The Times and the Guardian both report on disturbances on the Temple Mount yesterday in Jerusalem. Approximately 20 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli police that erupted when Palestinians threw stones at police in response to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem being opened to Jewish visitors. The Guardian also reports on an incident in Gaza in which three Palestinians were killed and five wounded in an explosion training camp belonging to Hamas’s armed wing.

In regional news, the Times details the upcoming battle for the key Syrian city of Homs, as well as featuring a Syrian forensic pathologist who escaped the country carrying with him thousands of images of regime torture. The Guardian meanwhile reports that Jordanian warplanes hit and destroyed several vehicles reportedly belonging to Syrian rebels who were trying to cross the border. Additionally, both Ian Black in the Guardian and Patrick Cockburn in the Independent write opinion pieces on the potential repercussions of the exit of former Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

In other regional news, the Guardian contains a piece on Iran, where a killer due to be hanged was saved at the last minute when the victim’s mother decided to forgive him. It also reports on developments from the al-Sweady inquiry in the UK, named after a 19-year-old Iraqi killed by British troops. Finally, the Times reports on a propaganda video filmed in Yemen in which Nasir al-Wuhayshi, Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command urged followers to refocus efforts on attacking the US.

In the Israeli press, Ynet reports on the funeral of Baruch Mizrahi, 47, the victim of the Passover shooting attack in the West Bank, who was laid to rest Wednesday in the section of Mount Herzl cemetery reserved for police officers.

The Jerusalem Post says that, following a one day postponement, negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are set to resume on today (Thursday) with the sides seeking a formula that would enable a continuation of the talks past their 29 April deadline. Haaretz reports on a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli MK’s in which Abbas said that following the fourth tranche of prisoners set to be released by Israel, he was willing to extend the negotiations with Israel for another nine months, if the first three months were to focus on drawing the borders of the Palestinian state and were accompanied by a settlement freeze. The paper also writes that Palestinian Religious Affairs Minister Mahmoud al-Habash declared that the idea of dismantling the Palestinian Authority (PA) has come up yet again during internal discussions, and he estimates that it will be dismantled by the end of this year.

Additionally, the Jerusalem Post reports on the explosion in Gaza that killed 3 Hamas members. The paper also recalls statements made by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in which he encouraged the abduction of Israeli soldiers.

Finally, NRG-Maariv claims that approximately 300,000 Israelis took to the roads yesterday to make the most of the Passover holiday by travelling to national parks.