The continuing downturn in the dynamic of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) is reflected in several of today’s dailies. The Independent says the Palestinian leadership has issued a new set of demands which it says “have little chance of being accepted by Israel” as conditions for extending peace talks. Meanwhile, in light of the PA’s decision to request membership in 15 international bodies, in breach of an understanding agreed when peace talks resumed in July. The Guardian reports that Israel has scrapped the scheduled release of the fourth and final group of Palestinian prisoners. The article also notes that Israel’s lead negotiator Tzipi Livni called for the entire US-sponsored negotiations to be “reviewed.” Writing in the Financial Times, David Gardner argues that the United States has not been demanding enough of Israel and that the “Israeli tail is being allowed to wag the US dog.”

Meanwhile in Syria, the online editions of the Telegraph, Times, Independent and the Guardian all report that the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has passed the one million mark, adding further instability to the country. Lebanon now has the highest per-capita concentration of refugees recorded anywhere in the world, every fourth person living there now a Syrian refugee, triple the number registered a year ago as fighting has intensified across the border. Violence from the Syrian Civil War has spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions during the past few months, with Sunni groups targeting Hezbollah due to its close alliance with Syria’s President Assad.

In addition, the Telegraph publishes an unconfirmed accusation by Syrian opposition activists that Assad’s forces have used poison gas again in an attack on the Damascus neighbourhood of Jobar in the capital Damascus. It follows a letter sent to the United Nations (UN) by the Syrian government claiming it had evidence that rebel groups were planning a toxic gas attack in the same area.

The Financial Times suggests that the government investigation announced this week into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood is an act of “gesture politics” towards Saudi Arabia and British commercial interests. The Saudi government opposes Muslim Brotherhood influence in Egypt and elsewhere in the region.

In the Israeli press, more details have emerged of Wednesday’s meeting to salvage negotiations between Israel’s lead negotiator Tzipi Livni, her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erekat and US special envoy Martin Indyk. According to Maariv, Ynet and Israel Radio news the Palestinians issued a list of new demands for the continuation of peace talks beyond their current 29th April deadline. The list ranges from demanding the release of some 1,200 Palestinian prisoners to a written commitment by Israel accepting the Palestinian state along the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital. Yediot Ahronot says that Israeli officials remain hopeful of continuing negotiations, while Israel Radio news notes that US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke yesterday with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel Radio news reports that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) bombed Hamas locations in Gaza overnight in response to four rockets that were fired into the area around Sderot in southern Israel. There has been relatively little rocket fire in southern Israel since March 12th, when at least 60 rockets were fired by Islamic Jihad at Israel, prompting Israeli warplanes to fly bombing sorties over Gaza in response.