The Financial Times reports this morning that Israel has stopped the shipment of equipment for the Palestinian mobile phone company Wataniya into the Gaza Strip, in response to Palestinian unilateral moved to seek membership of 15 international conventions last week. Meanwhile, The Times reports that Gaza’s sole Olympian, Nader al-Masri, will not be allowed to travel to the West Bank to participate in the Palestine Marathon.

The Times also reports on a dispute between Iran and the United States over Iran’s choice for UN Ambassador in New York. Hamid Aboutalebi is associated with the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, during which which American diplomats were held hostage for more than a year. The White House has described the choice as ‘not viable’. This story is also covered by the BBC and the Guardian, which argues that this will overshadow nuclear talks taking place in Vienna.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that Jamal al-Jamal, the Palestinian ambassador killed in an explosion in Prague in January, was most likely killed accidentally by an old Semtex charge hidden in a book.

The Israeli media is dominated by coverage of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks to the US Senate yesterday in which he appeared to focus blame for the recent breakdown in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on Israeli actions.  The front page headlines of Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post focus on Kerry’s apparent blaming of Israel. Israel Hayom also leads on the remarks, and carries a comment piece by Boaz Bismuth, under the headline, “Kerry forgot to also blame himself”.

Also very widely covered are yesterday’s incidents in West Bank settlement of Yitzhar, where extremist settlers ransacked an army outpost manned by reservists, after the IDF destroyed four illegally constructed buildings in the settlement. There is widespread disgust at these actions, and efforts by mainstream settler leaders to distance themselves from these more extremist elements. All papers cover this on their front pages, Yediot Ahronot quotes a reservist saying, “We give our souls, risk our lives, and the Jews hurt us more than the Arabs.” Israel Radio reports on the condemnations of politicians across the political spectrum and orders from Prime Minister Netanyahu to Defence Minister Yaalon to use whatever force necessary against lawbreakers.

Another story to feature prominently in the Israel press and broadcast media is the on-going allegations by former domestic employees of the Netanyahu family over mistreatment they received in their workplace.

Reports of on-going investigations into former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is being questions on suspicion of obstructing justice following his conviction last week on bribery charges, also continue to feature prominently in the media.