BBC News, The Independent and The Guardian report that the campaign to free Princess Latifa, the daughter ruler of Dubai, has been disbanded. The princess was seen pictured in Iceland, prompting the end of the campaign to free her. However, it still remains unclear to what extent she is operating under her own free will. The campaign confirmed it would wind down after images of the princess in Iceland circulated online: “Following the meeting between Marcus and Latifa in Iceland it has been decided that the most appropriate step at this time is to close the Free Latifa campaign. The primary purpose of the FreeLatifa campaign was to see Latifa free leading the life she chooses for herself.”

Reuters reports that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid departed for a historic visit to Morocco this morning. Lapid will inaugurate Israel’s diplomatic mission in Rabat, visit historic sites in Casablanca and meet his Moroccan count part Nasser Bourita. Ahead of the visit Lapid said: “This historic visit is a continuation of the long-standing friendship and deep roots and traditions that the Jewish community in Morocco, and the large community of Israelis with origins in Morocco.” His visits marks the first visit by a high ranking Israeli official since the two countries upgraded relations last year – a move seen largely in parallel to the historic Abraham Accords.

The Guardian devotes its daily podcast episode to the ongoing ‘shadow war’ between Israel and Iran. The paper describes the discussion: “Martin Chulov, tells Nosheen Iqbal that it is the latest action in what is now a rapidly escalating ‘shadow war’ between Israel and Iran. With both countries under new leadership in recent weeks, there is an added layer of unpredictability to relations that have been tense for some time.”

The Financial Times reports on the alarming rate of the COVID-19 surge in Israel. The paper notes that “One of the world’s most vaccinated nations is bracing itself for more hospitalisations.”

The Associated Press reports on Iran’s ongoing battle with the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus, and the anger among the Iranian public at the government’s handling of the virus. The report notes that “Iran, like much of the world, remains far behind countries like the United States in vaccinating its public, with only 3 million of its more than 80 million people having received both vaccine doses. But while some countries face poverty or other challenges in obtaining vaccines, Iran has brought some of the problems on itself… Since the start of the pandemic, Iran has recorded nearly 4 million COVID-19 cases and more than 91,000 deaths — the highest numbers across the Middle East… Iran’s civilian government, now undergoing a transition of power to hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, has been overwhelmed by the crisis. And with the Islamic Republic also facing protests over economic issues, water shortages and blackouts, the government likely wants to avoid triggering wider unrest.”

BBC News that Sweden is putting Hamid Nouri on trial for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in the 1980s. He was arrested upon his arrival in Stockholm and is facing charges of murder and war crimes. The paper notes that this “is the first time anyone has gone on trial over the 1988 killings of about 5,000 detainees linked to an Iranian opposition group allied to Iraq.”

The Financial Times report that Ben Elliot, a Conservative party co-chair has been accused of not his close ties with several Middle Eastern leaders, including the Saudi Arabian ambassador in the UK. The paper notes that there are “more concerns that Ben Elliot is blurring line between commercial and political activities.”

All the Israeli media continue to cover the surge in COVID-19 cases. According to the latest data from the Health Ministry 5,755 people tested positive, accounting for 4.5 per cent of all tests. Over 400 patients remain hospitalised in critical condition, with 67 on ventilators. There were 11 COVID-19 related fatalities reported yesterday. Kan Radio News reports that the coronavirus cabinet will convene this afternoon to discuss implementing a green vaccination pass requirement for entry into all sectors of the economy, with the exception of children under the age of three.

Walla News reports that Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said that the government had decided to “live alongside the coronavirus.” Her comments were seen as controversial. She added that the government must accept that the government must contain “the seriously ill and the dead. This is a pandemic, and in a pandemic, people die.” She later apologized for her comments saying that her “intention was to explain the price of living with an ongoing global pandemic. I should have phrased it differently. I again call on everyone to get vaccinated, the vaccine saves lives.”

Yediot Ahronot reports on the growing infection rate in Israel’s Arab community. HMOs in Arab towns remain almost empty with very very few COVID-19 tests being carried out, and nurses having “nothing to do” with so few people getting vaccinated. The report notes that while vaccination rates are higher among the general Arab population they “still trail far behind the Jewish sector. The vaccination rate in the Arab sector is 53 per cent, versus 69 per cent in the Jewish sector.”

Ynet reports that Israel’s Minister for regional cooperation said that Israel and Saudi Arabia are cooperating on the Iranian thread. Issawi Freij of Meretz told Alhurra that Israel has many contacts with Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, when it comes to the Iranian nuclear and regional threat. He added that Iran’s malign behavior was not just a problem for Israel, but the region as a whole.

Kan Radio News report that Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan has demanded of the UN secretary general and UNRWA’s director general to conduct a thorough investigation of their facilities in Gaza. The report notes that Hamas has blocked UN officials from inspecting key areas in Gaza.

All the Israeli media report on a new report released by the United Nations regarding climate change. Haaretz notes that the findings of the report suggest that “real change in lifestyle and habits are needed to mitigate climate change, and Israel needs to recognise the importance of regional cooperation.”