Sky News, The BBC, The Telegraph and The Guardian all report three commanders of the militant group Islamic Jihad (PIJ), amongst 15 Palestinians, have been killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. Palestinian health officials said eight women and children were among the dead. Another 22 people were injured. Israel said the Islamic Jihad leaders it targeted overnight were involved in recent attacks on Israeli civilians. Various sites linked to the PIJ were also taken out, including a rocket factory and a facility to produce concrete for tunnels.

The BBC and the Financial Times report that The EU has cancelled its diplomatic event for Europe Day in Israel because of the planned participation of the far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Organisers said they did not want “to offer a platform” to someone whose views contradicted its values. As the Israeli government’s designated representative, Mr Ben-Gvir had insisted he would give the customary speech at a ceremony on Tuesday. In response to the decision, he accused the EU of “undiplomatic gagging”.

The Financial Times also reports that Communities secretary Michael Gove is poised to bring forward long-awaited legislation to stop UK councils and other public bodies boycotting Israel. Ministers are set to approve the bill, promised in the Conservative party’s 2019 manifesto, that would stop public bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland bringing in “boycott, divestment and sanctions” (BDS) policies against controversial foreign regimes.

The Times reports that Bali’s shores packed with international visitors being joined in August by 1,600 athletes from 130 countries battling for gold in the World Beach Games, the third-largest multi-sports tournament after the summer and winter Olympics. Indonesia is a strong champion of the Palestinian cause and does not recognise the state of Israel under its constitution. It is forbidden to raise Israel’s flag or play its national anthem at official events. For an Israeli, even obtaining a visa is extremely challenging. Wayan Koster, Bali’s governor, has insisted that Israeli athletes cannot enter the island as representatives of their country.

Israeli media is reporting that four people were killed in a shooting attack at a synagogue in Tunisia on Tuesday. Aviel and Ben Haddad were identified as the victims of the attack on the Djerba Synagogue in Tunis during Lag BaOmer celebrations there. Aviel, an Israeli national residing in Tunisia, and his cousin who was a French tourist, were shot in the parking lot of the 2,500-year-old shrine on the Tunisian island, the home of the Jewish community in the North African country. Two security guards were also killed, and 10 others were wounded when a naval guard opened fire during annual festivities that attract Jews from around the world. 

Army Radio reports that Egyptian mediators are at an advanced stage of talks to hold direct mediation with the Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad Leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah arrived in Cairo and is holding talks at present with Egyptian intelligence officials. For the moment, he has instructed his people to hold their fire. The Egyptians are pressing al-Nakhalah to refrain from another round of fighting.

Army Radio also reports that the IDF forces exchanged fire with Palestinian terrorists near Tubas in the Jordan Valley. Security forces there arrested 19 wanted men overnight throughout Judea and Samaria. Israel also decided to, this morning, return the body of a terror suspect from the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp, which is near Jericho. The suspect was killed by IDF fire two weeks ago when he tried to avoid arrest. In keeping with a decision by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, his body was returned to the family.

Ynet also reports that The IDF published a report Wednesday that revealed that only 1,200 ultra-Orthodox enlisted into the military between 2019 and 2021 out of 12,000 eligible candidates for recruitment. The numbers indicate that only 10% of the recruitment potential in the ultra-Orthodox community has been reached in the last three years.

Ynet further reports that US House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday blocked the initiative of Michigan’s Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib to host a ‘Nakba Day’ event in Congress with the participation of anti-Israel groups. “This event in the US Capitol is cancelled,” the speaker said in a post. “Instead, I will host a bipartisan discussion to honour the 75th anniversary of the US-Israel relationship.

In Yediot Ahronot, Nahum Barnea comments that the operation in Gaza was a case in which opportunity met need. “Shin Bet and the Air Force provided the opportunity. The execution, said a military official last night, was meticulous. The political leadership provided the need. In accepted Middle Eastern parlance, a government that doesn’t respond to being attacked with more than 100 missiles is perceived as being a weak and limp government. Islamic Jihad is a terror organization that takes its marching orders from external powers and the assassination of three of its top officials sowed internal chaos, according to intelligence reports… Hamas has been a point of optimism in the IDF’s assessments. Military officials anticipate that Hamas won’t become involved. Hamas issued a statement yesterday in which it publicly pledged to take revenge on Israel, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Islamic Jihad. Military officials believe that statement to be not much more than lip service.” Israel shut the Erez crossing yesterday, barring Gazan laborers from entering Israel on the grounds that the border crossing is vulnerable to rocket fire. Israel’s policy hasn’t changed. Israel is convinced that the salaries earned by Gazan laborers in Israel contributes significantly to stabilizing the Gaza Strip, and that stability contributes to keeping the peace. “In practice, the Netanyahu government is enacting the Bennett-Lapid government’s policies”.

In Israel Hayom, Yoav Limor writes that Israel launched Operation Shield and Arrow for want of an alternative. “Islamic Jihad’s endless belligerence, which reached a new peak last week with rocket fire on Sderot in the middle of the day, coupled with the severe erosion of Israeli deterrence across the board, left Israel little choice. The assassinations in Gaza required not only precise intelligence about where each one of the three senior Islamic Jihad officials were located, including information about which specific room they slept in and who was by their side, but also timing the planes’ takeoff and the attacks, so that all three would be killed simultaneously and none would be able to get away. The fact that the operation was executed without a hitch is thanks to the work on assembling that intelligence-operational puzzle in advance, a large part of which was devoted to addressing the possibility of noncombatant casualties. The decision to attack yesterday was ultimately made because it was clear, among other things, that the three commanders were continuing to operate and, in the future, could cause far more innocent civilians would be killed and wounded on both sides”.