The Times covers comments made by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas who suggested that under a peace deal, Israel could conduct a phased military withdrawal from Palestinian areas over five years, after which NATO troops could act as peacekeepers. Israeli leaders have repeatedly insisted that international peacekeepers are ineffectual, pointing to recent examples in southern Lebanon and elsewhere.

The Guardian online notes that the Israeli Embassy in the United States tweeted support for the SodaStream advert starring Scarlett Johansson which aired during Sunday evening’s Superbowl. The advert resulted in Johansson stepping down as an Oxfam ambassador. Oxfam objected to her promotion of SodaStream, which maintains a factory in the West Bank. Johansson robustly defended SodaStream, explaining that the factory provides equal employment for Palestinians and Israelis alike. Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters, known for his harsh criticism of Israel, has attacked Johansson’s decision, saying she is “undeniably not paying attention” to Israeli actions.

The Guardian and Times both report that a suicide bomber blew himself up on a mini-bus in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, targeting a Shi’ite suburb of the city, killing one person. The attack was the latest in a series of bombings in Shi’ite areas in Lebanon and is thought to be direct retribution by Sunni groups against Hezbollah, for the direct support it provides to the Assad regime in Syria.

In Syria itself, the Times online says that more than 150 people have been killed during the last three days by crude ‘barrel bombs’ which have been dropped on largely civilian areas by the Syrian air force loyal to Assad. Meanwhile, the Times and the online editions of the Telegraph and Financial Times all report that al-Qaeda has publicly cut ties with ISIS, one of the Islamist opposition groups in Syria, for seditious behaviour and spilling “forbidden blood.” The move is widely seen as an attempt by al-Qaeda to reassert its authority over the Islamist opposition in Syria, after ISIS disobeyed orders from al-Qaeda leaders.

The Independent and Independent i both report that Egyptian forces have raided Islamist bases in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel, killing 20 and wounding around 25 Islamist fighters.

In the Israeli media, Israel Hayom leads with comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a faction meeting yesterday, during which he criticised PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ continued refusal to recognise Israel as a characteristically Jewish state, explaining that a peace agreement cannot be concluded without such mutual recognition. In Maariv, Ariel Kahane says Netanyahu’s insistence is born out of fear of a future attempt to call into question the Jewish state’s very right to exist.

Focusing on another aspect of Netanyahu’s briefing to his faction, Maariv and Makor Rishon say that Netanyahu reported on a call with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who reiterated his opposition to boycotting Israel. Kerry issued a warning over the weekend that the collapse of peace talks could increase boycott calls, a statement which was sharply criticised by several Likud-Beitenu leaders. Netanyahu called on them yesterday to stop attacking Kerry.

Haaretz reports this morning that Israel and Turkey are closing in on agreement over a compensation package for the families of nine Turkish citizens who were killed on the Gaza-bound protest ship, the Mavi Marmara in 2010, trying to prevent Israeli commandos taking over the vessel.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio news reports this morning that an IDF officer was killed in a friendly fire incident near the border fence with the northern part of the Gaza Strip, although the circumstances remain unclear. In addition, a rocket warning siren was sounded in the Eshkol region of southern Israel, with authorities now investigating whether a rocket actually landed or not.