In the aftermath of Monday’s House of Commons vote in favour of a motion to support recognition of a Palestinian state, the Independent, Independent i and Guardian all report comments made by Britain’s Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould. He told Israeli radio that the vote does not change UK policy, but is an indicator of diminishing support for Israel. It is a view echoed by Matt Hill, writing in the Telegraph, who calls the vote a “stark barometer… of opinion in much of the Western world.” Meanwhile, an editorial in the Guardian advises that Israel should listen to the voice of MPs, arguing that the vote was one in favour of a two-state solution and serves as a boost to the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas over Hamas.

The Telegraph and the Times both cover a speech delivered yesterday by Conservative MP Alan Duncan, former Minister for International Development in which he called supporters of Israeli settlements “unfit for office” and claimed that arrangements in Hebron are akin to “apartheid.” The Telegraph highlights Duncan’s claim that politicians are reluctant to criticise Israel as it may threaten political donations. According to the report, the Community Security Trust, which monitors anti-Semitism in the UK, called for “urgent clarification” over the comment.

The Financial Times reports that Israel yesterday facilitated the first delivery of construction materials into the Gaza Strip in order to allow reconstruction to begin. The move comes after a mechanism was coordinated between Israel, the PA and the United Nations (UN). The Times also reports on the arrival of the first truck-loads of materials as part of an eye-witness report on the destruction caused by Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza neighbourhood of Shejaiya, which witnessed some of the heaviest fighting. The Telegraph reports that IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz yesterday commented that Hamas fought bravely during the summer conflict.

The Financial Times online says that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday visited southern Israel, where he met members of communities bombarded by Hamas rockets during the summer; he also toured one of the Hamas-built tunnels designed to launch attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. The Guardian emphasises Ban’s visit to the Gaza Strip itself, where he said the destruction was “beyond description,” much worse than the situation he had witnessed in 2009 in the wake of Operation Cast Lead.

Elsewhere in the region, the Telegraph online reports that a 25-year-old British woman, who has been detained in Iran for having violated gender segregation laws by attending a men’s volleyball match is expected to be sentenced next week following a 90-minute trial yesterday behind closed doors.

In the Israeli media, Israel Hayom leads with an interview with Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, in which he says that although he envisages Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank, a Palestinian state over which Israel relinquishes all control would constitute a threat to Israeli security. There is also an interview with Ya’alon in Haaretz, in which he strongly criticises Economy Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett for attempting to manipulate IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz during Operation Protective Edge. Ya’alon and Bennett are reported to have regularly clashed in security cabinet meetings during the summer conflict.

Meanwhile, Ynet says that the European Union (EU) may be considering “blacklisting” settlers who have been convicted of crimes, as a measure which would emphasise the EU’s “high level of frustration” over Israeli settlement policy. Israel Hayom also reports that although Israeli officials have been relatively quiet in the wake of Monday’s House of Commons vote, there is a suspicion that it is a prelude to wider European criticism of Israel.