This morning’s Independent, Telegraph and Independent i all report on the trial of Israel’s former-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, which began yesterday in Jerusalem. Lieberman, who heads the Yisrael Beitenu party and has ambitions of being foreign minister in Israel’s next government, is facing charges of fraud and breach of trust in relation to the appointment of Israel’s ambassador to Latvia in 2008. Lieberman pleaded his innocence yesterday, but if found guilty he could be barred from holding a ministerial position for seven years.

The Telegraph also reports that the Israeli army administered first aid to seven wounded Syrian fighters before evacuating them to an Israeli hospital, in the first incident of its kind during the two-year Syrian conflict. It is unclear whether they are opposition fighters or members of the Syrian army loyal to President Assad.

Meanwhile, the Independent i, Telegraph and the online editions of the Independent and BBC cover Netanyahu’s comments on the ‘Prisoner X’ case during his weekly cabinet meeting yesterday. Netanyahu outlined Israel’s unique security challenges and urged that the country’s security forces be allowed to “do their work quietly” to protect the country. The reports also note that the Knesset and the Australian government will both hold investigations into the circumstances of the death of Australian-born Ben Zygier in high-security Israeli detention in 2010, which became public last week.

The Independent i, Metro and the Guardian’s G2 section briefly note that Netanyahu has put a stop to his official household expenditure of around £1,750 on ice cream, after the excessive figure was revealed by Israeli economic daily Calcalist and covered widely by the country’s media over the weekend.

The online edition of the Daily Mail includes a profile of outgoing Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer, describing him as “a cut above the rest” and outlining his achievements in helping manage the Israeli economy over the past several years.  The Express online reports comments made by the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, claiming that the country’s Fordow nuclear plant will never be closed down, despite pressure from Western leaders. Meanwhile the online edition of the Financial Times includes an analysis of the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and leading Western countries, scheduled to take place next week in Kazakhstan.

In the Israeli media, Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Israel Hayom continue to focus their headlines on the ‘Prisoner X’ story. All report that the Intelligence and Secret Services Subcommittee of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee will hold an investigation into the arrest and death of Ben Zygier, while the Australian government will also investigate his death. Yediot Ahronot suggests that Zygier was offered a plea bargain which would have carried a 10-20 year prison sentence.

Meanwhile Maariv claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will aim to assemble the bulk of a government with 57 Knesset members from Hatnuah, Kadima and ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism before handing Jewish Home the dilemma of whether to join or effectively precipitate new elections by refusing. Yediot Ahronot claims that Netanyahu may even make an attractive offer to Labour Party leader Shelly Yachimovich to join the coalition in a demonstration to both Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid, that he can form a government without them.

Makor Rishon leads with the opening of Avigdor Lieberman’s trial in Jerusalem. It is also prominently reported in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom that Lieberman yesterday denied the charges against him of fraud and breach of trust.

Yediot Ahronot, Makor Rishon, Israel Hayom and Israel Radio News all report the death of singer and song-writer Shmulik Kraus, who passed away yesterday aged 77. Kraus was among Israel’s most prominent artists and seven years ago received an award from the country’s education minister for his life’s work.