The Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and Independent i all report on comments made yesterday by Israel’s Minister for Regional Development, Silvan Shalom, who claimed that direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders would begin in Washington next Tuesday. Shalom spoke during a visit to Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled Jericho, where he inspected an industrial park alongside senior PA and Jordanian officials. However, most reports quote Palestinian sources which indicate that the PA is seeking certain conditions before committing to talks next week. Meanwhile, in a major interview in the Telegraph, Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs, Yuval Steinitz said that Israel is prepared to make “very serious territorial concessions” in order to conclude a peace deal with the PA.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph online covers an announcement yesterday by United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said that the death toll from Syria’s civil war has now passed the 100,000 mark. The Evening Standard reports that Richard Ottaway MP, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, has blamed primarily Russia and China, plus Iran and Hezbollah, for the plight of millions of Syrian refugees, accusing them of “blocking any serious attempt to resolve the situation.” Writing in the Telegraph, Con Coughlin argues that President Assad is likely to survive the two-year uprising against him, but will effectively cede control of parts of Syria, creating the potential for a dangerous Islamist enclave on Israel’s border.

The Financial Times covers comments made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who dismissed the potential impact of the European Union’s decision to proscribe its military wing as a terror organisation earlier this week. The article also details the potential difficulties of enforcing the ban in a meaningful way. In the online edition of the Financial Times, Philip Stevens opines that the Middle East faces years of disorder especially as the United States and Europe are proving ineffectual at instigating real change or progress in the region.

The potential resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is the dominant story in this morning’s Israeli media. Sof Hashavua relays Minister Silvan Shalom’s claim that discussions will resume between the two sides in Washington on Tuesday. However, a poll in Israel Hayom indicates that 73 per cent of Israelis do not believe that an agreement will be reached to end the conflict. Maariv leads with a comment by Likud’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Ze’ev Elkin, who said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will cede 86 per cent of the West Bank as part of an eventual peace deal. Meanwhile, Haaretz claims that Netanyahu has pledged to US Secretary of State John Kerry that he will limit West Bank housing construction for the duration of talks. Yediot Ahronot publishes a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu from a bereaved man whose wife and child were killed in a terror attack, asking that the killers only be released in return for peace. The potential release of Palestinian prisoners is one item regarding the resumption of talks which is set to be discussed by Israel’s cabinet on Sunday.

Maariv also says that there are recriminations within Jewish Home following this week’s election for Israel’s Chief Rabbis. Some party figures are reportedly blaming Jewish Home leader and Economics Minister Naftali Bennett for the failure of either of the party’s favoured candidates to win office.