This morning’s Guardian includes an op-ed from Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn, who argues that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted to maintain his complex coalition government, rather than make serious progress towards concluding a peace deal with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Benn says that such a move, although perhaps risking coalition stability, would have garnered popular public support in Israel.

The online edition of the Guardian reports that the Jordanian government and the United Nations (UN) have opened a new refugee camp 60 miles from Jordan’s capital Amman, which has the capacity to house 130,000 refugees, with civilians continuing to pour into the country from Syria.

In Syria itself, the Times covers a day of violence yesterday. A school in Aleppo was bombed by government air forces, killing at least 18 children, while a car bomb in Homs set off by the Islamist opposition group the al-Nusra Front, killed at least 79 people. The report also says that the ISIS group crucified two members of a rival Islamist opposition group which attacked several of its members.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph online says that President Assad’s forces are thought to have carried out another crude chemical air attack yesterday in the town of Al-Tamaneh. The same publication reports that the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition has called for Western governments to supply it with missiles to combat Syrian government helicopters which are reportedly responsible for such attacks.

In the Israeli media, the main story is what is described by commentators in Yediot Ahronot and Haaretz as a “digital rebellion” by IDF soldiers unhappy at the apparent punishment meted out to an infantry soldier in the Nahal Brigade. The soldier was filmed cocking his gun at a Palestinian teenager who confronted him in Hebron. Since footage of the incident was circulated online, thousands of soldiers have posted messages of support for the Nahal soldier via social media, in an expression of dissatisfaction at what they view as an absence of support by authorities towards soldiers facing difficult situations and often provocation in the West Bank on a daily basis. The story is the top item in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv-NRG, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom.

Another major item is the response to recent so-called ‘Price Tag’ incidents in the West Bank. The latest of these incidents, acts of vandalism against Palestinian property by those opposed to curbs on settlement building, took place in the northern town of Fureidis earlier this week. Israel Radio news says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday condemned the incident. Meanwhile, Maariv-NRG and Israel Radio news report that two couples from the West Bank settlement of Yizhar were arrested yesterday in connection with a separate ‘Price Tag’ incident several weeks ago. However, Haaretz and Yediot Ahronot cover a US State Department report issued yesterday, which laments a low number of prosecutions over ‘Price Tag’ attacks.

Israel Hayom and Makor Rishon highlight the announcement yesterday that Intel will invest a further £3.5 billion in its existing plant at Kiryat Gat, in what is reported as an effective vote of confidence in Israel’s economy. There had been concern that Intel would opt to move its research and development operation elsewhere, but it has instead decided to invest further in its Israeli presence. Israel’s government will also contribute a significant sum towards Intel’s expansion.