The Times, Independent i and the online edition of the Telegraph all cover the violence over the last three days at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The site, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims has often been a flashpoint for unrest, especially during the past year. Over the past several days, Israeli security forces clashed with Palestinians, who they say had gathered rocks and firebombs inside the al-Aqsa Mosque in preparation for an assault on non-Muslim visitors.

The Times online says that Russian warplanes are expected to arrive in Syria within the coming two weeks and that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has urged the world to support the Assad regime. The Telegraph online reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry has told Russia that their support for President Assad risks “extending conflict.” Writing in the Independent, Kim Sengupta says that Moscow is increasingly important in shaping what happens in Syria.

The Guardian online says that a former Finnish Prime Minister who was involved in Syrian peace talks, has claimed that the UK, US and France turned down a Russian proposal in 2012 which would have seen President Assad stand down as part of a peace deal, in the belief that Assad’s defeat was already imminent.

The Telegraph online covers comments made by Lebanon’s Education Minister, who has warned that 1 in 50 Syrian refugees arriving in Europe could be an ISIS terrorist. During the past four years, Lebanon has absorbed a huge number of Syrians fleeing the country.

The Guardian says that Iran is expecting an “onslaught” of tourists following the recent signing of the nuclear deal with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany). Both the Guardian and the online edition of the Financial Times report that a French-owned chain of hotels is already planning to open a Novotel and an Ibis hotel at Tehran’s international airport.

In the Israeli media, all dailies focus on the violence which occurred in Jerusalem during the last three days. Maariv simply leads with the headline “Tension in Jerusalem” while Israel Hayom highlights the “battle” for the Temple Mount. However, Yediot Ahronot leads with the death of 64-year-old Israeli man Alexander Levlovitz, who died in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighbourhood on Sunday evening when the car he was driving crashed after having been attacked by rock throwers. Levlovitz was returning from a festive meal to celebrate the Jewish New Year, as reflected by the Yediot Ahronot headline, “Man left holiday dinner and was murdered.”

Israel Hayom’s top story focuses on the Israeli government’s response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting last night of ministers and security officials, who decided to introduce a minimum sentence for rock-throwers and revise the rules of engagement for Israeli forces facing such a situation. However, writing in Yediot Ahronot, Yoaz Hendel says that last night’s meeting was called to simply “create an impression” and that the time has come instead for “true governance” over Jerusalem. In Maariv, Yossi Melman argues that both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are prepared to let the conflict continue on a low flame, but wonders “for how long will the PA and the Israeli government be able to control the flames.”