The Express reports that Israel has called on Germany to join US sanctions on Iran. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hoped to convince the Chancellor to end German business with Iran and to stop circumventing economic restrictions put in place by US President Donald Trump. Rivlin said that “the Iranian beast must be starved and not fed. This is the only way to guarantee the stability of the world.”

Reuters reports that German Chancellor Merkel said Germany and Israel agree that Iran should never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Merkel said that “We are very convinced and strongly share Israel’s position that everything must be done to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Where we are not always united is on the path to this goal.” She added that Iran’s military presence in Syria and Lebanon was a threat to Israel.

The Daily Mail reports that Israeli police are questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of their investigations into corruption allegations. Netanyahu is to be questioned concerning two corruption cases in which police have already recommended indictments. One involves allegedly taking gifts from billionaires, and the second involves trading positive media coverage for legislation to weaken a free daily newspaper. The prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the accusations as a media “witch hunt.”

Reuters reports that Israel said it was reinforcing troops around Gaza as a precaution against Palestinian border protests, now in their seventh month. The IDF threatened Gaza’s ruling Hamas Islamists with a “very harsh” response in the event of attacks. The Israeli military said it had “decided on wide-scale reinforcements in the southern command in the coming days and the continuation of a determined policy to thwart terror activity and prevent infiltrations into Israel from the Gaza Strip”.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters “If Hamas thinks that as a consequence of this distress it can attack Israel, it will be making a very big mistake. Our response will be harsh, very harsh.”

The Express and Reuters report that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE have pledged £1.9bn to shore up Jordan’s economy. The Express reports that the three nations have placed more than £770million ($1billion) in deposits at the Central Bank of Jordan and pledged £385m ($500m) in budget support over five years as part of a £1.9bn ($2.5bn) package to shore up the kingdom’s struggling economy. A signing agreement will take place later on Thursday that announces the breakdown of a £1.9bn ($2.5bn) aid package pledged last June to help the Jordan implement austerity measures which had sparked massive protests. Reuters report that the package also includes $600 million in credit guarantees by the three Gulf countries that will help Jordan secure cheap World Bank credit and other financing for much needed infrastructure projects.

Reuters reports that a senior U.S. general criticised Russia’s deployment of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system in Syria. General Joseph Votel, who oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said the deployment “appears to be an effort to cover for Iranian and Syrian regime nefarious activities in Syria. So, again, I think this is a needless, needless escalation,” Votel told reporters at the Pentagon.

The Express reports that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Brussels for time wasting over the country’s EU membership campaign, blaming ‘Islamophobia’ for delays. Erdogan said he is considering putting Turkey’s long-stalled bid to join the European Union to a referendum in protest at the delay. Erdogan said at a forum in Istanbul: “It is 2018 and they are still keeping us waiting. He said that “It is for us to go to 81 million people and see what decision the 81 million people give.” Erdogan said that if the decision to hold a referendum were taken, measures could be taken “immediately”.

In the FT, Michael Peel, David Sheppard and David Keohane ask why European oil companies are “spurning the EU’s attempt to shield Iranian crude from US sanctions”. They write that “a survey of 10 oil trading executives by the Financial Times did not uncover any willingness to trade Iranian crude and risk retaliation from Washington. The threat of sanctions has helped drive a rally in oil prices, pushing Brent crude to $86 a barrel this week, the highest level in four years.”

All the Israeli media focus on renewed violence from Gaza.  Both Maariv and Haaretz highlight the increased tension and reinforcement of IDF troops on the border.   Israel Hayom leads with a “Message to Hamas: if you attack, you’ll be making a big mistake.”  Yediot Ahronot explains that the violence near the border fence has been steadily increasing in the last few months and spiked particularly this past week along with an increase in incendiary kites and balloons.

