Yesterday’s resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) following a three year hiatus is covered in the Times, Financial Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Independent, Evening Standard and Independent i. Very few details of yesterday’s negotiations were made public, in order to prevent media leaks and speculation, with even the exact time and location unconfirmed. However, reports indicate that the two sides met in Jerusalem for five hours and agreed to meet again soon in the West Bank. Most reportage covers the build-up to yesterday’s talks, including an overview of the release of twenty-six Palestinian prisoners by Israel, paving the way for negotiations to resume.

The Independent covers a report in yesterday’s Haaretz, which claimed that Israel’s government is considering applying an absentee property law that would restrict the ownership of East Jerusalem property by West Bank Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Metro covers the launch of a new Israel government public diplomacy campaign, which encourages the participation of Israeli university students via social media.

The Independent i says that United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has called on Hamas to cease executions in the Gaza Strip as she believes that they are carried out without fair trials.

The huge violence in Egypt yesterday, especially in Cairo is widely covered. The Times reports that more than 250 people were reported dead after the Egyptian military used live fire in clashes with supporters of ousted premier Mohammed Morsi. The Financial Times emphasises that Egypt’s interim-Vice President resigned and that a state of emergency has been declared by the country’s military rulers. An editorial in the same publication calls yesterday’s clashes the “violent death” of Egyptian democracy while the Guardian describes the events as Egypt’s ‘Tiananmen Square.’ The Independent includes an eye-witness account of yesterday’s “carnage” in Cairo, while the Telegraph and the Sun focus on the killing of a British television cameraman in the violence. The Times says that Western governments must re-consider its’ financial aid and support for Egypt’s rulers in the wake of yesterday’s extreme violence. Writing in the Independent, Robert Fisk predicts an erosion of interest in democracy within the Muslim world.

The Guardian online says that a UN chemical weapons inspection team is poised to enter Syria with the fine details of its investigation having been finalised with the Assad regime. However, the article suggests that the UN team’s mandate may be too limited to reach any meaningful conclusions over the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The Times reports that Syrian activists and academics have released a proposed road map for the transition of power in Syria.

The Israeli media this morning is dominated by coverage of yesterday’s extreme violence in Egypt. It is the headline story in Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz, Makor Rishon, Maariv that claims “Egypt on verge of civil war” and Israel Hayom that simply states in its headline “Blood on the Nile.” There is plenty of commentary on yesterday’s events with Nadav Eyal in Maariv suggesting that the violence may become a “pyrrhic victory” for Egypt’s military rulers, with the death of hundreds of its supporters becoming a rallying call for the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, Alex Fishman in Yediot Ahronot paints an alarming picture, warning that should the United States cut support and aid from the Egyptian military, “the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt will be in real danger,” as the Egyptian street is hostile to Israel and US financial and military aid is the only factor to have kept this in check.

Meanwhile, the resumption of peace talks last night is also covered widely in the Israeli dailies, particularly in Haaretz. Israel Radio news says that the meeting, which was subject to a media blackout, was “serious” and that the two sides agreed to meet again soon.