The Times reports that more than 100 Turkish soldiers were taken into custody yesterday as President Erdogan of Turkey launched a new purge of the military. The soldiers were arrested under a warrant issued by a court in Istanbul, adding to the more than 300 detained since the start of the month. All are accused of links to the Gulenists, an outlawed social movement that the Turkish government accuses of orchestrating a coup attempt in July 2016. The 118 arrested yesterday are the most recent of the more than 15,000 military personnel who have been dismissed in the past two and a half years, 150 of them generals and admirals and a further 7,595 high-ranking officers. The initial clear-out paved the way for Mr Erdogan’s first cross-border operation into Syria, Euphrates Shield, which began in August 2016.

The Guardian, Sky News, the Independent, BBC and Reuters report that the ceasefire agreed in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah has so far held. The Guardian reports that residents trapped in Hodeidah were daring to hope on Tuesday that the misery facing the besieged Yemeni city was abating, after the first day of a UN-brokered ceasefire appeared to hold. Residents said sporadic gunfire punctured the truce but there has been no movement on the east and southern fronts in the battle for the city – a marked improvement after six weeks of intense fighting for Hodeidah’s vital port, Yemen’s main aid lifeline. Aid agencies have warned that any damage to the city’s port facilities is likely to tip the country – where three quarters of the 28 million population are already dependent on aid to survive – into full-blown famine. Reuters reports that the warring parties in the country have traded accusations of breaching the ceasefire in Hodeidah. Residents reported shelling late on Tuesday, the first day of the truce, for nearly one hour on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Houthi-held Red Sea city, a lifeline for millions. It was calm early on Wednesday. The United Nations is due to convene the Iran-aligned Houthi group and the Saudi-backed government by video link on Wednesday to discuss a troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports under the truce deal agreed at UN-led talks in Sweden last week, the first in more than two years. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV accused Saudi-led coalition forces of breaching the truce by shelling several sites, including areas east of the airport. The United Arab Emirates news agency WAM quoted a Yemeni source saying the Houthis fired mortar bombs and rockets at the May 22 hospital in eastern suburbs.

Reuters reports that outgoing US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that an American plan to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians brings “brings new elements to the discussion, taking advantage of the new world of technology that we live in.” However, during a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, Haley gave no details of exactly what was in the long-awaited, unpublished plan, which has been prepared by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. “It is much longer. It contains much more thoughtful detail,” Haley told the council of the plan, which she said she has read. “It recognises that realities on the ground in the Middle East have changed in powerful and important ways. The Palestinians have everything to gain by engaging in peace negotiations. This plan will be different from all previous ones. The critical question is whether the response to it will be any different.”

The Financial Times reports that Saudi Arabia plans to raise spending by more than 7 per cent over the next 12 months as Riyadh for a second year turns to domestic stimulus in an effort to boost its flagging economy. As the kingdom faces international isolation in the wake of the killing in October of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the budget announced on Tuesday confirmed that expenditure would rise to SR1.106tn next year. The 2019 budget, the largest in the country’s history, mirrors last year’s attempt to stimulate growth as the Saudi economy struggles to recover from years of austerity measures prompted by lower oil prices. The budget forecasts a deficit of SR131bn, or 4.2 per cent of gross domestic product, with revenues projected at SR975bn.

The BBC reports that talks in Geneva to set up a constitutional committee for Syria have ended without a clear outcome. The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey attended the United Nations-sponsored talks to build a sustainable peace in the country, but failed to agree on the committee’s makeup. The UN says more work needs to be done before it is set up. The ministers called for the committee to meet early next year to kick off the peace process. UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura commented: “I believe there is an extra mile to go in the marathon effort to ensure the necessary package for a credible, balanced and inclusive constitutional committee, and for including a balanced chairing arrangement and drafting body and voting threshold – to be established under UN auspices in Geneva.” The new Syrian Constitutional Committee is also due to plan for new elections. In a joint statement read out by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russia, Iran and Turkey said the new initiative should be guided “by a sense of compromise and constructive engagement”.

Reuters reports that Bijan Rafiekian, the ex-business partner of former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges he covertly lobbied for Turkey to discredit and extradite a Muslim cleric living in the United States. The indictment alleges that Rafiekian and the businessman, Ekim Alptekin, worked with Turkish government officials on a secret plan to return Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is living in exile in Pennsylvania, to Turkey.

Reuters reports that Iraq’s parliament voted on Tuesday to approve three out of five ministers put forward by Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, a step towards ending weeks of deadlock between the two largest parliamentary blocs. The approval of the ministers brings Abdul-Mahdi closer to completing his cabinet, but divisions over who will fill the posts have highlighted the weakness of his position. Intensifying disagreements between the rival Islah and Bina blocs, led by populist Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iran-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, have prevented the formation of a full government of 22 ministers.

