The Telegraph reports that an unnamed Israeli official has said that Syria’s President Assad recently used sarin gas for the first time since 2013. Apparently, just over three weeks ago, Assad’s forces used the deadly chemical weapon against ISIS fighters, killing dozens. The Syrian government agreed to surrendered its chemical weapons stockpile, but there have been indications that some of this arsenal has been retained. The Israeli official warned that “Once a taboo is broken, it becomes a standard weapon that you use.”

Meanwhile, the online editions of the Times, Telegraph and Financial Times all report that the United States’ Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have agreed at a meeting in Vienna to airdrop humanitarian aid to destitute communities in Syria. However, they did not agree on a date to resume nascent peace talks.

The Guardian includes a feature on a new national Palestinian Museum in the West Bank, which is scheduled to open this week, after twenty years of planning. However, there will be virtually no exhibits within the new building, due to a disagreement between the museum’s founding director and its board.

Writing in the Guardian, breast cancer surgeon Philippa Whitford describes her recent visit to Gaza, where she worked in a hospital and spoke to patients. She provides an overview of the difficulties facing Gaza’s population and in particular the problems facing women who are being treated for breast cancer.

In the Israeli media, the top item in Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Israel Hayom is the increasing speculation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in advanced talks with opposition leader, Zionist Union head, Isaac Herzog about expanding the coalition. Most reports suggest that the negotiations, which apparently continued last night, are reaching a critical juncture. Israel Hayom’s front page headline reads: “Approaching a decision”. Israel Radio news says that many points of disagreement remain, including the exact portfolios which Zionist Union would receive. They have also yet to agree on legislative initiatives which the government currently supports, but Zionist Union opposes. Most centrally though, the two sides are said to disagree over the peace process.

However, the role of peace talks also takes centre stage this morning. The top story in Maariv, also covered prominently in Haaretz and Israel Radio news is Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s speech yesterday, in which he threw his weight behind reigniting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Both Netanyahu and Herzog were quick to publicly praise al-Sisi’s comments, leading Maariv’s Ben Caspit and Yediot Ahronot’s Smadar Peri to surmise that the Egyptian President’s comments were coordinated with Netanyahu and Herzog, in an effort to pave the way for a unity government. Maariv’s front page headline is: “Unity through Cairo”.

Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Israel Hayom and Haaretz all cover an investigation into alleged insider trading by Likud’s Welfare Minister Haim Katz. He is accused of having purchased stocks in a real estate company, alongside his financial advisor, prior to the company’s merger. The two reportedly made a significant profit from the shares.