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Media Summary

West Bank Hamas cell thought to be planning large scale terror attacks

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The Independent reports that Israeli television Channel 2 has claimed US President Donald Trump shouted “you tricked me” at Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting in Bethlehem last week.

The Daily Mail and Sun report that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Gaza-based terror group Hamas for being “hard working” in an interview with LBC radio in 2010.

The Mail Online has a feature marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six-Day War, which also reports on the current obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

All the Israeli media focus on Interior Minister and leader of the Shas party Aryeh Deri, who was questioned yesterday by the police, along with his wife Yaffa, for 11 hours.  Yediot Ahronot reveals police are looking into “at least four different affairs”. Deri is suspected of money laundering, fraud and breach of trust.  The alleged offenses relate to property deal and the transfer of large amounts of money, made to Aryeh or Yaffa Deri or other family members.  Maariv quotes a defiant Deri, who said: “I have nothing to fear.” He added that he had faith in the law enforcement agencies and called on the public to be patient and be respectful of the investigation.

Yediot Ahronot quote Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling MK’s from his Likud party: “We don’‎t have a blank check from Trump on the Palestinian issue, and anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.”  His assessment is that now is not the time to expand settlement construction despite government promises to build a new settlement for Amona residents who were evicted from their homes earlier this year.

Israel Hayom includes a poll that according to Palestinian media, 70 per cent of Palestinians admit that the hunger strike failed.   The paper also quotes Public Security Minister Erdan who told Prison Service commanders: “The strike failed, you succeeded in relaying an unequivocal message to the terrorists and you created deterrence for the future.”

Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom all cover the latest clash between Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Supreme Court President Miriam Naor.  Naor sent a letter to the Minister demanding that Justice Esther Hayut be named as her replacement. Hayut is the only candidate for the position, but Minister Shaked is thought to only approve her appointment on condition that she can replace two other retiring Supreme Court justices with her candidates.

According to Haaretz, thousands of Palestinians have fled Gaza through tunnels into Sinai and from there made their way to Athens as asylum seekers.      

 Kan radio news exposes Hamas plans to commit terror attacks in retaliation for the assassination of Mazen Fuqaha. The attacks will be carried out via their “West Bank base,” established to try to commit large-scale terror attacks in the West Bank and inside Israel, including suicide bombings. Hamas believes that if it succeeds in carrying out a terror attack from the West Bank against Israeli targets, this will not prompt Israel to retaliate in the Gaza Strip.