There is widespread coverage of yesterday’s announcement that a unity pact has been agreed between the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas. The Financial Times, Sun, Independent i and Telegraph report that the agreement outlines establishing a unity government within five weeks; presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for around six months time. The Independent emphasises that the unity agreement has “cast doubt” on peace talks between the PA and Israel, as Hamas remains dedicated to Israel’s destruction. The Times says the deal “throws Middle East hopes into chaos”, while the Guardian suggests that if the impending Palestinian government includes Hamas representatives, European Union and US funding for the PA could be endangered.

The online editions of the Guardian, Telegraph, Times and Financial Times all cover yesterday’s speech by former-Prime Minister and current Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair to Bloomberg in London. Blair called on the West to tackle Islamist extremism head on, describing it as the biggest threat to world order. He also expressed support for the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt by the country’s military last summer. Meanwhile, the Guardian online reports that the US has delivered 10 Apache helicopters to Egypt to help quell ongoing violence in the Sinai region, which borders Israel, where Islamists have attacked Egyptian security forces with regularity.

The Guardian online reports that police in Portsmouth and London are working with local Muslim families to try to prevent young members of the community from travelling to fight with Islamist groups in Syria. The Times includes an interview with the mother of an 18-year-old from Brighton, who was recently killed fighting against the Assad regime in Syria. The report mentions that his father took the teenager on protests against Israeli military action in Gaza in 2008-9.

In Syria itself, the Times suggests that President Assad’s forces are infiltrating the Islamist ISIS opposition group in a ‘Machiavellian’ manoeuvre to sustain ISIS as a convenient ‘terrorist’ enemy to justify his military actions. Meanwhile, the Telegraph online says that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned yesterday that 3.5 million Syrians are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

In the Israeli media, yesterday’s announcement of a unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas is the top item. It is the lead story in Haaretz and Makor Rishon, while Yediot Ahronot describes Israeli officials as being “furious” over the deal. Maariv-NRG and Israel Hayom both say Israel’s security cabinet will meet today to discuss the implications of the Palestinian unity agreement, although Israel Radio news says that no decision will be taken on the future of peace talks with the PA. In the commentary surrounding the agreement, Maariv’s Assaf Gibor and Prof Eyal Zisser in Israel Hayom both cast doubt on whether the deal will actually be implemented given the deep enmity between Fatah and Hamas. Writing in Yediot Ahronot though, Alex Fishman says that the agreement will pose serious questions of the United States and its attitude towards Hamas, warning that, “Unless there is a harsh American response, this will mark the beginning of a diplomatic avalanche that will lead to the West’s recognition of Hamas.”

In other news, Israel Radio news reports that Israel’s Air Force struck a number of rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip yesterday evening. Palestinian reports said that the operation had resulted in several injuries. Rocket alert sirens were sounded in areas of southern Israel, but no rockets had reportedly landed.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom says that police are inclined to bring new charges of obstructing justice against former-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was convicted last month of bribery during his time as Mayor of Jerusalem.