The Financial Times online covers comments made by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who endorsed the idea of peace negotiations based on the Arab Peace Initiative. Speaking alongside newly-appointed Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Netanyahu said: “we are willing to negotiate” on the basis of the Saudi-spearheaded plan, which offers a pan-Arab rapprochement with Israel in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports that Netanyahu’s wife Sara was found guilty of “abusive” and “humiliating” treatment of a former-maintenance worker at the prime minister’s residence, who was awarded £24,000 in damages. The judge referred to an “atmosphere of fear” at the prime minister’s residence. Sara Netanyahu is also facing allegations of possible fraud over alleged spending of state funds for private purposes.

The Times and Telegraph both report that Hamas has executed three alleged Palestinian criminals, involved in murders connected to robberies in the Gaza Strip. A further ten people are set for execution later this week. The executions have been condemned by human rights organisations, the United Nations and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Elsewhere in the region, the Telegraph online says that a wave of Russian air strikes have targeted hospitals in northern Syria and have killed at least sixty people. Russia has continued to deploy its air force in Syria in support of President Assad, despite announcing a military pull-out from the country earlier this year.

The Times covers two items of Israeli innovation. It reports that researchers at the Inter Disciplinary Centre in Herzliya have developed a robot, which uses artificial intelligence to empathise with people. It can apparently help them through difficult periods and even find love. Another report in the Times says that a Swiss-Israeli company has launched a mobile phone handset with “military grade” security, said to be the most secure handset in the world, retailing at £10,000.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Israel Hayom, which is also a major item in Yediot Ahronot, is Defence Minister Lieberman’s first day in the role, which was widely documented. Lieberman met with IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, who is described by Alex Fishman in Yediot Ahronot, as a key figure in Lieberman’s future success. In what appeared to be an attempt to allay fears over his perceived hard-line positions, Lieberman emphasised yesterday that Israel only goes to war out of necessity and that in a conflict which pits unity of the people versus unity of the land, unity of the people is more important. However, Fishman in Yediot Ahronot says, “It takes much more than one sunny spring day… in order to erase an image that has been built up for many years.”

The other major story this morning, which is highlighted in Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom and Maariv is the court ruling yesterday, which awarded compensation to a former-employee at the prime minister’s residence over treatment by Sara Netanyahu. The judge said her behaviour towards the employee was “intolerable, humiliating and reached the level of abusive employment”.

Meanwhile, Haaretz and Israel Radio both report that an internal police department has opened a criminal investigation regarding an incident last week in Tel Aviv, in which a Bedouin employee of a supermarket was beaten by numerous plain clothes police officers. In the incident, which was caught on security camera, the officers appeared to viciously beat the employee, who they claimed refused to show his identification when asked and then attacked them. Five officers were apparently questioned yesterday with more set for questioning today.