The latest diplomatic developments regarding Syria’s proposed chemical disarmament are again the lead item this morning. The Guardian and Telegraph say that US Secretary of State John Kerry is cautiously optimistic over the prospects of reaching a peaceful solution over the issue, although he insisted yesterday that “words are not enough” from the Assad regime. Kerry yesterday began talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva over the implementation of Russia’s proposal for Syria to hand over its chemical stockpiles. However, the Financial Times says that Kerry and Lavrov disagree over the threat of military action in the event of Syrian intransigence.

The Times and Guardian report that Syria has applied to the United Nations (UN) to become a signatory of the chemical weapons convention. However, the Independent emphasises comments made by Syria’s President Assad, who said that he will only begin to relinquish chemical weapons after the United States first drops its threat of military action and stops arming Syrian rebel opposition groups. The Telegraph online covers comments made by the head of the Free Syrian Army who said that his forces are still waiting for any American weapons to arrive. Both the Times and the online edition of the Telegraph say that a report by UN inspectors on Monday will blame the Assad regime for using chemical weapons last month. Meanwhile, a Guardian editorial says that the prevarication of the West over Syria makes it unclear who exactly is now setting the global order.

The Financial Times online covers a report by the International Monetary Fund that says the Palestinian economic outlook is “dim” although it could be improved by the establishment of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Olso Accords on the White House lawn, the Guardian online includes a feature profiling what happened next to the architects of the agreement.

The Israeli media this morning focuses on two main stories. The first is the declassification of testimony given by former-Prime Minister Golda Meir to the Agranat Commission, which was set up to investigate failures leading up to the Yom Kippur War in 1973. This weekend marks the fortieth anniversary of the war. Details of Meir’s testimony include admission that she felt lacking in military knowledge and her fear of ordering a pre-emptive strike. It is the headline in Maariv and dominates the first five pages of Israel Hayom, commanding similar attention in Yediot Ahronot.

The other main story is the ongoing diplomatic developments regarding Syria’s proposed chemical disarmament. Haaretz highlights John Kerry’s contention that the disarmament plan must not become a stalling technique for the Assad regime. Meanwhile, Israel Hayom focuses on the conditions seemingly set by Assad in order for him to begin disarming. Maariv outlines the Russian four-stage plan. Writing in Israel Hayom, Boaz Bismuth says that although the developments this week have exposed US President Obama’s inconsistent decision-making, it has forced Assad to cooperate.

Both Maariv and Haaretz also give prominence to the announcement by Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday that IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz will have his tenure extended by a year on the recommendation of Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon.