Both the Guardian and the online edition of the Telegraph report this morning that Israel has eased restrictions on imports into the Gaza Strip. In light of the relative calm in southern Israel following Operation Pillar of Defence, Israel has decided to permit the daily entry of twenty truckloads of construction materials for private building projects. Although building materials on behalf of international aid organisations were already granted entry, they had been banned for private sector initiatives since 2007 due to Israeli security concerns that the material is used to manufacture rockets. The Guardian’s coverage of this story is included within a wider article that focuses on a ban announced by Hamas on Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip working with or giving interviews to Israeli media outlets. Israeli journalists have been barred from entering the Gaza Strip since 2006 to protect their own security and so Israeli publications have since relied on Palestinian correspondents to report from the area. The article includes comments from several Palestinian reporters who have worked for Israeli newspapers, lamenting the Hamas decision and some speculate that Hamas will soon ban or restrict foreign media correspondents too.

Elsewhere in the region, the Telegraph and the online editions of the Independent and Financial Times report on the ongoing attempts by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to broker a peaceful solution to the violent conflict in Syria. Having been immersed in talks in Damascus for five days, Brahimi yesterday proposed an interim transitional government ahead of elections to bring about real change in Syria. The opposition coalition appeared to reject Brahimi’s proposal as unrealistic, while Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned of “bloody chaos” if Brahimi’s latest initiative should fail.

In the Israeli media this morning, new polls are published in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Jerusalem Post with less than a month to go before the election. The Maariv poll suggests that support for the joint Likud-Beitenu list has held firm at 37 seats, although the other surveys suggest a slight dip in their support. However, all agree that Jewish Home has increased its support in recent weeks. The Labour Party though consistently polls as the second largest party, with indications that it will secure 17-20 seats in the next Knesset.

Several dailies also highlight the political manoeuvring which appears to have begun between parties staking a claim to preferred portfolios in the next government. Israel Hayom’s headline claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that Likud-Beitenu representatives will be the next ministers of foreign affairs, defence and finance. Meanwhile, Maariv reports comments by Shas leader Aryeh Deri who has vowed that his party will retain control of the housing ministry, despite suggestions by Avigdor Lieberman that his Yisrael Beitenu party will provide the next housing minister.

Meanwhile, the indictment against Lieberman on charges of fraud and breach of trust is a major headline in Yediot Ahronot and Maariv. Although it appears that additional charges will not now be brought against Lieberman, it has emerged that Lieberman’s former deputy at the foreign ministry Danny Ayalon will be a key witness for the prosecution. Ayalon was surprisingly left off the list of Yisrael Beitenu Knesset candidates by Lieberman only a few weeks ago.

Israel Radio News this morning reports on a statement released by Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt, who called on Israel to reverse this week’s decision to grant the Ariel University Centre, situated in the West Bank, full university status and to cancel recently announced construction plans in East Jerusalem.