The Times, Independent, Financial Times, Independent i and the online edition of the Guardian all report the announcement yesterday that Israel plans to expropriate 988 acres of land in the Etzion region of the West Bank, opening the possibility to advance plans for construction. However, the Etzion bloc is an area of the West Bank thought likely to remain part of Israel under any future peace deal. Both the Times and Guardian online note that the US State Department criticised yesterday’s announcement.

The Telegraph and the online edition of the Financial Times both report that Israel yesterday shot down a drone over the border with Syria. The incident added to the recent increase in tension in the region, with the online editions of the Guardian and Times reporting on the dramatic escape of around 70 Filipino United Nations peacekeepers, who had been seized by an Islamist group on the Syrian side of the border. Both the Israeli and Syrian armies are thought to have assisted in the escape. However, a group of Fijian peacekeepers are still being held.

Meanwhile, there is continuing coverage of the fallout from Operation Protective Edge. The Guardian reports that Israel estimates the cost of the conflict at around £1.5 billion. As a result, the government yesterday recommended a two per cent cut in government spending with some ministers fearing that the reduction in spending will hit Israel’s poorest hardest. The Telegraph online includes a feature on the residents of Kibbutz Nahal Oz on the Gaza border, who say that they are unhappy at the uncertain security situation. However, some residents say they are determined to stay, but urge a renewed peace process.

Metro covers a protest yesterday outside the Royal Courts of Justice calling for zero tolerance of anti-Semitism, following a spike in incidents during the Gaza conflict. The Daily Expresscovers an academic report which claims that Jews are increasingly leaving Europe due to anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, the Guardian includes an opinion piece co-authored by the head of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and deputy head of the Muslim Council of Britain, saying “we must not allow events in the Middle East to define the relationship between our communities here in Britain.”

In the Times online, it is reported that Iran’s President Rouhani called Western sanctions an “invasion” after the United States imposed a further 25 penalties targeting businesses, banks and individuals thought to aid Tehran’s nuclear programme.

In the Israeli media, the economic and social fallout from Operation Protective Edge takes centre stage. Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom all lead with the start of the school year today as scheduled, with quiet seemingly finally returned following the last several weeks of conflict. Haaretz highlights that although school will begin as planned, the education budget is set to suffer a sharp cut after the cabinet yesterday agreed a two per cent cut to all spending in order to foot the bill for the Gaza campaign. As noted by Maariv, several political leaders have criticised the decision, saying that the poor will be hit hardest by the cuts.

The announcement yesterday that Israel will appropriate a significant section of West Bank land is another major item. Haaretz says that the decision is a response to the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish Israeli teenagers in June in the Etzion region. Israel Radio news notes that the US State Department criticised the announcement. Writing in Maariv, Yariv Oppenheimer, Secretary General of anti-settlement group Peace Now says that the decision will be detrimental to all Israel.

Yediot Ahronot reports that a paratrooper, Sgt. Shahar Shalev, who was seriously wounded during Operation Protective Edge, died yesterday in hospital from his wounds.