The Guardian, The Times and BBC News report that a UN investigation has stopped short of directly blaming Russia as a perpetrator in attacks on hospitals and other humanitarian infrastructure in rebel-held areas of Syria. The Telegraph reports that the inquiry said it is “highly probable” that the Syrian regime and its allies carried out a series of bombings on hospitals and other civilian buildings in the war-torn country last year.

The Financial Times reports that the US is proposing a strategic dialogue to review its economic and security role in Iraq, just weeks after Iraq’s parliament voted for the withdrawal of American troops, who have been regularly targeted by Iran-linked militia groups.

Reuters reports that Republican US senators who have introduced a bill that would remove US defence systems and troops in Saudi Arabia unless it cuts oil output, will hold a call with Saudi officials on Saturday, a source said.

BBC News reports that an Israeli man has been indicted on charges of spying for Iran and preparing terrorist attacks. The Shin Bet, the country’s internal security service, said the man had been in discussions with Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli Arabs.

Reuters reports that Israel called on Tuesday for the immediate resumption of indirect talks with Hamas on the return of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers held for years in Gaza, but the territory’s Islamist rulers dismissed the overture.

Reuters reports that Egypt will ban any public religious gatherings during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which starts in two weeks time, in order to counter the spread of COVID-19, a government statement said on Tuesday.

The Independent reports that Turkey has launched an ambitious programme to get free surgical masks into the hands of all the nation’s 82 million residents in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, whilst also allowing the country’s tattered economy to recover.

In the Financial Times, Andrew England and Heba Saleh assert that the Arab world’s middle-income nations face increasingly difficult choices concerning COVID-19, as countries like Jordan and Egypt may struggle to mitigate the pandemic’s economic impact.

In The Independent, Borzou Daragahi claims that US-Iranian rivalry is worsening through the coronavirus pandemic, as both countries seek to exploit the current crisis as a chance for leverage with potentially disastrous results.

In The Times, Andrew Norfolk argues that religious festivities may “have proved deadly to community,” citing the Jewish festival of Purim as a key example of how religious congregations have helped spread COVID-19.

In The Times, Sarah Champion argues that countries like Syria and Yemen require more assistance from the international community than just medical aid in the fight against the coronavirus, given the war-ravaged public health infrastructure in both countries.

In the Associated Press, Mohammed Daraghmeh and Joseph Krauss assess the ways in which the coronavirus outbreak poses dilemmas for Palestinians who work in Israel but are being sent back to the West Bank to remain under lockdown and are causing public health and economic risks.

The Israeli media report that coalition negotiations between Likud and Blue and White are currently stuck. Maariv quotes a source in Blue and White saying, “The talks stopped the moment that the Likud asked to revisit the workings of the Judges Selection Committee. We will not permit any change in the functioning of the Judges Selection Committee and undermining democracy. The ball is in Netanyahu’s court. If he does not retract his plan to insert changes in the agreements that we made, there is no point in resuming the negotiations.” Blue and White fears that Netanyahu will retract all the agreements reached on forming an emergency government and are now speculating that this move by Netanyahu was a ploy run down the clock of Gantz’s mandate with no political achievement. Gantz’s mandate expires next Monday, 13 April, though he could ask President Reuven Rivlin for a two week extension. Gantz, the current Knesset Speaker, said yesterday that if necessary, the Knesset would meet on the intermediate days of Passover and progress bills that would prevent a member of Knesset under indictment from being able to form a government. According to Yediot Ahronot four copies of the agreement had already been printed by the Prime Minister’s secretary at his official residence. It was only after the preparations for the signing ceremony had begun that the Likud decided to withdraw from the legal section. Despite this, it is believed that negotiations will resume after Passover.

The Israeli media report that Israel is open to negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. According to Haaretz Israel would be willing to release Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for Hamas releasing Ethiopian Israeli Avera Mengistu and Bedouin Israeli Hisham al-Sayed, who were captured by Hamas after willingly crossing into Gaza in 2014 and 2015. In addition, the exchange would include the remains of two Israeli soldiers, Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul and Lt. Hadar Goldin who were killed in the Gaza Strip in separate battles in the summer of 2014. Israel Hayom reports that Israel’s Coordinator for Captives and MIAs Yair Bloom and the National Security Council are ready for “constructive action” and have called for talks on the matter to proceed via mediators. The paper notes that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has said the group would be willing “to make partial concessions” that would enable negotiations on a prisoner swap to take place regardless of the coronavirus crisis. Hamas seeks the release of elderly and female Palestinian prisoners “as a humanitarian gesture” amid the pandemic, he said.