The Economist reports on an aspect of our main story, that Iran is burying nuclear equipment deep underground at its Fordow site, seemingly beyond the reach of US bombers.

The BBC features yesterday’s Jerusalem Gay Pride event, which saw a record 30,000 attendees. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir toured a street running parallel to the main march, causing marchers to rush to barricades and shout “shame” at him. Yuval, a march participant from Jerusalem, told the BBC: “We’re here today to say that we are here to stay and that we will not give up. Our government is the most homophobic and transphobic it has ever been. The minister of police who is here supposedly protecting us – until last year he came here to protest against us.” Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected claims his coalition would erode LGBTQ rights and tweeted during the event: “I am proud that Israel is one of the most open countries in the world in relation to the gay community and that the discourse in it has become more accepting and respectful every year.”

The BBC also covers five members of The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) being killed and several more wounded by an explosion close to the Syrian border in Lebanon overnight on Wednesday. Israeli officials denied the group’s claims of Israeli responsibility, and Reuters and AFP news agencies cited Lebanese and Palestinian security sources as saying it was an accidental explosion caused by mines or rockets detonating as they were being moved.

The Independent reports five men allegedly tied to Hezbollah being charged by a Lebanese military court with involvement in the killing of an Irish UN peacekeeper. Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, was killed in an attack on his UN convoy near the Hezbollah stronghold of Al-Aqbiya in Southern Lebanon last December.

The Independent also reports the death of an Israeli woman critically injured by a 2001 suicide bombing in a Jerusalem pizzeria. Hana Nachenberg, 31 at the time her injuries were sustained, had been in a coma for the past 22 years. The legacy of the pizzeria attack continues to this day, with the family of an Israeli-American victim currently pushing in a US court for the extradition from Jordan to the US of Ahlam Tamimi, convicted of by Israel of involvement in the bombing and released in a 2011 prisoner swap with Hamas.

The Guardian features the recent meeting of 46 European leaders at the Moldova Summit. Discussing support for the Ukrainian war effort and potential Ukrainian membership of NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron said that “We have to build something between the security provided to Israel and full-fledged [Ukrainian] membership.”

In the Israeli media, Haaretz covers the largest ever Jerusalem Pride Parade that saw around 30,000 people in attendance yesterday.  The paper noted the concern that, “the Pride parade this year was teeming with questions and worries about the safety of the event, with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir handling the festivities.” However, it goes on to quote Ben Gvir that while he may have “disagreements with the parade, the police’s role is to ensure the security of the marchers above all else.” Ben-Gvir was also quoted telling a mother of an LGBTQ child who expressed concerns: “My duty is to protect your child so that not a single hair on their head is harmed.” Yediot Ahronot also quotes Ben Gvir saying that he will protect the marchers but added, “My policy is to give freedom of expression to those who oppose the parade, even to those who speak against the parade, that is their right as long as they do not break the law and I told the police that I do not want to see here pictures of ultra-Orthodox or religious people being excluded from the streets of Jerusalem because they are religious, because they wear a kippah or because they wear skirts.” He added: “Let there be no mistake for anyone, the first goal is to deal with terrorists and a terrorist who looks at the parade, for him we are all the same. Right, left, religious and secular, we are all brothers and our job on this day is to allow the parade and protest, this is democracy, this is the beautiful mosaic of the State of Israel and this is how I act as Minister of National Security.” The papers also quote members of the opposition who spoke at the parade including Leader of Opposition Lapid who told the crowd that the struggle is “about what should be self-evident: father and father are family, mother and mother are family, every LGBTQ child everywhere deserves protection from violence and prejudice.” According to Lapid, “this parade, this demonstration is our message to every such child, in the periphery and in the centre: you are good as you are, you are loved as you are, we stand by your side, we will never stop fighting to protect your rights.”

Kan Radio reports that a soldier sustained light injuries in a shooting attack near the village of Dir Sharaf near Shavei Shomron in the northern West Bank last night. The gunmen fled the scene and IDF troops began a sweep of the area. An initial investigation by the IDF found that a Palestinian and his toddler who sustained serious injuries near Neve Tzuf last night had been hit accidentally by IDF gunfire. Terrorists fired for several minutes on the settlement in the western Binyamin area and soldiers who had been stationed at the guard post returned fire at the source of the gunshots. The two-year-old toddler was taken by a military helicopter to an Israeli hospital. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said it regretted the injuries to the Palestinian and his son and said that the military does everything in its power to avoid harming Palestinians who are not involved in terrorism.

All the Israeli media continue to follow the latest developments on the issue of judicial reform. Yediot Ahronot describes the tension in the political establishment ahead of Wednesday’s Knesset vote by secret ballot on the two MKs who will be members of the Judges Selection Committee. According to the paper, “Justice Minister Yariv Levin intends to pose an ultimatum to the opposition… that he will not convene the Judges Selection Committee unless an agreement or a compromise on the judicial reform is reached with the reform’s opponents…  Although the coalition wants to appoint two coalition MKs, contrary to the accepted practice of the last several years, Justice Minister Levin is actually not fighting for this. Levin doesn’t want the committee in this composition even if the two MKs are from the coalition, but rather wants to dramatically change the committee’s composition as part of his judicial reform. Levin relayed the message that he would only convene the committee if agreement is reached on the judicial reform, otherwise no judges will be appointed.” Israel Hayom explains the concern, that “The justice minister may perhaps think that he can achieve his dream of changing the composition of the Judges Selection Committee, but an overwhelming majority of the political establishment knows that after the Knesset’s representatives to the committee are elected, the chances of that happening in the current Knesset term are slim to none. Even if a bill to change the composition of the committee is passed into law, the High Court of Justice is very likely to rule that this can only apply from the next Knesset, on the grounds that this would mean changing the rules in the middle of the game. Netanyahu is unlikely to allow this since it would reignite the protest. This is a big achievement for the demonstrators, considering the fact that the bill is ready for its second and third readings and it is only a matter of hours until it can be fully passed.”

Maariv reports that Israel filed an official complaint against Lebanon at the UN, following the military exercise conducted by Hezbollah. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Erdan, said: “We demand that Hezbollah be prevented from turning Lebanon into a terror base.” The recent exercise in southern Lebanon included scenarios of crossing and infiltrating Israel, taking over Israeli outposts and kidnapping soldiers. “Israel expects and demands from Lebanon to take control of what is happening in its territory and to act to prevent terrorist groups from arming themselves, planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against Israel.”

Maariv also includes its latest polling where National Unity Party receives 29 seats, Likud: 26, Yesh Atid: 18, Shas: 9, United Torah Judaism: 7, Hadash-Ta’al: 6, Religious Zionist Party: 6, Yisrael Beiteinu: 6, United Arab List: 5, Jewish Power: 4, Meretz: 4. This would give the current Coalition bloc: 52 seats  compared with the Opposition: 57 and the two Arab parties: 11.