As the vote in the US Congress on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nears, the Guardian reports that the deal’s passage is all but a done deal. It seems almost certain that President Obama will have the support of at least 34 US Senators. This number is needed to prevent a congressional override of a presidential veto in a second vote, assuming Congress votes against the deal the first time around. Swing votes such as Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Chris Coons of Delaware have declared their support for the deal. If trends continue in congress, there is a possibility that those in favour of a deal will even have the 40 votes necessary to filibuster, thus preventing a debate on the JCPOA on the Senate floor.

The Guardian also quotes a UN Conference on Trade and Development report that asserts that the Gaza Strip will be “uninhabitable” in less than five years if current trends continue. Citing the impact of eight years of economic blockade, and three armed conflicts with Israel, the report says that in 2014 Gaza GDP dropped by 14 per cent and unemployment reached its highest yet – 44 per cent.

In other Gaza-related matters, as part of Egypt’s fight against Islamic militants in Sinai and the Gaza Strip, its army is now attempting to sever the network tunnels connecting the two areas by digging a fish farm along the nine-mile border. According to the Times, some 18 farms will be created along the border that will breed shrimp and mullet. Since seizing power in 2013, the Egyptian military has destroyed some 500 shafts and tunnels in the area and families on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza have been relocated as part of the creation of a buffer zone between the two.

The Telegraph reports this morning that US Special Forces and the CIA are conducting a secret, targeted programme aimed at hunting down and killing top-tier ISIS officials and fighters. The programme has a “hit list”, according to sources, as is shaping up to be a central element of President Obama’s “degrade and destroy” strategy to end the movement which controls large swaths of Iraq and Syria. Activists and physicians in Syria today accused ISIS of employing chemical weapons for a second time in the area of Marea, north of Aleppo. In a simultaneous assault on the global financial system, the Times reports that ISIS plans to ban paper money and use gold, silver and copper coins as its currency form. The organisation wants to create an “economic 9/11” as part of its struggle against the “satanic” global financial system.

The Independent has a story about criticism made by members of one of the ultra-orthodox parties in the Israeli government coalition following reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ate a non-kosher restaurant in Florence. While Netanyahu reportedly did not eat any foods that Judaism prohibits, his presence in the restaurant drew the ire of his coalition partners.

Echoing the Guardian, this morning Haaretz, Maariv, and the Times of Israel are all reporting that President Obama has secured the support of 33 US Senators for the deal reached with Iran regarding the latter’s nuclear programme. This leaves Obama one-vote shy of the 34 necessary to avoid his veto of the Congress’s rejection of the Iran deal being overridden by the Senate. As part of the administration’s efforts to assuage the naysayers, NRG is reporting that Secretary of State John Kerry will send a letter to Congress today in which he will reiterate US support for Israel and its Gulf allies. Speculation is abound as to what “compensation package” Israel will receive after the deal takes told, but Israeli officials are reticent to discuss any such arrangement as long as the JCPOA has not been adopted officially by the United States.

Haaretz reports that in a meeting with peace activists yesterday in his office, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. He stressed his desire to begin immediate negotiations with the Palestinian President Abbas and urged the representatives of “Women Wage Peace” to convey this message to him.

Yediot Ahronot reports that at yesterday’s Calcalist Conference, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Hamas seems to be committed to its ceasefire with Israel. “If it was up to Hamas,” Yaalon said, “there would be rocket fire every day. But they [Hamas] don’t do that. They show a commitment to the ceasefire. They know the meaning of antagonising us.”

There are a number of developments unfolding in the Israeli Knesset before parliamentarians break for the High Holidays. Today, the Knesset is expected to pass, at first reading, a new anti-terror bill, according to Haaretz. This is also part of the effort to give the security services the authority to combat Jewish acts of terrorism committed against Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. Ynet, NRG and other outlets are also reporting that the police have recommended that MK Oren Hazan (Likud) be indicted for assaulting the Director General of the municipality of Ariel in October 2014. This morning, former Education Minister MK Shai Piron has announced his intent to resign from the Knesset. He will likely be replaced by former MK Elazar Stern.