Writing in the Daily Express, Frederick Forsyth says that the possibility of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) is the only ray of light in a Middle East increasingly dominated by Sunni-Shi’ite violence and conflict.

The Guardian, Times, Independent i, Metro and online edition of the Telegraph cover the first day of the trial in the Hague of four Hezbollah members in absentia who are accused of the murder of former-Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. The trial is set to last for 15 months. Meanwhile, the Guardian online reports that a car bomb in the Shi’ite Lebanese town of Hermel, close to the Syrian border killed at least three people yesterday. The town is viewed as a base of support for the Assad regime in Syria.

The Independent and Independent i both include a feature on Palestinians in Syria who are starving to death in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus, where a reported 18,000 people are desperate for food, having been cut off from all supplies by the Assad regime. Both publications also include comments by Robert Fisk, who criticises Arab indifference and in particular inaction by the PA to aid those suffering in Yarmouk and elsewhere in Syria.

The Guardian online highlights comments made yesterday by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who reiterated that the purpose of next week’s scheduled Geneva II peace talks is to establish a transitional government body in Syria and not to tackle terrorism as some Syrian government officials have claimed. Writing in the Telegraph, Con Coughlin argues that the UK government should be speaking with the Assad regime if it isn’t already, in order to prevent the future return of dangerous jihadists to Britain.

The online editions of the Guardian, Times and Financial Times cover the results of Egypt’s constitutional referendum. Although each report carries slightly different figures, Egyptian officials claim that up to 97 per cent of voters approved the charter and that the turn-out was as high as 55 per cent. The poll is seen as a green light for the country’s military ruler, General Sisi to launch his presidential candidacy.

The Guardian online reports that Czech police have announced the discovery of additional explosives in the Palestinian embassy complex in Prague, during their investigation into an explosion which recently killed the Palestinian envoy there.

The Daily Mail reports briefly on a controversial proposed new law in Israel which passed a first, initial reading in the Knesset which would ban the use of Nazi symbols and comparing others to Nazis, but is opposed by those arguing it would limit freedom of speech. Meanwhile, the Telegraph online covers the victory this week of 47-year-old Filipino carer Rose Fostanes who won Israel’s X Factor reality show.

In the Israeli media, there is still widespread coverage of the alleged bribery affair involving the prominent and well connected Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto and commander of the Israel Police Lahav 443 Unit, Cmdr. Menashe Arbib. Further details of the scandal were released yesterday and Israel Hayom says Internal Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovitch has called for Rabbi Pinto to be prosecuted while Haaretz says Pinto has not only failed to help himself but has done great harm to the police. The story is also covered prominently in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Sof Hashavua.

Israel Hayom and Israel Radio news both report comments made last night by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to Israeli ambassadors having been summoned by the foreign ministries in the UK, France, Spain and Italy where they were told of deep concern regarding Israeli West Bank settlement construction plans. Netanyahu accused the European Union of hypocrisy in criticising Israel while remaining quiet on Palestinian incitement.

In the wake of this Wednesday night’s rocket salvo from Gaza aimed at southern Israel, Haaretz and Yediot Ahronot say that an escalation on the Gaza border can be expected. The Haaretz headline says that the “countdown” to the next Gaza operation has begun while Alex Fishman in Yediot Ahronot points out that Egyptian opposition to Hamas means that Cairo can no longer restrain activities in Gaza.