There is widespread coverage this morning of the funeral of Abu Ein, a Palestinian minister who died following an altercation with Israeli security forces at a West Bank protest on Wednesday. The Guardian, Times, Independent, Evening Standard, Independent i and Metro all cover yesterday’s official funeral accompanied by an honour guard. However, as emphasised by the Telegraph, there was sharp disagreement between Israel and Palestinian pathologists over the cause of Abu Ein’s death following a joint autopsy. Israeli experts highlighted his weak heart, while Palestinian counterparts said he had suffered a blow. The Financial Times says that the Palestinian Authority leadership will decide its response to Abu Ein’s death today and tomorrow, suggesting an intensifying of diplomatic activity at the United Nations and other international bodies.

The Guardian reports that the French Senate and the Irish parliament have both approved motions to recommend recognition of a Palestinian state. The article portrays the votes as part of a Europe-wide trend of dissatisfaction with Israeli policy. The piece also includes a response from the Israeli Embassy in Dublin, criticising the vote as giving voice to “statements of hatred.”

Another report in the Guardian says that the UK charity Islamic Relief is planning to resume its activities in Palestinian territories after Israeli authorities accused it of helping funnel money to Hamas and raided its West Bank offices to investigate. The charity denies the accusations.

There are reviews of a newly released documentary film, “The Green Prince” in the Financial Times, Independent, Guardian, Independent i, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star and City AM. The film tells the remarkable story of the son of a prominent Hamas leader in Gaza who eventually informed on the activities of the terror organisation, helping Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency foil attacks. The Times includes an interview with the film’s main subject, Mosab Hassan Yousef.

In the Israeli media, the latest polls and election campaigning dominate the front pages, with the Yediot Ahronot headline declaring “The gloves are off” while Haaretz proclaims “The race has begun.” In response to the announcement that Labour and Hatnuah will form a joint electoral list, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday told Likud activists, “The left-wing has united against us.” Israel Hayom’s top story highlights Netanyahu’s speech, in which he also claimed that there is a media campaign to bring the left-wing camp to power. Meanwhile, Maariv highlights a poll it commissioned, which shows a Labour-Hatnuah ticket winning 24 seats, Likud 20 seats, followed by 17 for Jewish Home. The poll also indicates that 66 per cent of participants do not want to see Netanyahu as Prime Minister following the election.

Israel Radio news reports this morning that the Palestinian Authority leadership has postponed until Sunday a meeting to determine its response to the death of Minister Abu Ein. No reason was given for the delay, with the meeting originally scheduled for today or tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom covers the arrest and identification of three suspected arsonists who set fire to the Jewish-Arab “Hand in Hand” School in Jerusalem two weeks ago. All three are Jewish Israeli men in their late teens and early twenties who appear to be members of an extremist group which opposes what it terms “assimilation” between Jews and Arabs.