Both the Guardian and Financial Times cover yesterday’s announcement by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that he intends to advance plans for construction of around 1,000 housing units in East Jerusalem. Although the announcement does not signal imminent construction, it was condemned by Palestinian leaders and United States officials expressed concern. The Guardian notes that Finance Minister and Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid condemned the announcement.

The Times says that Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon is planning to effectively ban Palestinians from using the same busses as Jewish residents in the West Bank, due to security concerns. The article says that critics of the plan say it “reeks of apartheid.” Israel’s Attorney General’s office has already questioned the legality of such a move.

The online edition of the Telegraph includes a video which shows two photographers, lightly injured, who were struck by rubber bullets fired by Border Police. The incident took place at the funeral, which turned violent of a 14-year-old Palestinian killed last week in the West Bank by Israeli forces.

The Daily Express reports comments made by former-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who said that recognition of a Palestinian state at this juncture, would “wreck hopes of peace.” Such a state, he explained would be “far from democratic, free, peaceful and prosperous” and would grant “tacit approval” to a government supported by Hamas.

The Guardian online covers comments made by actress Miriam Margolyes in an interview with the Radio Times, in which she said that Israel is “allowing” people to vent anti-Semitism.

The Financial Times online reports that Egypt’s President al-Sisi is cracking down on terror groups following Friday’s huge attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, which killed more than 30 Egyptian soldiers. Al-Sisi has apparently declared civilian facilities such as roads and bridges to be military zones.

The Times online says that Iran’s President Rouhani has ordered an investigation into a spate of acid attacks on women in Isfahan, who are deemed to have dressed immodestly.

In the Israeli media, Israel Hayom leads with the headline “The Battle over Construction,” covering the response to yesterday’s announcement by Prime Minister Netanyahu that he plans to advance building in East Jerusalem. Israel Radio news reports that the United States and Jordan both yesterday criticised the plan. Maariv covers Netanyahu’s robust defence of building in Jerusalem during yesterday’s opening day of the Knesset’s winter session. Summarising the session, Maariv’s lead commentator Ben Caspit says, “The heightened emotions and passions, the shrill tones of voice and the slogans” indicate that, “The campaigning has already begun … It could very well be that yesterday was the opening shot in the 2015 elections.”

Yediot Ahronot leads with a feature by Elior Levy on the continuing low-level violence in Jerusalem. It includes interviews with some of the leaders of the unrest in the Arab neighbourhood of Silwan, who warned that a seemingly minor incident could spark a third Intifada. It is a sentiment shared by IDF officers in the West Bank also interviewed in the article.

Meanwhile, the top item in Haaretz reports that the Attorney General is examining the legality of Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s plan to effectively bar Palestinians from using Israeli busses in the West Bank, due to security concerns.

Israel Radio news covers the Knesset approval yesterday of a first reading of a draft law which would allow the same surrogacy rights for both same-sex couples and individuals. Until now, surrogacy has only been permitted for married heterosexual couples.