The Times produced an in-depth analysis piece on the potential for conflict in the Middle East in May. Catherine Philp writes that “a series of volatile elections, [US President] Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal and the move of the American Embassy to Jerusalem make the next few weeks especially fraught in a region where conflict and death are everywhere”.

BBC News Online reports that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged Trump not to walk away from an international deal designed to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Speaking to the BBC, Guterres said there was a real risk of war if the 2015 agreement was not preserved. The Guardian published a column by Saeed Kamali Dehghan which argues that “if Trump destroys the nuclear deal, Iran will fall to its hardliners”. He also argues that “Arguably, if anyone has the right to complain, it is Iran. It has unplugged two-thirds of its centrifuges and shipped out 98 per cent of its enriched uranium, but has not seen the economic benefits it was promised”. Further, he makes the argument that “collapse of the deal would, even so, have terrible consequences. It would destroy the moderates and reformists in Iran for the foreseeable future”.

BBC News Online reports that at least 12 people have been killed and several injured in an attack on Libya’s electoral commission headquarters by ISIS. At least one suicide bomber blew himself up while other armed assailants stormed the building in the capital, Tripoli, and set it on fire. Voters have been registering for elections expected later this year. ISIS offered no proof to back its claim of carrying out the attack – the first of its kind in recent years.

BBC News Online and the Times report that a Royal Air Force (RAF) drone strike on ISIS has caused a civilian casualty, the Ministry of Defence has admitted for the first time. It says a Reaper drone fired on an ISIS vehicle in eastern Syria on 26 March this year, “unintentionally” killing a civilian on a motorbike when he crossed the target area at the last minute. UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the incident was “deeply regrettable”.

The Independent, the Guardian and the Daily Mail report that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has been condemned over comments on the causes of the Holocaust which have been condemned worldwide as antisemitic. Abbas said that the Jewish “social function” in 20th century Europe, such as money lending, caused animosity towards them which led to the Nazi genocide of six million Jews. He cited what he said were books by “Jewish Zionist authors” for the claim, which was made during a 90-minute speech to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) parliament in Ramallah on Monday. The Daily Mail reports that UK Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry attended the speech but failed to condemn his attacks on Jews in her first statement on the event. She confirmed her attendance in Ramallah, in the West Bank, on Facebook. She praised Abbas’s warning that Trump could not be a “mediator” for peace while “sowing the seeds of discord,” but did not mention the antisemitic remarks in her initial post. According to the Independent, she later condemned his comments and called for him to apologise. The Guardian published a column by Jonathan Freedland that argued that “it is right to condemn Mahmoud Abbas for his antisemitic remarks”. He further argues that “the Palestinian leader’s views on Jews and the Holocaust are unacceptable”.

The Telegraph reports that Iran has detained a British-Iranian dual national who works as a security analyst, the independent news site Iran Wire reported on Wednesday, the second such arrest since mid-April.

The Daily Mail reports that an undiscovered ancient manuscript may lay buried among the Dead Sea Scrolls, according to Israeli archaeologists. Researchers examining tiny fragments of the texts with imaging technology built by Nasa found hidden letters invisible to the naked eye. A number of the newly deciphered texts have been identified as belonging to books of the Hebrew Bible, including Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Jubilees. One of the passages, written in early Hebrew, hints at the existence of a never-before-seen manuscript still unknown to researchers.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Wednesday and voiced hope for increased Japanese investment in Israel. “I hope we will continue developing investments between our two countries,” he said after talks with the Netanyahu. The leaders agreed to push forward on establishing direct flights between the two countries to boost tourism, investment and business, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

The Daily Mail via AP reports that Birthright Israel is marking its 18th year of trips for young Jews. More than 600,000 young people have taken free Birthright trips to Israel since the program was founded.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Italian cycling champion Gino Bartali, who helped save Jews during World War II, was made an honorary Israeli citizen Wednesday as the country prepared to host the start of the Giro d’Italia, one of the sport’s major races. Israeli cyclists carried out a ride at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, set on a steep Jerusalem hill, in honour of Bartali before the ceremony there granting him posthumous honorary citizenship. Bartali’s granddaughter Gioia Bartali received the honour on his behalf from Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev. In a brief, emotional speech, she called her grandfather a “man of peace who risked his life” to save others.

The Daily Mail via AFP reports that Tunisia on Wednesday announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of an aerospace engineer described by Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas as one of its members. Mohamed Zaouari, 49, was killed in a hail of bullets at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia’s second city Sfax in December 2016. “The two people who carried out the assassination were identified, both were of Bosnian nationality,” prosecution spokesman Sofiene Sliti said.

Yedioth Ahronot and Israel Hayom report on the burning kites sent from Gaza to Israel that have been landing in fields and towns and spreading fires. The largest fire broke out yesterday and destroyed dozens of acres of land in the Be’eri Forest. Three to four kites a day have been sent to Israel over the last few weeks as part of the protest taking place on the other side of the fence. The burning kites have destroyed about 200 acres of agricultural fields so far.

Yediot Ahronot quotes one of the architects of the Iran nuclear agreement, Ernest Moniz, who served as energy secretary in the Obama administration and led the negotiations with Iran together with Secretary of State John Kerry. Moniz said: “We knew [the] Iranians were lying; we locked them in with [the] highest oversight.” Referring to Netanyahu’s announcement on Monday night that Mossad had stolen thousands of documents from a warehouse containing a secret Iranian nuclear archive, Maariv reports that Yesh Atid Chair Yair Lapid said the reason for revealing nuclear documents should be examined.  Lapid said that he too is opposed to the nuclear agreement with Iran and has fought against it around the world, “but Netanyahu’s presentation was a mistake that damaged that cause”.

Haaretz reports that IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is pushing for the continuation of the “aggressive line” in Syria, despite Iran’s threats. According to the defence establishment’s analysis, Iran continues to send advanced weapons systems to Syria, but these arms are no longer necessarily destined to be passed on to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Instead, they are being used to bolster Iran’s military deployment in Syria, and may even be meant to prepare an Iranian military response against Israel.

Ha’aretz reports that the driver who was shot by police at Umm al-Hiran drove at 10kph and that internal police investigations found that it was not a terror attack as first thought.

Israel Hayom and Yediot Ahronot report the response by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s speech. Rivlin said: “Antisemitism doesn’t create a dialogue. The State of Israel will always seek peace with its neighbours but it will never accept those who don’t recognize its right to exist.” Rivlin also added that a Holocaust denier cannot be a partner to peace. Netanyahu said: “Abu Mazen has once again declaimed the most despicable antisemitic slogans. Apparently, a Holocaust denier remains a Holocaust denier.”

The Times of Israel reports that senior Palestinian politician Saeb Erekat said Abbas’s remarks at the Palestine National Council “were distorted,” and the PA president “did not deny massacres against Jews, including the Holocaust”. Erekat added that Abbas still “believes in peace, negotiations and the establishment of two states living in peace, security and good neighbourliness”.

The Times of Israel reports that with two weeks to go until the scheduled move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are pumping a quarter of a billion dollars into the Islamic Waqf and other Muslim organisations in East Jerusalem.