This morning’s Guardian, Independent i and the online edition of the Independent report on Palestinian protests which erupted yesterday in the West Bank city of Hebron and in three Israeli prisons, following the death yesterday through cancer of a high-profile Palestinian prisoner. Palestinian officials claimed that the Israeli authorities had neglected to properly care for Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, who was convicted of attempted murder in 2002. An application for his early release on health grounds was being processed at the time of Abu Hamdiyeh’s death in a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva. His funeral, which could take place today, is expected to be another possible flashpoint between Palestinian protestors and Israeli security forces.

The Times and the online edition of the Guardian cover the first Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip since November’s Operation Pillar of Defence, which took place late last night, in response to three rockets which were yesterday fired from Gaza into Israel. Neither the rocket attack nor Israel’s air response was reported to have caused any injuries or damage.

The Financial Times and the Times report on a political backlash against Israel’s new Finance Minister Yair Lapid, leader of Yesh Atid. Lapid had announced via Facebook that he would focus ministry officials on the concerns of middle class Israelis, rather than the technicalities of macroeconomics. In doing so, he described the financial situation of a typical married middle class Israeli woman, which has drawn criticism from political opponents and some sections of the public, who accuse him of being out of touch with reality.

Meanwhile, the online edition of the Times says that fighting erupted yesterday in several areas of Damascus, indicating that opposition forces could be preparing a fresh offensive to capture Syria’s capital from President Assad.

The headlines in this morning’s Israeli media focus on tensions at the borders with Gaza and Syria. Although no injuries or damage were reported in either incident, a rocket from Gaza landed in southern Israel yesterday, while IDF soldiers were shot at near the Syrian border at Tel Hazeka and a mortar was also fired in the area. Israel’s air force struck targets in Gaza while IDF tank fire responded to the source of fire in Syria. The incidents are the headline story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom which states “IDF returns fire in Golan and Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Maariv prominently covers the violence which took place yesterday in the West Bank following the death of a Palestinian prisoner through cancer, saying that there is fear of renewed protests. Israel Radio News says that an autopsy on the prisoner’s body will be carried out today.

The fallout from Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s comments in which he highlighted the plight of middle class Israelis continues. Yediot Ahronot includes reactions from members of the public while Maariv focuses on the thoughts of Lapid’s former journalist colleagues. Makor Rishon says that Lapid has no regrets over his comments, while Shalom Yerushalmi, writing in Maariv warns “The best advice that can be given to Lapid under these circumstances is to watch his back, since if this was the outcome of one mistake, what will become of him if he commits a fatal error?”

Haaretz includes a report saying that US Secretary of State John Kerry is set to return to the region on Saturday in order to encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to negotiations.