The Financial Times reports that Turkey has accused the US Congress of “hostile” behaviour after senators passed punitive measures against Ankara, underscoring the growing tensions

The Telegraph reports that a senior Israeli MP has called on the US to impose sanctions on Turkey after an investigation by The Daily Telegraph revealed he had been the target of a Hamas assassination attempt plotted from Istanbul. The Independent reports that the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Turkish leadership was “turning a blind eye” to Hamas’s use of the country as a base to “direct” terrorist activity.

The Associated Press reports that a Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward southern Israel early on Thursday and Israeli aircraft responded with airstrikes in the Hamas-ruled territory.

In The Telegraph, Colonel Richard Kemp argues that Turkey’s ‘shameful support’ for Hamas could provoke a full-scale Middle East war, as President Erdogan continues ‘encouraging and facilitating’ Hamas’ anti-Israeli operations.

The Guardian reports that four US congressional Democrats have written to Donald Trump’s Syria envoy asking him to spell out what information the US has about the alleged use of white phosphorus by Turkey against Syrian Kurdish civilians in October.

In The Independent, Ahmed Aboudouh argues that by sending troops to Libya, President Erdogan is ‘risking a major Mediterranean conflict’, demanding Egypt and Greece hold their nerve in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Reuters reports that Lebanon’s Saad al-Hariri withdrew as a candidate for prime minister on Wednesday, and Shi’ite Hezbollah with its ally Amal moved toward nominating a former education minister for the job, two senior sources familiar with their position said. The Associated Press reports that the move by Hariri comes amid much uncertainty and heightened tensions following recent violence.

The Associated Press reports that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday urged Muslim nations to deepen financial and trade cooperation to fight what he described as U.S. economic hegemony, using an Islamic conference in Malaysia as a platform to decry American sanctions against his country.

The Israeli media report that the Shin Bet security service have detained 50 male terrorist suspects belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and planning to carry out major terrorist attacks in the Ramallah area. The detainees include those allegedly responsible for the murder of 17-year-old Rina Shnerb in an attack in the West Bank in August. A senior Shin Bet official said: “This intelligence work has foiled terrorist attacks on the verge of execution. If we hadn’t arrived at the scene, the PFLP would have launched these attacks, killing dozens of people. The large number of firearms we found and information we received illustrate the dangers at hand and the high level of readiness to perpetrate terrorist attacks.”

Kan Radio News reports that Israel Air Force planes attacked a Hamas site for manufacturing weapons in the northern Gaza Strip this morning in response to a rocket fired at Sderot. The coordinator of government activities in the territories announced that the fishing zone would be reduced until further notice. The Iron Dome system intercepted the rocket last night. No one was injured and no damage was caused.

The Israeli media report that Defence Minister Naftali Bennett and IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi attended a large-scale military exercise in the Golan Heights.  The manoeuvre simulated combat conditions with a combination of armour, infantry, combat engineering and air force. Bennett said: “The more Iran tries to establish itself on Syrian soil, the deeper it will sink in the Syrian sands. Syria is increasingly becoming Iran’s Vietnam.  We will increase the pressure, Iran has nothing to look for on Syrian soil. we will continue to protect the country’s borders.”

All the Israeli media analyse the ongoing row over the appointment Orly Ben Ari-Ginsberg as acting state prosecutor. Minutes before the ceremony for outgoing and incoming prosecutors, Supreme Court Justice Meni Mazuz issued an order suspending the controversial appointment.  The Attorney General has argued that she was not senior enough and that she had failed three times in her bid to be promoted to the central district attorney.  Yediot Ahronot described Justice Minister Ohana, who appointed her, as ”stunned and visibly disappointed.”

The Israeli media report that the Israel Electric Company (IEC) has cut the power supply to cities in the West Bank because of a debt of $519 million owed by the largest Palestinian supplier; Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO). Ynet reports the IEC began daily, three-hour power cuts on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the company said they are “determined to collect the debt but disconnect the power in a reasonable and proportionate way.” The cuts have led to afternoon power outages in the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem, affecting an estimated 130,000 people, according to Hisham Omari the chairman of JDECO, he said the company was “trying to take a 150 million shekels ($43.25 million) loan from a Palestinian bank to help pay off the debt.” He added that the PA is negotiating with Israel to reschedule JDECO’s debt payments and end the power cuts.