All the Israeli media report Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Givat Assaf, the scene of last week’s shooting attack, where Sergeant Yosef Cohen, aged 19 from Beit Shemesh, and 20-year-old Staff Sergeant Yovel Moryosef from Ashkelon, were shot dead when a gunman leapt out of his car and opened fire as the two soldiers stood at a bus stop. Another IDF soldier was critically wounded in the attack and two civilians were hurt. Netanyahu was briefed by GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan who said the security forces are “in the midst of a manhunt,” adding that so far 100 suspects have been detained on suspicion of being involved in the incident. Netanyahu said: “The Palestinian terrorists think the attacks will uproot us, but they won’t. It is the heart of our homeland, and we will strengthen the settlement enterprise even more. We will take all the necessary steps to combat terror, not only from Gaza, but from the West Bank as well.” Netanyahu also praised the residents of Israeli settlements in the West Bank for showing “resilience and strength in the face of terror.” The Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Eran Niv said: “A terrorist, who is connected to the Ofra attack, drove from Ramallah in a vehicle with a yellow registration plate (official colour of Israeli registration plates) so when his car stopped at the bus stop, the three soldiers who had been standing there didn’t suspect him.” Yediot Ahronot also notes criticism of the battalion on duty at the time. “In the IDF it is clear that there is a problem with the battalion’s performance in the recent events in the Binyamin area, not only in the incident at Givat Assaf, but also the penetration inside Beit El settlement, where another battalion soldier was injured when a terrorist infiltrated. The investigation revealed that there was a problem with his operational conduct. A series of investigations into the functioning of the forces are ongoing, after which changes will apparently be made.”

Haaretz follows up a report from the Wall Street Journal writing that: “Efforts to improve the relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia have been seriously hindered after Riyadh fired two Saudi officials leading the project over suspected involvement in the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi… One of the officials, former media adviser to the court, Saud al-Qahtani, issued directives to the Saudi press with the goal of improving Israel’s image. The two countries have no diplomatic ties and anti-Israel sentiments are widespread in the kingdom. The other official, also a former close aide to Prince Mohammad bin Salman and a subordinate of al-Qahtani, reportedly made several secret trips to Israel to look into employing Israeli surveillance technology.”

Israel Hayom reveals that Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, will today present to the UN Security Council: “Intelligence that provides clear-cut proof, of the relationship and coordination between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah, and will argue that coordination between the two has facilitated Hezbollah’s efforts to prevent Israel’s operation to neutralise the tunnels. Danon will also present other intelligence, which has not yet been shared, about other Hezbollah violations of Resolution 1701.” Speaking in advance of the Security Council meeting, Danon said: “There is a clear relationship between parts of the Lebanese army and the Hezbollah terror organisation, and they have been helping the terror organisation expand its terrorist infrastructure in the country and to destabilise the region… Under the Lebanese government, an underground city of tunnels and precision-guided missile factories has been built, and these not only egregiously violate the UN resolution, but also put in mortal danger the residents of southern Lebanon, who serve as human shields. Israel will neutralise any threat and will act forcefully against Hezbollah and any other actor who tries to infringe on its sovereignty.” The paper comments: “After 12 years of denials and living a lie, the UN Security Council today is going to have to see reality for what it is. The Security Council meeting today about the tunnels will put an end to the masquerade ball on the Lebanese issue, and will herald the beginning of a new era in which the world (hopefully) will address the truth about the state of affairs on Israel’s northern border.” However, there is less optimism in Maariv: “If Israel is seriously banking on the UN Security Council in its war against Hezbollah, it’s in trouble… No one disputes Israel’s need to make every effort to expose Hezbollah’s true colours and to cast responsibility on the Lebanese government, which includes a Hezbollah representative. Israel can certainly use Western media outlets to that end, but to hope that the UN or the Security Council will take any practical measures that will help Israel—or even express sympathy and offer its help—is delusional and leaves the impression of Israeli weakness.”

Channel Ten News reported last night that during his meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov, Israeli Ambassador to Russia, Gary Koren, complained to the Russian Foreign Ministry about its invitation to Hamas Political Bureau Director Ismail Haniya to visit Moscow. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister replied to Koren, “You talk with Hamas yourselves.”

Kan radio reports that Israel is funding security for Jewish communities overseas in coordination with the Mossad. One of the government’s ministries recently sent over NIS 10 million (£2.1 million) to the Mossad to finance security missions around the world. The funds were allocated amid intensifying anti-Semitism in Europe and the fear of terror attacks against Jewish institutions after the disbanding of ISIS.