BBC News, The Financial Times, The Independent, The Times, The Guardian, and Reuters all report on Lebanon’s new prime minister, Sa’ad Hariri. The country’s parliament chose Hariri almost a year after he resigned from the same office in the face of mass anti-government protests, marking the third time he has been appointed to lead the country. Hariri won the parliamentary nomination with 65 out of 120 votes and will now be tasked with forming a government. In a brief statement yesterday, Hariri said: “I intend to keep my promise, to work on stopping the collapse that threatens our economy, society and security”. While declining to speak directly about Hariri’s appointment, US Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said Lebanon’s government “must commit to and have the ability to implement reforms that can lead to economic opportunity, better governance and an end to endemic corruption”.

The Telegraph reports that 45 members of the US House of Congress have urged the US administration to boycott November’s G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia. In a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, lawmakers cited Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, its military campaign in Yemen and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. “As the world’s leading democracy and purveyor of human rights, our government should demand dramatic changes to Saudi Arabia’s dismal record of human rights violations,” the letter read.

The Times reports that Hamas has set up secret headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, which has been used for carrying out cyberwarfare and counter-intelligence operations. The unit is directed by Hamas’s military leadership in Gaza and was opened without the knowledge of the Turkish government. It co-ordinates cyber-operations against enemies of Hamas in the Arab world, including the rival Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, and embassies of countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates located in the Middle East and Europe. It also oversees surveillance, and in some cases interrogation, of those within Hamas’s own ranks suspected of disloyalty.

Reuters reports that citizens of the United Arab Emirates will be able to stay in Israel for up to 90 days on a single visit, a visa exemption that exists for no other Arab country. While Egypt and Jordan have full diplomatic relations with Israel, citizens of those countries must still apply for entry permits from Israel.

BBC News reports that US national security officials say that Iran was responsible for sending threatening emails to Democratic voters ahead of next month’s presidential election. John Ratcliffe, the Director of National Intelligence, said the emails appeared to come from a far-right pro-Trump group and were meant to “incite unrest,” adding that Iran and Russia obtained voter registration information. Reuters reports that intelligence officials were able to quickly identify Iranian involvement because of mistakes made in a video attached to the emails. A senior US government official said: “Either they made a dumb mistake or wanted to get caught.”

The Guardian reports that US President Donald Trump may label Oxfam, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as antisemitic over their criticisms of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and settlement activity in the West Bank. Amnesty International accused Trump of attempting “to silence and intimidate international human rights organisations”.

The Times reports that the teenager who beheaded a French teacher northwest of Paris last week was in contact with an Islamist in Syria. Eighteen-year-old Abdoullakh Anzorov posted Islamic State propaganda on Instagram, and while his social media posts were reported several times over the summer, no action was taken. Officials say Anzorov was not on the security service’s watch list of 8,000 potentially dangerous radicals.

The Economist reports that Middle Eastern leaders have put big decisions on hold in the lead up to the US election: “The whole region seems to be waiting. From the prospect of nuclear negotiations to the make-up of a new Lebanese government, Iran and its allies have put big decisions on hold until American voters make their own.”

Kan Radio News reported the IDF attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for two rockets that were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip last night. A weapons manufacturing site and underground infrastructure belonging to Hamas were struck. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office reported that warplanes and other aircraft carried out the attack. Both rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip were aimed at the Gaza periphery communities and Ashkelon. No one was injured and no property was damaged. One rocket was intercepted and one landed in uninhabited territory.

Ynet reports Defence Minister Benny Gantz and US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper have signed a joint declaration confirming Washington’s strategic commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East. Gantz said, “We are now entering an era of normalisation in the Middle East, which can help against Iranian aggression across the region. Together with the United States and allies, old and new, we will ensure fruitful cooperation. I would like to thank the American administration and in particular, my friend, Secretary of Defence Esper, who promoted the issue with me.” According to the report, Gantz’s visit focused on purchasing advanced US made aircrafts such as F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, transport helicopters, and probably also a V-22 helicopter. 

All the papers cover the protests across Israel last night, According to Haaretz, “thousands of Israelis called for the resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu….Over 1,500 protesters marched in Haifa and over a dozen small protests took place at various intersections in Jerusalem… In Tel Aviv, more than 1,000 demonstrators began marching from Habima Square toward Rabin Square. For the first time since July, some 1,500 business owners and self-employed Israelis joined the anti-Netanyahu demonstration at Rabin Square.”

Israel Hayom reports that Palestinian lawyers have filed a lawsuit with a Nablus court to sue the British government over the 1917 Balfour Declaration. The case is being brought by the Federation of Independent and Democratic Trade Union, International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights, and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate. According to Munib al-Masri, head of the Federation of Independent and Democratic Trade Unions, “The British mandate is at the root of the suffering of the Palestinian people and has paved the way for the violation of their rights and the plunder of their land.”

Yediot Ahronot notes the UK are leading the campaign in the UN against China’s human rights violations of minority groups in the Xinjiang region and in Hong Kong. According to the paper, “The Chinese have asked Israel not to join the statement against them—but this time it appears that Israel wishes to take advantage of the situation to receive identical diplomatic treatment from China, on the next occasion that the UN seeks to condemn Israel’s activity. After formulation of the Israeli position on the matter, and in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan spoke with his counterpart Zhang Jun. In the conversation, Erdan made it clear to him: If the Chinese do not change their systematic voting pattern against Israel in the UN, Israel will change its policy towards China for the first time, and will weigh each UN vote and initiative on its merits—even it is aimed against China.”

Maariv includes their latest polling. When asked: If the election for the Knesset were held today, for which party would you vote? The Likud receives 30 seats, Yamina: 20 seats, Yesh Atid: 18 seats, Joint List: 12 seats, Blue and White: 9 seats, Shas: 9 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu: 8 seats, United Torah Judaism: 7 seats and Meretz: 7 seats. The poll questioned 549 people online and used a representative sample of the adult Israeli population, Jews and Arabs alike. The margin of error is 4.4 per cent.