The Telegraph includes what is billed as the first major interview with Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, since he returned to office in November. Lieberman, on a visit to London told the Telegraph that “it’s very important to keep alive and maintain” peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Lieberman also backed US Secretary of State John Kerry’s framework plan for final status talks and called on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to compromise. The Telegraph’s Diplomatic Correspondent Alex Spillius described Lieberman as having undergone a “transformation from hardliner to pragmatist.”

An editorial in the Guardian heaps praise on John Kerry for his determined diplomacy since taking office almost a year ago. It outlines Kerry’s hand in the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the PA, the interim deal between the international community and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the dismantling of chemical weapons in Syria.

However, the Guardian also reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei yesterday accused the United States of hostility towards Iran, Islam and Muslims, describing the US as “Satan.” His comments came just hours ahead of the resumption of technical talks between Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 forum (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) in Geneva to implement the interim deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme agreed in November.

The Guardian online says a rapprochement is taking place between Iran and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. There had been a breakdown in relations between the two sides over Hamas’ refusal to back Syria’s President Assad, a close ally of Iran. The report says that Iranian officials and Hamas representatives have met increasingly and Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal could soon travel to Tehran.

The online edition of the Times reports that the al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic State of Iraq in Syria (ISIS) group, which has recently clashed with fellow Islamist opposition groups in Syria, executed as many as 50 hostages while retreating from Aleppo. The Telegraph online says that ISIS was driven out of Aleppo by an alliance of Islamist and secular opposition groups.

The Telegraph, Metro and the online edition of the Guardian cover the continuing deterioration in the medical condition of Israel’s former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, where he is being treated indicated that Sharon is now close to death and that his family has gathered by his side in anticipation of his passing.

In the Israeli media, the top item in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Sof Hashavua and Israel Hayom is the grave medical condition of Ariel Sharon, whose life appears to be hanging in the balance. The headline in Sof Hashavua reads “Preparing to Say Goodbye” while Yediot Ahronot addresses Sharon by his nickname, leading with “Saying Goodbye to Arik.”

A variety of speculation over peace negotiations and behind the scenes diplomacy also continues to make its mark. Maariv says that there are large gaps between the United States and Israel and the United States and the PA over John Kerry’s proposed framework plan. Eli Bardenstein predicts “What is clear is that there will not be a framework agreement, or a signing.” Meanwhile, Israel Hayom continues its report from yesterday which suggests that there is Israeli dissatisfaction over American mediation efforts. Haaretz says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told colleagues that he won’t agree to any reference to Jerusalem in a framework document, although an Israeli official is cited saying that Netanyahu is more nuanced in direct talks with Kerry.

Maariv reports that Palestinian police were forced to evacuate a delegation of Israeli peace activists from Ramallah after Palestinian protestors opposing normalization of relations with Israel launched a violent demonstration outside a venue in which Palestinian and Israeli peace activists were meeting.