jewish leaders who met Corbyn in March – said he believed the Labour leader “has views which are antisemitic, and he has problematic views”.

The Times reports that an Israeli company has built a drone to airlift wounded soldiers. Tactical Robotics demonstrated the Cormorant at Megiddo airport near Nazareth, simulating the collection of a casualty. The company said that the drone could take patients to a civilian hospital.

The Guardian reports that Saudi-led coalition forces are preparing an all-out assault on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah in Yemen, in a move that could cut humanitarian lifelines, displace as many as 200,000 people and tip the balance in the three-year civil war in favour of anti-Houthi forces.

The Daily Express reports that Netanyahu made a “chilling announcement” on Wednesday claiming his country’s forces will hit Iran anywhere in Syria, as tensions between the two countries continue to run high. He declared: “We will continue to act against Iran’s intention to establish a military presence in Syria opposite us, not just opposite the Golan Heights but anywhere in Syria.”

Maariv reports statements by Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman before his trip to Russia last night. Lieberman wrote on Twitter: “I am leaving now for a work visit in Russia and tomorrow I will meet with my counterpart, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The security establishment’s principal focus was and remains preventing the entrenchment of Iran and its proxies in Syria.” It also reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday once again that non-Syrian forces had to leave southern Syria with the utmost haste. This was the second time in three days in which Lavrov has said that there was no place for an Iranian presence in southern Syria, particularly in the area that abuts the Israeli border.

Yediot Ahronoth reports that the Security Cabinet met last night to assess the latest situation in Gaza. Discussions at the Security Cabinet meeting revealed that Hamas and Islamic Jihad were persuaded to cease their fire by a combination of two factors — IDF attacks and pressure from Egypt. Emphasis was made, though, that no cease-fire agreement with Hamas was reached, but rather that Israel had made it clear that it would stop the attacks in Gaza if the rocket fire would stop. The security establishment believes that Hamas was not interested in an escalation at all, but was dragged into it and even took part in the rocket fire after Islamic Jihad did so. Haaretz also covers this story, describing the ceasefire that is now in place.

In an interview on Army Radio, former Shin Bet Director Yoram Cohen who said that another escalation on the Gaza border was just a matter of time. He added in an interview on Army Radio that Israel had no interest in taking over the Gaza Strip. “I think that the IDF is capable of taking over the Gaza Strip in a matter of days. Let’s say we did that, that we went in and took it over and kicked out Hamas. First of all, we would pay a price in people killed, we’d pay a price in civilians killed. We would have no choice but to kill innocent civilians. And we’d do all this, go in, and then what? What would happen?”

In an opinion piece in Yediot Ahronot, Giora Eiland recommends a Gaza policy based on three principles. First, to recognise that it is an independent state. Second, Israel needs to support any activity whose purpose is to rehabilitate the water, electricity and sewage infrastructure in Gaza and to rebuild the homes there, and it should not object when that activity is openly and directly coordinated with the Hamas government. Third, all aid money to Gaza needs to be earmarked for specific and defined projects, and the Hamas government has to undertake to allow for strict oversight mechanisms.

Kan Radio News reports on a closed-door meeting at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, including chief negotiator for the return of kidnapped and MIAs in Gaza, Yaron Blum. Blum said that Israel would not make any prisoner-exchange deals with Hamas like the Shalit deal, adding that the only framework acceptable to Israel would be the return of the two Israeli soldiers and the two Israeli citizens as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the Gaza Strip.

Maariv reports that along with their condemnation of Israel’s military strikes in Gaza, Fatah and Palestinian Authority (PA) officials took the opportunity to blame Hamas for the failure of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks. The Palestinian Information Ministry issued a statement yesterday calling for “urgent international intervention to protect our people”. Fatah’s spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Atef Abu Seif, condemned Hamas, saying that while it strove to achieve quiet and reconciliation with Israel, it has refused to complete the reconciliation process with Fatah and to allow the PA to assume governmental responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

Kan Radio News reports that the UN Security Council met to discuss the rocket attacks from Gaza on Israel, but did not pass a resolution or issue a statement.

Kan Radio News also reports that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin held a Ramadan breakfast at his residence, with public figures from the Arab community in attendance, at which he levelled criticism at MKs who recently attacked the police. The Egyptian and Jordanian ambassadors did not attend the iftar meal at the President’s Residence, apparently due to the events in Gaza and the relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem.