The Guardian online highlights yesterday’s speech by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), where he again accused Israel of “executions” in neutralising terrorists attempting to stab Israelis. Abbas also said that there is little point in “negotiations for the sake of negotiations” with Israel, who he said must instead “end the occupation.” The article also reports another stabbing yesterday in the West Bank, which saw a 40-year-old Israeli woman moderately wounded outside a supermarket.

The Independent i says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticised Basel Ghattas MK of the Joint Arab List, who yesterday visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Netanyahu recently banned all Knesset members and government ministers from visiting the emotive holy site, as a measure to calm the current wave of violence which has killed 12 Israelis.

The Independent online reports a class action lawsuit in the United States being brought by 20,000 people against Facebook, which the plaintiffs say is ignoring “incitement and encouragement of violence against Israelis.” Most of the Palestinian attackers who have targeted Israelis in recent weeks have been young and many appear to have been influenced by social media posts urging the killing of Israelis.

In the Times, David Aaronovitch writes in response to the 343 UK academics who pledged this week to boycott Israeli universities. He says that such action “reduces the chances of persuasion” and “diminishes the ground that peacemakers stand on,” forcing them to choose between “Israel existing and Israel not.” In the Sun, Rod Liddle condemns the boycotters, calling them “thick academics” and suggesting that their singling out of Israel is anti-Semitic. Virginia Blackburn in the Daily Express alludes to a similar conclusion, saying that those who wish to boycott Israel “never suggest a boycott of say Nigeria, North Korea or Saudi Arabia … Can’t imagine why.”

The Financial Times and the online editions of the Guardian, Independent and Times all cover Iran’s participation in upcoming multilateral negotiations on Syria, which will take place in Vienna. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif and three deputies are set to attend the talks after the United States acquiesced to their participation, although the Financial Times notes that Washington had a difficult time persuading Saudi Arabia to agree. The Times online says that France also received a belated invitation to the talks. Meanwhile, in the Guardian online, Simon Tisdall suggests that US President Obama is “fumbling” for credibility over Syria by adopting a new approach.

In the Israeli media, a huge storm in central Israel and its aftermath is the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom. The dramatic rainfall caused flooding in Ra’anana, Kfar Saba and surrounding areas, after the region had been hit heavily by a storm earlier this week which left thousands without power for at least two days. Yesterday’s storm caused further power outages. Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Haaretz all cover the well-timed release yesterday of the State Comptroller’s report into the Israel Electric Corporation, which concluded various inefficiencies, including significant amounts of money wasted on unnecessary workers.

Another major focus in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom is the continuing attacks on Israelis, which have taken place almost entirely in the West Bank during the past week. They cover the stabbing yesterday of a 40-year-old woman at the Gush Etzion junction, where several attacks have recently taken place, plus a failed attempt to stab a soldier in Hebron, where the assailant was shot dead by Israeli forces.

Israel Radio news covers comments made by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who said that the continued violence highlights the need for a process towards peace and reconciliation in the region.