The Guardian reports on the growing use of makeshift ‘Carl Gustav’ guns by Palestinians who have attacked Israelis in recent weeks. The report says that Israeli authorities have been busy breaking up the production of the crude, but effective weapons, which are much cheaper to purchase than regular firearms. A ‘Carl Gustav’ gun was used in a shooting which injured two Israeli border policemen last week in East Jerusalem. It was one of the latest in near-daily attacks which have killed at least 31 Israelis since October.

The Times says that a hiker in the Galilee region in northern Israel has found a two thousand year old coin depicting the image of the Roman Emperor Augustus. The only other coin of its kind is housed in the British Museum.

The New Day reports that the world’s oldest living man lives in Israel. 112-year-old Yisrael Kristal is a Holocaust survivor, having endured Auschwitz.

The Daily Mail, Telegraph and Sun all cover controversy in the Labour Party over the readmission of an activist accused of anti-Semitic views and virulent hostility towards Israel. Vicki Kirby is the vice-chair of the local party in Woking, but has previously suggested via social media that Hitler is the “Zionist God” and has questioned why ISIS has not yet attacked Israel.

Writing in the Independent and Independent i, Rachel Shabi says that accusations of a “reluctance” to tackle anti-Semitism is often a means to attack Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership credentials. However, in the Times, Hugo Rifkind says that Corbyn must face up to anti-Semitism within his party as there is a “creeping presumption, mainly on the left, that Zionism is among the greatest of all global malignancies.”

The online editions of the Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Financial Times and Independent all report that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last night made a surprise announcement that Russian troops will begin a withdrawal from Syria immediately. He said that Russian forces had largely fulfilled their aims within the last six months and the focus should now turn to peace talks which resumed this week in Geneva. Meanwhile, the Guardian online covers a report which says that 1,500 people have been killed by chemical weapon attacks in Syria during the country’s civil war.

In the Israeli media, the top item in Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Israel Hayom, also covered prominently in Maariv is President Putin’s surprise announcement that Russia will withdraw troops from Syria. Writing in Maariv, Yossi Melman calls the move “both a blessing and a risk.” On the one hand, it will give Israel greater freedom of movement to deter threats from Syria, but on the other it will likely see Iran take a more prominent role in the region. This is also the thrust of Alex Fishman’s conclusion, who says in Yediot Ahronot that “this is not great news: The Russians are leaving—the Iranians are returning.”

Haaretz reports that Israeli and Palestinian security officials have conducted behind the scenes meetings over Israel reducing or stopping IDF activity in some Palestinian West Bank cities, specifically Ramallah and Jericho. However, Israel Radio news includes comment from an anonymous Israeli government official who denies that such an agreement was reached and that the Palestinians were responsible for an impasse in talks. The official added that the IDF will continue to act in accordance with operational needs.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio news also reports that a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel last night, landing in an open area in the Shar Hanegev region without causing any injury or damage. In addition, two Palestinian women were arrested yesterday at a checkpoint near Jerusalem in possession of knives with which they intended to carry out an attack on Israelis.