BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, BBC News online the Telegraph, Independent, Reuters, the Times and the Guardian report on an Israeli raid in southern Gaza on Sunday. The Telegraph reports that one Israeli officer and seven Palestinians were killed in the fighting near Khan Younes in the southern Gaza Strip. The initial gun fight was followed by heavy Israeli air strikes and a volley of Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza. Hamas, the Islamist militant group which controls Gaza, said the shooting broke out when an Israeli ‘undercover force’ infiltrated the strip and assassinated Nour Baraka, a 37-year-old senior Hamas commander. The Independent reports that officials within Hamas told the newspaper that two of its brigade commanders were shot dead after coming under fire by Israeli special forces during an alleged abduction attempt. The Times reports that a deal to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza was in doubt on Sunday night as heavy fighting was reported. An IDF spokesperson commented that the raid was an ‘intelligence gathering operation, not an assassination or kidnap operation’. In retaliation, Palestinians fired at least two rockets towards Israel, which were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, cut short his trip to Paris for the Armistice commemorations.

Reuters  and Yahoo UK report that, Russian President Vladimir Putin talked to the Israeli PM at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Sunday.  Reuters reports that the leaders who attended Armistice commemorations in the French capital, met for the first time since the shooting down of a Russian surveillance plane in Syria in September. Yahoo UK reports that following the meeting, Netanyahu commented; ‘the conversation with President Putin was good and businesslike. I would even describe it as very important’. The PM also told reporters he favoured reaching an ‘arrangement’ that would avoid an all-out war with Gaza and stave off a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The Telegraph, Guardian and  Reuters report on further developments following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Telegraph reports that Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today confront the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman over the ‘brutal’ murder of Jamal Khashoggi during a visit to the Gulf state as he expresses his ‘horror and outrage’. Mr Hunt will fly to the Kingdom today to meet with King Salman and the Crown Prince, where he will demand that they do more to cooperate with the Turkish authorities attempting to establish how he was killed. This comes amid mounting pressure on PM Theresa May to break off ties with the kingdom. The Guardian reports that the trip includes a visit to the UAE to try to broker a ceasefire in Yemen. The Guardian reports in a separate piece that US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the US will hold accountable all involved in the killing of a dissident Saudi journalist in a wide-ranging telephone call that also took in the conflict in Yemen. Furthermore, Reuters reports that French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today that France was not in possession of recordings related to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as far as he was aware, contradicting remarks by Turkey’s president.

The Financial Times reports that Mohammed bin Salman’s authority is under threat as the Saudi crown prince faces domestic attempts to curb his wide-ranging powers in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, according to western officials. The officials claim the ailing King Salman would like to restrain some of his son’s decision-making authority in response to the murder. The western officials added that despite unease about him inside and outside the kingdom, he was likely to remain in his position as heir apparent.

The Daily Mail reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his decision to enable Qatar to bring $15 million into Hamas-controlled Gaza for salaries, with the Prime Minister saying it would calm tensions and prevent a Palestinian humanitarian crisis.

All the Israel media focus on events last night in Gaza. Yediot Ahronot leads with, “Special IDF Forces that assassinated senior Hamas figure had its cover blown.” The possibility of a major escalation in the situation, at least as of late last night, was very real.”  In the paper’s commentary security analyst, Alex Fishman, writes, “Up until the incident last night and the exchanges of fire in the Gaza Strip, the logic that dictated Israel’s silence and decision to ignore the suitcases full of dollars to Hamas was as follows: better to have sated armed men over hungry armed men, who are liable to rampage on the border fences. Israel tried to buy quiet with cash. It has been doing that for quite a long time now. Everyone who is clicking their tongue in disapproval—mainly ministers and security cabinet ministers—should know that this was not the first time that the special Qatari envoy for rehabilitating the Gaza Strip delivered money.” He concludes, “Neither side wants war and neither side can recognise the other as legitimate. This is the result: a temporary, provisional deal of quiet in exchange for money and humanitarian relief. Judging by the reports out of Gaza last night, it seems that this deal too has been derailed.”

Maariv and Israel Hayom report Prime Minister Netanyahu’s press conference in Paris yesterday.  Maariv notes these are rare opportunities to ask him questions about Case 3000, the submarines affair. Netanyahu attacked the media covering the issue and said: “I acted flawlessly. That’s what’s emerged here. Everyone understands that. …I’ve been accused of the most delusional allegations. No one has refrained or hesitated doing that. That didn’t work. Get used to it. The submarines issue has sunk into the depths.” Israel Hayom notes that the prime minister explained his decision to allow millions of Qatari dollars to be delivered to Hamas by citing his desire to avert war and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “I am acting by every means to restore quiet to the residents of the Gaza periphery and to avert a humanitarian collapse [in Gaza],” he said. “I’m not afraid of war, and we were but a pace away from war, but I am doing everything to avert a needless war.”  Netanyahu said that there wasn’t complete supervision over the Qatari funds and that Hamas probably took some of the money for its own purposes. He said that the parties were currently at the stage of restoring calm as a first step, and that a broader arrangement, if one were ever to be achieved, would arrive later. Netanyahu said that he did not believe it would be possible in the future to achieve an arrangement with Hamas.

The Jerusalem Post reports PA President Mahmoud Abbas speaking during a rally yesterday in Ramallah marking the 14th anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Yasser Arafat.  He accused Hamas of obstructing the establishment of a Palestinian state, and hinted that he was planning new measures against the Gaza Strip. He also lashed out at the US and Israel because of US President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-announced plan for peace in the Middle East, which is also referred to as the “deal of the century.”  He is quoted saying, “There is an American conspiracy in the form of the deal of the century, and there is an Israeli conspiracy to implement the deal…Regrettably, there is another conspiracy by Hamas to obstruct the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”

Channel 10 news reports rumours that PM Netanyahu has been contemplating retirement—at least in closed-door meetings. It reported that Netanyahu, in a conversation with a former senior official in the justice system, said: “I’m ready to leave my position as prime minister as early as this morning, but there’s nobody to hand over the keys to.” Netanyahu thereby revealed what he thinks about the top tiers of the Likud and the people who consider themselves suitable to replace him. The justice system official confirmed that he heard this from Netanyahu.   However, a senior minister is quoted in Maariv, “Netanyahu has decided that if he falls, the Likud will fall together with him. That is also the goal of the Gidon Saar bill. He is ignoring the fact that there are talented ministers in the Likud who built themselves in the Likud movement over the course of years and could replace him at any time. There are ministers with a proven track record in their ministries, who also have different security and political ideas, and they can definitely take the wheel, if and when.”  The paper further suggests, “Among the names that often come up as candidates to replace Netanyahu as Likud leader are Yisrael Katz and Gilad Erdan, as well as former minister Gidon Saar. Other names are Jewish Home Chairman Nafatli Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.”

 Israel Hayom reports clashes between Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman over the Qatari funds that were delivered to the Gaza Strip.  “The way that this was done, we’re talking about a protection payment,” said Bennett. “You might buy quiet for the short term, but you get the other side accustomed to being able to use violence to achieve its interests.”  Lieberman replied, “Either Bennett is suffering from memory loss or he’s simply lying. As opposed to me, Bennett supported [allowing the delivery of] the Qatari money and fuel, and even proposed letting 5,000 workers from Gaza into Israel. Bennett was opposed to every military operation against Hamas, and the responsibility for the protection is on him.”