The Guardian, Independent and Reuters report that the European Court of Justice has ruled that EU countries must identify products made in West Bank settlements on their labels, in a decision welcomed by human rights groups but derided by Israel. The court declared that “foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the state of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin”.

BBC News, the Telegraph, Times, FT, Independent and Reuters report that Israel has carried out fresh strikes on targets in Gaza as militants there stepped up rocket attacks following the killing of PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata. Israel says air and ground forces hit sites used by PIJ including what the IDF have termed a “terror tunnel”, which it said the PIJ planned to use to attack Israeli civilians. More than 150 rockets have been fired at Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israelis to brace for prolonged fighting, prompting concerns of a new escalation in hostilities with the Palestinian territories.

Sky News interviews Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander General Mazloum Kobane who declares that an IS terror attack in a Western city is “expected” because of Western inaction in the Middle East. Kobane argues that the combination of the Turkish incursion into north-east Syria, Western indifference and Western unwillingness to repatriate IS fighters is creating the perfect environment for an IS resurgence.

Reuters reports that diplomats have warned that the E3 threat to trigger a mechanism that could reimpose UN sanctions on Iran marks a significant breakdown in diplomacy to try to save the JCPOA and could presage its death knell.

The Guardian and Telegraph report that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that an alleged US member of IS stranded on the Greek-Turkish border is “not our problem”. The man is believed to be a US citizen of Jordanian descent. He was deported on Monday as part of Turkey’s controversial new policy of deporting foreign jihadists in its custody.

Reuters reports that a senior US State Department official has warned that the some 10,000 IS detainees held in prisons in north-east Syria present a major security risk, urging countries to repatriate their citizens.

Reuters reports that Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has stated that an Irish citizen aligned to IS who is set to be deported from Turkey has the right to return to Ireland but the government’s main concern is the repatriation of her two-year-old daughter.

The Times reports that a former London university student accused of acting as a recruiter for IS is reported to be among a group of alleged female jihadists deported from Turkey to France.

Reuters reports that France will take back 11 suspected French jihadists from Turkey, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Tuesday.

Reuters reports that the Netherlands will appeal against a court ruling ordering it to take back dozens of young children of mothers who joined IS.

Reuters reports that Turkey has removed four more mayors as part of a widening government crackdown on the pro-Kurdish HDP, bringing to 20 the number of mayors dismissed after being elected in 2019.

Reuters reports that the Turkish incursion into north-east Syria has given President Erdogan a bump in opinion polls and exposed cracks in an informal political alliance that claimed surprise victories in local elections in 2019.

Reuters reports that Turkish forces conducting a joint patrol in northern Syria under a Russian-Turkish deal have fired live rounds at protesters near Kobani.

In the Times, Hannah Lucinda Smmith examines how President Erdogan is “using Syrian exiles to bolster his ambitions”: “For eight years Turkey has played host to millions of people who have fled the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Now it wants payback”.

The Daily Mail reports that the UK representative to the UN Karen Pierce has said that the UK will look “very closely” at an investigation into how White Helmets co-founder James Le Mesurier died in Turkey. Pierce called Le Mesurier a “true hero” and “real humanitarian”, adding that claims by Russia that he was a spy were “categorically untrue”.

The Telegraph reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his extended family own £31m worth of property in Moscow’s elite sky-scraper district. Global Witness, a UK-based group that investigates corruption linked to human rights abuses, said several members of the Makhlouf family, cousins of Assad, had used the Moscow real estate to secure loans in a complex structure which it claimed could be part of a money laundering scheme.

Reuters reports that Lebanese President Michel Aoun has warned that Lebanon faced a catastrophe if protests continued, igniting a new wave of demonstrations during which a protester was shot and killed by soldiers near Beirut.

The Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail report that a British Army veteran has been cleared of supplying drugs in the UAE after more than a year in detention. Andrew Neal was arrested in Dubai in October 2018 on what advocacy group Detained In Dubai called “baseless drug charges”.

BBC News presents pictures illuminating Iran’s secretive Yarsan faith.

The Daily Mail reports that German authorities have foiled a plot by militants linked to IS. Police arrested three men in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, on suspicion of planning an attack using explosives.

Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia has distanced itself from a promotional video that categorised feminism, homosexuality and atheism as extremist ideas.

Reuters reports that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deplored the death toll among Iraqi protesters with Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and urged him to take immediate steps to address demonstrators’ demands.

Reuters reports that Egypt has been trying to deflect criticism of its human rights record and prison conditions ahead of a UN review in Geneva.

Reuters reports that a Saudi court has convicted 38 people of financing terrorism and declaring other Muslims non-believers.

In the Guardian, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders argues that “fighting antisemitism is at the heart of the left’s struggle against oppression”.

In the Times, Roger Boyes writes that we should not “let Emmanuel Macron write Nato’s obituary”.

European Court rules on products from settlements 

The Israeli media report the decision of the European Court of Justice that EU countries must identify products made in Israel settlements on their labels.  According to the ruling, “foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin.”  Furthermore, the court said settlements “give concrete expression to a policy of population transfer conducted by that State outside its territory, in violation of the rules of general international humanitarian law.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the ruling is: “Unacceptable both morally and in principle,” adding that he intends to work with European foreign ministers to “prevent the implementation of this gravely flawed policy.”

Naftali Bennett officially appointed Defence Minister

New Right MK Naftali Bennett formally took up the post of defence minister yesterday. His first decision was to declare a ‘special situation’ in an 80km zone near the Gaza border giving security and defence agencies authority to take special measures to protect the civilian population.  Kan news reports that the cabinet will meet this morning and ministers will be updated on the security situation. Last night, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Blue and White MK and former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi in his role as Chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

Events cancelled due to rocket fire

The Israeli media contain various stories about events and celebrations, mostly weddings, that were cancelled due to the rocket attacks. The Home Front Command does not allow large gatherings over a certain number depending on their proximity to the Gaza border. Channel 12 News reported a wedding in Beer Sheva that had to move to a smaller venue inside a protected space, where Eurovision song contest winner Neta Barzilai surprised the couple on the dance floor. Next week’s international football match, due to be held in Tel Aviv, between Argentina and Uruguay may be cancelled if the Gaza conflict continues.