* Israel asks U.S. to intervene with PA for a joint probe into journalist's death: Israeli officials requested U.S. assistance in persuading the Palestinian Authority to agree to a joint investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday during exchanges of fire in Jenin. (Yediot Aharonot, Haaretz)
* Bennett says PA blocks search for truth in journalist's death: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority was preventing an inquiry into the death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin on Wednesday."The PA is preventing any possibility to jointly investigate the death and refuses even to grant access to the critical forensic evidence needed in order to arrive at the truth," Bennett said. (Yediot Aharonot, Haaretz)
* Palestinians mourn slain Al Jazeera journalist, blame Israel: Thousands gathered to mourn a slain Al Jazeera journalist in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, as the head of the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel for her death and rejected Israeli calls for a joint investigation. (Yediot Aharonot, Haaretz)
* Liberman lauds Ra'am's Abbas for recognizing Israel's Jewish character: Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman on Thursday showered praise on governing partner and leader of the Islamist Ra'am party Mansour Abbas for his support of Israel as a Jewish state and expressed his confidence in the longevity of the government despite losing its majority in Knesset. "For the first time, we have a leader who stands in front of the cameras, not behind the scenes, and says that Israel is a Jewish state and will remain a Jewish state,” Liberman said. (Yediot Aharonot, Haaretz)
* Rights group says Israel approves 4,427 new settler homes: Israel on Thursday approved the construction of more than 4,000 settler homes in the West Bank, an Israeli rights group said. It's the biggest advancement of settlement projects since the Biden administration took office. The U.S. opposes settlement construction and views it as an obstacle to any eventual peace deal with the Palestinians. Most of the international community views the settlements as illegal. (Yediot Aharonot, Haaretz)
