The Telegraph and the Associated Press report that Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, has said he is hopeful that a ceasefire in Syria can be brokered at a meeting with Russia’s president on Thursday, as two more Turkish fighters were killed in Idlib province. The Times reports that The Netherlands has called for a no-fly zone to be imposed over north west Syria in a sign that President Erdogan’s threat not to stop migrants passing into Europe was having an effect. Reuters reports that European Union countries offered more money on Wednesday for border policing in Greece and humanitarian aid in Syria’s Idlib, but they were in a bind over Turkey as they sought to avert a mass influx of migrants. BBC News reports that analysis of satellite images in the south and east of Syria’s Idlib province suggests large parts of the area are now uninhabitable.

BBC News, the Associated Press and Reuters reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc appears to have failed to secure a parliamentary majority in Monday’s general election. With 99% of votes counted, Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party was on track to win 36 seats, and allied right-wing and religious parties another 22. The Guardian reports that Arab politicians have made historic gains in the Israeli election, taking more seats than ever before and solidifying their position as the third-largest force in the Knesset, the country’s parliament.

The Associated Press reports that Israeli warplanes fired missiles toward military positions in central Syria early Thursday, Syrian state media and an opposition war monitor reported.

The Times and Reuters report that the US launched airstrikes on Taliban fighters in Afghanistan on Wednesday, a day after President Trump said that he had held a “very good” phone call with the militants’ political chief. Reuters reports that International Criminal Court appeal judges will on Thursday rule whether the ICC’s prosecutor can investigate allegations of war crimes by US and other forces in Afghanistan’s conflict, a case that has triggered diplomatic retaliation by Washington.

Reuters reports that oil prices rose more than 1% on Thursday ahead of an OPEC meeting in which Saudi Arabia is expected to push the group and its allies including Russia to agree to further output cuts to support the market.

The Associated Press reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday warned its citizens and its foreign residents not to travel anywhere abroad amid the ongoing worldwide coronavirus outbreak, a stark warning for a country home to two major long-haul airlines.

The Financial Times, editorial asserts that President Erdogan’s pivot to Putin has left Turkey weaker, as the Turkish leader is ‘doing the Kremlin’s bidding’ by using Syrian refugees as leverage with which to obtain concessions from the EU.

In the Financial Times, George Soros argues that Europe must stand with Turkey over Putin’s war crimes in Syria, as focusing on the refugee crisis created by Russia has addressed the symptoms of the issue rather than the cause, namely Russia’s indiscriminate bombing of civilians areas.

For Sky News, Deborah Haynes argues that Trump’s alleged deal with the Taliban is a pre-election stunt aimed to bolster the notion that the US is getting out of the Middle East, although it is hard not to disagree with those who see the move as “America walking away”.

All the Israeli media report Syrian sources claiming Israel carried out airstrikes in central and southern Syria last night. According to SANA, the Syrian state news agency, Israeli air force planes fired missiles from Lebanese airspace towards the central area of Syria. Haaretz says Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that a Syrian soldier was killed and another four wounded in two strikes, citing sources from the Syrian military. The newspaper also reported that eight missiles had been fired at the airport near Homs, five of which were intercepted. In addition, Israeli missiles also targeted areas in the south west countryside of Quneitra, in southern Syria, a Syrian military source said. Israel Hayom notes a different Arab media report that identified the target of the attack as a missile shipment earmarked for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Other targets reportedly included Syrian army bases and a military airport used by Hezbollah that was allegedly attacked by Israel in May 2018.

All the Israeli media continue to report the coronavirus outbreak. Yesterday Prime Minister Netanyahu, alongside Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, announced new infection control measures and said Israelis returning from France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland must self-quarantine for 14 days. The decision applies retrospectively, not just to new arrivals. Foreign citizens arriving from those countries will not be allowed into Israel unless they can self-quarantine at a home during their stay. Gatherings of more than 5,000 people will not be permitted, including the Jerusalem marathon which was scheduled for later this month. International conferences will not be permitted. Netanyahu advised Israelis to avoid personal contact, including shaking hands. An estimated 60-70,000 Israelis are currently quarantined, so far 15 Israelis have contracted the Covid-19 virus.