Almost all UK dailies report on the growing violence and tension in Lebanon following the killing of General Wissam al-Hassan in a car bomb on Friday. The general was considered to be a fierce opponent of Syrian influence in Lebanon and many regard his death as an assassination at least inspired by Syria’s President Assad. The Times, Guardian, Express, Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times and Independent i all report on violence at al-Hassan’s funeral yesterday as Lebanese police fired tear gas on mourners attempting to storm the Prime Minister’s office in Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati’s government is comprised mainly of Shia Hezbollah factions, considered direct supporters of the Assad regime in Syria.  In Syria itself, the online editions of the Times and Independent report the ongoing violence, as a taxi exploded yesterday in Damascus killing at least 13 people.

Meanwhile, the Independent reports on comments made by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who yesterday said that Israel would continue building in East Jerusalem. The Guardian analyses the impact of West Bank settlement expansion on the two-state solution. The Telegraph online reports local elections that took place yesterday in Palestinian territories in the West Bank. Early indicators suggest mixed results for the Fatah Party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, with independent candidates scoring some successes at their expense.

The online editions of the Guardian, Telegraph, Financial Times and Independent all report the claim by Jordanian authorities to have foiled a major terror plot. Eleven suspects, thought to have links to al-Qaida were arrested as they apparently planned a complex attack on several targets in the capital Amman, including shopping malls and foreign diplomats. Elsewhere, the Telegraph, Independent, Independent i and the online edition of the Guardian report yesterday’s denial by the United States that direct talks had been held, or were planned, with Iran to discuss Tehran’s nuclear development. A front-page report in the New York Times claimed that direct exchanges had taken place between the two countries, but the US National Security Council spokesman yesterday denied that this was the case. Meanwhile, the Telegraph online reports a complex money-laundering network established by an Iranian official to bypass international sanctions on the country.

All Israeli dailies prominently preview the final US presidential debate tonight, including Israel Hayom, Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz and Makor Rishon. All reports comment on the close nature of the race and expect Israel to be a focus of the latest debate. Both Israel Radio News and Makor Rishon publish comments by Prime Minister Netanyahu, who denied any knowledge of talks between the United States and Iran, following a recent report in the New York Times that such contact had taken place. Netanyahu said that Iran would use negotiations to buy more time for its nuclear programme. In Yediot Ahronot, Alex Fishman opines that direct US-Iran talks had probably taken place. In election news, Haaretz reports that Tzipi Livni is leaning towards heading her own party in the upcoming campaign. Meanwhile, Peace Now secretary-general Yariv Openheimer has joined the Labour Party. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid is apparently set to focus his campaign on universal military enlistment and changing the electoral system. Meanwhile, both Haaretz and Makor Rishon report on the increasing violence in Lebanon, following the killing of a senior intelligence official on Friday in Beirut.