The Daily Mail online says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again reiterated yesterday that he is prepared to meet Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. Last week, Abbas told Israeli television that he had suggested meeting Netanyahu. Responding yesterday, Netanyahu said that he had cleared his schedule for the week and once again invited Abbas to talk. Netanyahu has repeatedly publicly said that he is prepared to meet Abbas anywhere, anytime, without preconditions. However, Abbas has previously demanded Israel first release Palestinian prisoners and freeze West Bank construction, both measures Israel has formerly taken.

The Daily Mail online also reports that Israeli forces yesterday demolished the homes of three Palestinian terrorists, who in February opened fire and stabbed female Israeli border guards in Jerusalem, killing one. Israel intends that such home demolitions will be a deterrent to future would-be attackers. The Daily Mail online also says that the Israel Electric Company will reduce the amount of power in the Bethlehem region on Thursday, as the PA owes them an unresolved debt of around £315 million.

The Independent i reports that archaeologists believe a 1,500-year-old Byzantine church has been uncovered in the Gaza Strip by local construction workers.

The online editions of the Guardian and Daily Mail both report that Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is currently visiting Israel, where he met Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Ryan told Israeli media that he will not be running for US President, despite speculation that he will be put forward as a compromise candidate at a contested Republican Convention.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom is the criticism levelled yesterday by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked at the High Court over its recent decision to block the deal between the government and investors in the country’s nascent natural gas industry. Speaking at the Israel Bar Association annual conference, Shaked said that, “I hope that we will not become a country that devours its investors.” The court ruling gives the government a year to find an alternative to a specific clause which rules out changes to the agreement for ten years. Opposition MK Shelly Yachimovich called Shaked’s comments “dangerous” and senior Zionist Union leader Tzipi Livni said they amounted to a “political sword” in the court’s back.

Israel Radio news says that Israeli and Turkish officials will meet on Thursday in an attempt to finalize an agreement to normalize relations following a six-year hiatus. The remaining sticking points appear to be Israel’s demand that Turkey end all support for Hamas, while Turkey wants Israel to grant it access to the Gaza Strip, a move which would be unpopular with Egypt. Apparently, agreement still needs to be struck over the sequencing of implementation, should an agreement be reached.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio news also says that Israel has suspended the import of cement for private use to the Gaza Strip, after it discovered that Hamas officials were seizing the materials for their own use. Import of cement for large international projects will continue. However, the United Nations, which oversees such imports also criticised those who divert building materials, saying that they are in effect stealing from their own people.