The BBC and Telegraph report that Egyptian authorities have closed several beaches on the country’s Red Sea coast after two female tourists were killed in shark attacks. One was a 68-year-old Austrian while swimming near the city of Hurghada on Friday. Shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea, but there have been several incidents involving tourists in recent years.

In The Times Anshel Pfeffer profiles Israel’s new prime minister Yair Lapid, who heads into the upcoming election as the leading politician to battle Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government. Pfeffer writes: “Long before he went into politics, Israel’s new caretaker prime minister divided the country’s media between those who wanted to bask in the glow of a rising star and those who looked for every opportunity to tear him down.”

Reuters reports that Israeli military observers have taken part in a drill in Morocco for the first time. Israel’s Defence Ministry described its participation as a mark of improved relations, which were upgraded in 2020.

The Telegraph reports that Iran’s leadership is purging its powerful Revolutionary Guards after a month of chaos for the regime amid fears it has been infiltrated by Israeli spies. A senior general in the Guards has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Jewish state, it emerged last week, while Tehran sacked its fearsome intelligence chief Hossein Taeb. The dismissals come in the wake of three major embarrassments for the Iranian intelligence services, which Israeli security officials claim have left the regime “shocked and rattled”.

The Guardian reviews Jason Greenblatt’s new memoirs during his time in the Trump administration as special representative for international negotiations. With Jared Kushner, he aimed to secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians. “Greenblatt’s book is a gentler and more graceful version of Sledgehammer, a memoir written by David Friedman, Trump’s ambassador to Israel. Like Friedman, Greenblatt attacks Biden and blows kisses at Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s once and possibly future prime minister.”

Simon Tisdall writes in the Guardian about US President Joe Biden’s trip this month to Israel and Saudi Arabia. He argues that the Middle East comes at a moment of great upheaval as Russia and China compete for influence

In the Israeli media, all the papers follow the Likud’s reaction to the Defence Ministry’s legal opinion that the coalition can appoint a new IDF chief of staff despite being a transitional government. The legal opinion was submitted to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, along with classified documents on security and political challenges Israel is currently facing. It argues that extending the term of the current chief of staff would be an inappropriate solution because several months would elapse until the appointment of a new chief of staff, during which decisions would have to be made on policy and on appointments. In response, several Likud MKs said if the attorney general approved the opinion, she would be removed should Likud retake power after the elections. Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu sought to distance himself from Kisch, with unnamed sources close to the ex-premier telling the Ynet that the comments “were not his opinion”.

Kan Radio reports that a new Arab party has registered with the Party Registrar. It is called The Future of the Negev for Recognition and Equality. Political sources said that the goal was to be counterweight to the United Arab List (UAL) and to focus on the votes of the Bedouin in the Negev. Two of the party’s founders are Talal Alkernawi, a former mayor of Rahat, and Arara Mayor Natif Abu Arar. Initial talks are being held on having the party merge with the Joint List in some fashion or another.

Israel Hayom reports that the US experts asked to examine the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla had returned it to the Palestinian Authority (PA), but the results of the forensic analysis have yet to be handed over. A senior source in Jerusalem said that if Israel was at fault for the journalist’s death it would not shirk responsibility but stressed that the possibility of the PA giving the Americans an Israeli bullet from a different event to sway the results could not be dismissed. He added that Israel will take steps to “make sure the PA gave the US the genuine bullet”.

Ynet reports that the Supreme Court have overruled Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s controversial policy on restricting Ukrainian refugees to 5,000, meaning that Ukrainian nationals once again able to travel and stay in Israel for up to three months without a visa like before outset of Russian invasion.

Maariv notes that the Opposition have told US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides that they will approve the necessary legislation for Israel to qualify for the US Visa Waiver Program (WVP), despite refusing to do so before the Knesset was dissolved last week. Meanwhile, coalition members are trying to reach agreement with the Opposition to pass the “Metro” Law before the Knesset wraps up its activity later today for the election recess.

The Jerusalem Post reports that IDF Forces, Shin Bet and Border Police arrested 13 individuals between Sunday night and early Monday morning in several towns in the West Bank. According to Palestinian reports, the number of arrests was 19, including Maher Hareb and Kamal Abu Zarifa, two Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leaders in Nablus. In Jenin, Border Police were met with gunfire upon entry. In the city, they arrested two terror suspects and seized explosives. According to Palestinian media, the two are Aws Shalaby and Islam Al-Ajawi. There were no Israeli casualties in any of the operations. All wanted individuals arrested were taken into questioning. Yesterday morning two Palestinian men, one armed with a grenade, were detained by IDF after infiltrating into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, The IDF said the pair were also armed with two knives.

Israel Hayom journalist Yoav Limor writes about his secret trip to Saudi Arabia. “Saudi Arabia was a pleasant surprise. Friendly. Happy. Not even mentioning Israel brought anyone down. I tested this on several cab drivers and market vendors. Some smiled and shook their head in disbelief or worry, others were curious and struck up a conversation. I wondered if any of them had ever met an Israeli before, or heard Hebrew, but no one made us feel unwelcome in the kingdom, home to the holiest sites of Islam, not even for a moment.”