The Independent covers an aspect of our main item, on Israeli-Lebanese tensions on the northern border. “The growing tensions over Ghajar,” it writes, “add to the jitters along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah fought a destructive 34-day war in the summer of 2006. The two sides have studiously avoided outright battle ever since, despite frequent flare-ups of tension — but each constantly says a new conflict could erupt at any time.”

The Independent also reports on thousands of protesters demonstrating outside the US’s main diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv yesterday. They urged the US to follow President Biden’s recent public criticism of the Israeli government with further pressure to cancel or reduce its judicial reform programme.

The BBC reports on Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s first visit to the West Bank city of Jenin in over a decade. In a bid to begin reestablishing PA control in a city whose subjugation to rival militias prompted Israel’s recent Operation House and Garden, Abbas promised to rebuild the damaged refugee camp, which he called “an icon of struggle”. “At the camp gates,” the paper writes, “where flags of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad flew next to those of the internationally recognised PA, Mr Abbas arrived amid chaotic scenes. He had flown to Jenin in a Jordanian military helicopter from his headquarters, 100km (62 miles) to the south in the city of Ramallah. There was a huge armed deployment. PA security forces joined a thousand-strong unit of Mr Abbas’ elite presidential guard to clear a path for the 87-year-old to enter the camp, parts of which remain devastated from Israel’s air and ground assault… He also appealed for unity. ‘We came to say we are one authority, one state, one law, one security and one stability’. But, in a further sign of the collapse in public support for the PA, there were only a few hundred people in the crowd from among the urban refugee camp’s 24,000 residents… Further inside the camp, militant gunmen still patrolled as Mr Abbas spoke and his forces did not venture further.”

The Daily Mail covers the extraordinary story of Israeli doctors successfully treating 12-year-old West Bank Palestinian Suleiman Hassan for internal decapitation – the separation of the base of the skull and the top of the spine, while the skin remains intact. Suleiman was hit by a car while riding his bike and airlifted to Hadassah Ein Kerem’s Trauma Unit in Jerusalem for immediately surgery in June. The child’s surgeon, Dr Ohad Einav said: “The procedure itself is very complicated and took several hours. While in the operating room, we used new plates and fixations in the damaged area… Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room.” Suleiman’s father said: “I will thank you all my life for saving my dear only son. Bless you all. Thanks to you, he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious.”

The Telegraph covers British actor Dame Helen Mirren’s visit to Israel to promote her new film- a biopic of former prime minister Golda Meir. In a press conference at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Mirren compared Meir with Netanyahu: “She had immense power, but she was perfectly happy to toddle around in the kitchen, making everyone coffee and being the grandmother… It’s a very different attitude toward power – from the male, Netanyahu type of power to the Golda Meir kitchen power.” Mirren also expressed support for the protest movement, calling them a “pivotal moment in Israeli history” and saying “I’m personally very moved and excited when you see these huge demonstrations.”

The Daily Mail also reports on Hebrew University archaeologist Yosef Garfinkle’s claim that the ruins of five fortified cities outside of Jerusalem (in Khirbet Qeiyafa, Tell en-Naṣbeh, Khirbet ed-Dawwara, Lachish and Beth Shemesh) belonged to the kingdom of King David. Garfinkle believes the cities date to the early 10th century BC, some 200 years than previously thought, placing their construction in the time of David.

Kan Radio looks ahead to Sunday, when the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will hold its final meeting to prepare and refine the bill reducing the Supreme Court’s use of reasonableness to block government actions. Following this, the bill will move to its second and third readings in the Knesset. Haaretz quotes senior Likud figures saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu intends to press ahead with reforms – starting with reasonableness – and is less likely to be swayed by mass opposition, as he was in March when he announced a pause to the process.

Israel Hayom reports the likely continuation of protests against judicial reform next week, with Monday set to be declared a “National Day of Resistance”. The paper also suggests that right-wing, pro-reform counter protests look certain too, with apparent threats to block the entrances to kibbutzim. Such an eventuality leads one senior police officer to worry that “It is going to get worse and more violent. We will keep them separated. We will not allow kibbutzim to be blocked…we’ve started appointing response teams that will act in accordance with the number of people. There have already been violent incidents. We are prepared to keep the activists separated.”

Kan Radio, meanwhile, suggests that demonstrations will not target Ben Gurion Airport this time, with protest leaders feeling this tactic has run its course. The station also details the announcement by hundreds of IDF reserve doctors, psychiatrists, and paramedics that they will stop volunteering for service in protest against the reform. In parallel, dozens of physicians from across the medical sector have declared that they will resign their posts should the government follow through on threats to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Ynet reports a letter signed by 250 reserve soldiers and veterans of the elite Paratroopers Brigade reconnaissance unit angry at the decision of other reservists to threaten not to report for duty in protest against the reforms. “We, the veterans of the Paratroopers reconnaissance unit throughout generations,” the letter says, “write this letter to express our resistance to the blatant insubordination observed in certain reserve units that unfortunately choose to serve in the reserves only under certain conditions or specific government decisions.”

Channel 12 features an interview with one of Baharav-Miara’s predecessors, Raz Nizri, who urges prosecution and defence in the trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu to reach a plea deal. Speaking against the backdrop of the news that the Supreme Court is set to hear a separate petition calling for the removal of Netanyahu from the Prime Minister’s Office for allegedly being in violation of his conflict-of-interest agreement, Nizri said: “we must put an end to this saga… I don’t think it is right for the court to determine who will be the prime minister, it is dangerous for democracy… The right must not think the trial is being rigged by political [manipulation]… On the other hand, the left must also realize that politics cannot be rigged by [manipulating the] justice system. They must not think that they can rig elections using legal tools. At the end of the day the law is clear; I don’t think it is right for the court to decide who the prime minister is going to be.”

With Israeli President Herzog’s visiting Washington next week, while Netanyahu remains yet to be invited since reassuming the office of prime minister in January, Ynet quotes a Likud government minister saying that “The American administration is behaving in an unfair and humiliating way toward Netanyahu. It is an embarrassment to Netanyahu’s honour to beg for a meeting. It is definitely a difficult and problematic event.” With Herzog set to address the US Congress, Ynet also reports Democratic Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar promising to boycott the event. “The speech of the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, comes on behalf of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, at a time when the government openly promises to ‘crush’ Palestinian hopes for a state – and in fact puts a nail in the coffin of peace and the two-state solution,” Omar said.

Haaretz reports that last night four Palestinians were injured in an attack by settlers in the village of Thulth near the Ma’ale Shomron settlement in the West Bank.  According to the Palestinian Health Ministry two of the injured are in serious condition, suffering from internal and head injuries and are being treated in hospital.

Maariv reports the latest polling from the Lazar Research Institute, which finds that over half of the Israeli public believes that the scale of the anti-reform protests has weakened the IDF and put the state in danger. The poll also shows current approval for the Knesset’s parties and blocs. If elections were held today, Netanyahu’s Likud would receive 28 seats, compared with: National Unity Party 26; Yesh Atid 18; Shas 9; United Torah Judaism 7; Hadash-Ta’al 6; Yisrael Beiteinu 6; Religious Zionist Party 5; United Arab List 5; Jewish Power 5; Meretz 5; Labour Party 0; Balad 0. This would result in the current coalition on 54 seats (down from 64), the opposition on 55, and the currently unaffiliated Hadash-Ta’al and United Arab List on a combined 11.