Report: Israel and Syria to commence direct talks in coming weeks

In the UK and international media today, BBC Online reports that the US State Department rejected a statement made by an unnamed US defence official, according to which an Israeli attack on Iran is imminent. The Financial Times looks at the latest moves in western attempts to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear programme. BBC Online also notes the historic handshake between Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and plans for a meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Times and BBC Online note a temporary reopening of the Rafah border crossing by Egypt. The Financial Times also focuses on the impact of the Israeli issue in the upcoming US Presidential campaign.

In the Israeli media, Haaretz, Ynetnews and Maariv note a report in the London-based Al-Hayat paper that Israel and Syria will commence direct talks in the coming weeks. In other news, Haaretz reports that UNIFIL soldiers have been forced by local residents to delete photographs of suspicious communication wires. The paper, along with the Jerusalem Post, notes the reopening of the Gaza crossings by Israel. All papers report on a claim by an Egyptian magazine that Hamas have transferred a videotape of Gilad Shalit to the Egyptian authorities. Ynetnews and Maariv, meanwhile, quote security officials on the issue of a possible Israeli strike on Iran. Maariv quotes an unnamed official who claims that because of neglect, Israel currently lacks a workable plan for an operation of this kind.

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