Sunday Papers – ‘Tories will be toast if small boats issue not fixed’ – the full perspective
Sunday newspapers report on various stories, with several reflecting the latest developments in the Israel-Gaza war after a temporary ceasefire started. The ceasefire has so far seen 39 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for 13 Israeli hostages and four Thai nationals.
Middle East crisis
The Sunday Times carries an interview with relatives of one of the released hostages on Friday. Mayan Moshe describes how her aunt Adina, 72, thought she was being led away to be executed when she was taken out of the Hamas tunnels she had been kept in for seven weeks. Ms Moshe realised she was being freed only when she saw the Red Cross buses.
The Sunday Mirror leads on Emily Hand, 9 – the Irish-Israeli child kidnapped. Her father Thomas Hand vowed Emily will have the best Christmas and Hanukah ever.
The Sunday Telegraph leads on families being reunited after the hostage release. Separately, the paper reports the head of the charity regulator has promised to clamp down on bodies that host antisemitic extremists – after reports of antisemitic sermons from some mosques linked to charities.
Small boats crisis
The Daily Express leads with small boats. The paper says Tory MPs have told Rishi Sunak unless the small boats in the Channel are stopped by the next general election the party faces “catastrophe” at the polls. One MP said eight out of ten voters demanded to know what is being done.
The Observer carries a warning from the government’s top immigration adviser who has criticised plans to stop overseas care workers from bringing family members to the UK. Proposals to stop workers bringing dependants should be halted unless jobs are made more appealing to Britons, Prof Brian Bell tells the paper.
Sunday People lead on a story regarding horseracing legend Frankie Dettori. The paper claims ITV have struck a £100m insurance deal to get the Italian into the I’m a Celebrity jungle in Australia.
The Sun on Sunday previews a new Royal book which suggests Prince Harry was branded a ‘fool’ by his Dad King Charles after the former royal appeared in a Netflix show last year and released his memoir.
THE SUNDAY PAPERS – REVIEWED AND SUMMARISED
The Observer – Hostage deal ‘on course’ after Hamas delay prompts crisis
The Observer says Qatari negotiators have said that a deal to secure the release of more hostages from Gaza is “on course”, despite a delay from Hamas.
The paper also carries a warning from the government’s top immigration adviser who has criticised plans to stop overseas care workers from bringing family members to the UK. Proposals to stop workers bringing dependants should be halted unless jobs are made more appealing to Britons, Prof Brian Bell tells the paper.
Sunday Mirror – My darling girl is broken but in one piece
The Sunday Mirror reports that nine-year-old Emily Hand is among the latest group of hostages to be released by Hamas.
The Irish-Israeli girl’s father tells the tabloid of his “relief” after an “agonising” delay to her return on Saturday afternoon.
The paper also features a story about champion jockey Frankie Dettori – more on that below.
The Sun on Sunday – Harry’s a fool
The Sun on Sunday reports on the upcoming release of a new book about the Royal Family, which it says contains claims that the King branded Prince Harry “that fool” in reaction to his Netflix documentary.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on reports. The duke and duchess have not responded.
Sunday Telegraph – Crackdown on charities that host extremists
The Sunday Telegraph leads with a warning from the head of the UK’s charity regulator, the Charity Commission, that organisations “must not allow their premises” or events to become “forums for hate speech”.
In a separate story, the paper reports that GCHQ officials are investigating a cyber attack on the private King Edward VII Hospital, one favoured by the Royal Family. Elsewhere, a satirical Matt cartoon at the bottom right of the paper reflects on the replacement of the BBC’s flagship show Top Gear – saying it will be replaced with a programme dedicated to potholes.
Sunday Times – They thought they were about to be executed, Then: freedom
An Israeli family’s account of spending seven weeks underground as hostages of Hamas leads The Sunday Times, following the family’s return to Israel.
An image on the front page shows Yoni Asher being reunited with wife Doron, daughters Raz, 4, and Aviv, 2, after the three were seized by Hamas on 7 October from a home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, in southern Israel.
Meanwhile, at the top of the paper, previews of claims alleged to feature in a new book out next week by royal biographer Omid Scobie feature. The author has criticised some reports of the book, claiming not all the reported passages are accurate.