Yediot Ahronot publishes more from its exclusive interview with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.  The paper notes despite reconciliatory aspects, Israel is preparing for the possibility of the situation on the Gaza border escalating as early as this evening in the course of the demonstrations near the fence. The decision to augment troops and to deploy an Iron Dome battery in the Gaza periphery are meant to signal Hamas  – before the situation escalates – that the army is changing its policy toward the rioters, who have stepped up the level of their violence in the last few weeks on the fence.  The paper also notes Defence Minister Lieberman yesterday issued a relatively unusual statement stating that he had held a situation assessment meeting with the chief of staff on the matter. In response to Israel’s actions, Islamic Jihad’s military wing in Gaza yesterday held a parade in which it showed armed masked combatants and rockets. However, the AP photographer who filmed the parade said that these were dummy missiles.  The paper further notes over 100 explosive devices were thrown last week.

Maariv depicts a bizarre situation; it reports that the UN and Qatar reached an understanding with Israel that would see an Israeli company, Paz starting sending trucks with diesel fuel into the Gaza Strip. This would have enabled increasing the power supply to the Gazans by about four hours per day, which was one of Israel’s promises to Hamas within the efforts to reach an arrangement.  However, “Last night Abu Mazen informed Paz that if it were to transfer the diesel fuel to the Gaza Strip, he would unilaterally cancel all its supply contracts with the Palestinian Authority….The deal is stuck. Just like the arrangement. Just like the whole situation. Think of the absurdity: Abu Mazen is trying to suffocate Hamas. The person who promised to do so (Netanyahu) is trying to save Hamas. The international community mobiles, but to no avail. Israel continues to vilify Abu Mazen, with whom it has agreements and security cooperation, but he insists on disarming Hamas, which has vowed to destroy Israel. And so it goes. One thing is for certain: When it blows up, it will be in our face. Not in the face of Mladenov, or the Qataris, or even Abu Mazen.”

In the commentary in Israel Hayom, Yoav Limor writes that while Hamas does not want the situation to deteriorate, “it is trapped in a corner. The socio-economic situation in the Gaza Strip is steadily deteriorating, and the leadership has no solutions. The talks in Cairo are stuck because of Abu Mazen, and so far all the efforts to bypass him have failed… With its back to the wall, Hamas has been intensifying the flames with Israel in the hope that a solution will emerge from the mess. Both Gaza and Jerusalem understand very well that they are playing with fire; while it’s true neither side wants a clash whose results, at best, would return the sides back to the starting point (minus the destruction and the fatalities) – matters are liable to spiral out of control and cause a swift deterioration.”

Yediot Ahronot includes commentary from Shimon Shiffer who assesses that “the Israeli side has been conducting ongoing negotiations – albeit indirectly – with the Hamas regime in Gaza. That is a fact, and no euphemisms or evasive attempts such as “we are not talking to Hamas” or “the talks are being conducted through the Egyptians.”  In his view, “There is nothing wrong with engaging in dialogue with Hamas, which manages the lives of the residents of Gaza….Having said that, we must not be confused: Hamas advocates a fanatic religious worldview, and will continue to strive to remove Israel from land, which it still believes belongs in its entirety to the Palestinian people. But that does not mean that we should not attempt to reach an arrangement with it, even if it is ‘just’ for five years.”

Kan radio news reports that Jason Greenblatt, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said that he and President Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner had met with several senators, including Lindsey Graham and Bob Corker, and discussed with them the administration’s peace efforts. Greenblatt wrote on Twitter that it was a pleasure for Kushner and him to meet with the senators, and said that he appreciated the time they had devoted to the meeting.

Channel 2 news reveals Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat plans to ban UNRWA from operating inside the city. He accused them of operating illegally and promoting incitement against Israel.  Barkat said schools, clinics and sports centres, among other services operated by UNRWA in east Jerusalem, will be transferred to Israeli authorities. The municipality did not provide an exact timeline but it said schools serving 1,800 students would be closed by the end of the current school year.

Kan radio news reports Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to be questioned by police investigators this morning in his residence for the 12^th time. This is the first time in a month that he is being questioned.  As opposed to resent sessions, which dealt with the Bezeq affair, this time it is expected to address Case 2,000 – the case concerning the conversations with Yediot Ahronot publisher Arnon Mozes, and possibly also Case 1,000 – the benefits affair. This will be the first questioning session dealing with Case 2,000 since publication of the police recommendations [on the affair]. It will be based on questions intended to supplement the investigation and new testimonies that have been collected, first and foremost the testimony of state’s witness Nir Hefetz.