The Telegraph online includes a feature on the fear of Hamas tunnel-building among residents of Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Residents report hearing sounds of drilling and digging, often underneath their homes; they fear that tunnels are being built which could be used to launch attacks on their communities. In recent weeks, Israel’s security establishment has prioritised countering the Gaza tunnels, which were a major feature of Operation Protective Edge in 2014. So far in 2016, at least five tunnels have collapsed killing Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip, as the terror group openly rebuilds the underground network.

The Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Financial Times and Independent all cover an agreement announced yesterday between the United States and Russia to begin a ceasefire in Syria of all associated groups on Saturday, which will include provision for humanitarian access. However, the agreement does not apply to ISIS, al-Nusra Front and other terror groups. Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said that the ceasefire will require a “major change of behaviour” from the Assad regime and Russian forces. Meanwhile, President Assad announced parliamentary elections on 13 April.

The Telegraph online reports that Iran’s former-President Mohammad Khatami, has released a statement backing the list of relative moderates standing in the country’s parliamentary elections on Friday. However, the Financial Times says that the list is hampered as the religious hierarchy has only permitted a small number of their candidates, plus recent economic hardship will likely be widely blamed on the rule of figurehead, current President Hassan Rouhani.

In the Israeli media, both Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom lead with an order by the IDF Chief of Staff that soldiers on leave should take their weapons home with them. The decision comes in the wake of the murder of Staff Sgt. Yanai Weissman, who was fatally stabbed last week while on home leave, shopping in a West Bank community. Israel Radio news and other sources say that Weissman had requested that he take his weapon home with him, but had been denied permission. In 2006, it was decided to sharply reduce the practice whereby even trainees take their weapon on leave, in order to reduce the number of army suicides.

Meanwhile, Maariv leads with an item which quotes unnamed Israeli officials who suggest that the current wave of violence, which has seen at least 31 Israelis killed since the start of October, could escalate due to one of three scenarios – a popular Palestinian uprising on the streets, the active participation of the armed Tanzim group, affiliated to the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, or a breakdown in Israeli-PA security cooperation.

Another major item, especially in Israel Hayom, is the unauthorised posters which appeared on the London Underground yesterday, which denigrated Israel and castigated companies with business interests in the country. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said that the government had done nothing to counter the incident and so he had spoken to London Mayor Boris Johnson. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered that he had instructed Director General of the Foreign Ministry Dore Gold to deal with the issue alongside the British authorities. Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Ben-Dror Yemini says that the boycott movement is based on “a complete lie,” but that “If it is repeated enough times, in the end it will take root.”

Israel Radio news reports that a psychiatric report has concluded that Yosef Haim Ben David, the main defendant in the murder of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir in summer 2014, is fit to stand trial. His two co-defendants were recently sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in the murder, but Ben David had claimed he is mentally unwell and cannot be subject to a trial.