The Times reports on a high-profile corruption investigation by Israeli police which has led to the detention of dozens of officials linked to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party. Most are accused of transferring money to NGOs in return for kickbacks. Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum is the highest profile Yisrael Beitenu official to be questioned. Lieberman however has described the investigation as being politically motivated and designed to damage the party ahead of the March 17 general election.

The Guardian, Telegraph and Independent i all report that Hamas has banned a planned goodwill visit to Israel for more than 30 Gazan children, many of whom lost parents during Operation Protective Edge. The trip, organised by an Israeli NGO was to have included visits to Tel Aviv beach and other recreational activities plus a meeting with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. However Hamas, which de-facto administers the Gaza Strip, stopped the trip “to protect the culture of our children and people.”

The Times includes a feature on the Palestine national football team, which will next month compete in the Asia Cup for the first time, a major achievement for the team. The article highlights the difficulties facing the team, given the travel restrictions often placed on players with some located in the West Bank and others in the Gaza Strip.

The Guardian online reports that the spiritual leader of the Black Hebrews community has died aged 75. Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, originally born Ben Carter, led his community from Chicago to settle in the southern Israeli town of Dimona in 1969. The community, which believes it is a remnant of the Biblical tribe of Judah, maintains a distinct lifestyle and was granted permanent resident status by Israel in 2003.

The Guardian online also covers an Israeli court decision yesterday to extend the detention of an American man accused of plotting anti-Muslim violence, who was arrested several weeks ago.

Meanwhile, in the wider region, the online edition of the Guardian also says that the United States-led coalition recently carried out 13 air strikes against ISIS, including eight raids in Syria.

In the Israeli media, the ongoing police investigation into alleged corruption involving dozens of Yisrael Beitenu officials continues to be the main item. It is the top story in Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom, which both report that the latest high-profile figure to be detained and questioned is former-Jerusalem mayoral candidate Moshe Leon, considered a to be a close ally of party leader Avigdor Lieberman. The wider case against numerous Yisrael Beitenu officials is also a major item in Maariv and in Haaretz.

However, the main story in Maariv, which is also covered prominently by Haaretz and Israel Hayom is a video clip released yesterday by Eli Yishai. The clip is designed to damage Ayreh Deri, the leader of Yishai’s former party Shas, which he left this month to form his own, rival party. The clip, dating from 2008, appears to show Shas’ spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who died last year, criticising and denigrating Deri.

Meanwhile, Maariv and Israel Hayom also highlight reports that a second version of a Palestinian-backed United Nations’ (UN) Security Council resolution could be submitted today with a potential vote on Wednesday. The motion would mandate an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank within two years. However, the United States has made clear that it would veto such a resolution. Maariv reports that the amended motion is “more extreme” than the original version regarding Jerusalem and settlements.

Israel Radio news reports this morning that a special Knesset session will be convened to discuss the Antitrust Regulator’s decision to try to break up the country’s natural gas monopoly, which critics have said will have an adverse impact on investment in both the energy industry and beyond.

Meanwhile Channel 10 resumed  broadcasts this morning after going off the air last night in protest at the crisis which has threatened its closure. The channel broadcast a slide saying it would close on Wednesday, and blaming Prime Minister Netanyahu, who holds the communications portfolio in the current caretaker government, for not finding a solution. The channel has faced financial difficulties for some time, but Netanyahu has been accused of having a personal vendetta against it after a series of exposes.