The Financial Times, Guardian and i all cover yesterday’s signing of a coalition agreement to bring Yisrael Beitenu into Israel’s government. Party leader Avigdor Lieberman is set to assume office as the country’s new Defence Minister next week. Following yesterday’s signing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that expanding his coalition with Yisrael Beitenu’s five Knesset seats would increase much-needed “governmental stability” and that he and Lieberman had joined forces to “move Israel forward.” Critics have pointed to Lieberman’s lack of military experience and his hardline positions on a variety of issues.

The Telegraph online reports that the Israeli human rights group B’tselem, which has been documenting and reporting human rights abuses in the West Bank for decades, has decided that it will no longer bring cases to Israeli military investigators. The group said that there is “no longer any point” as the system is ineffective. B’tselem suggested that there is deliberate obstruction of the judicial process and pointed to structural failures such as cases taking years to be processed, by which time soldiers have returned to civilian life and are no longer under military jurisdiction.

Another report in the Telegraph online covers comments by the United Nations’ (UN) Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov, who has urged Hamas not to widen the use of public executions. The terror group recently said it will increase the practice in the Gaza Strip. Mladenov told a UN Security Council meeting that he has “serious doubts” over fair trial standards in Hamas courts.

The Evening Standard looks ahead to the annual general meeting tomorrow of security company G4S. It says that campaign group War on Want is set to disrupt the meeting for a third year in a row, protesting the services that G4S provides in Israeli prisons.

In the Israeli media, yesterday’s coalition agreement to bring Yisrael Beitenu into Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is a major item in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom. Commentators note that both Netanyahu and Lieberman, at a joint press conference, were at pains to emphasise their support for a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Ben Caspit in Maariv remarks that Lieberman “looked and sounded like [Meretz leaders] Yossi Beilin and Zehava Galon at a press conference in Ramallah.” However, Israel Radio news reports that the spokesman for the US State Department said that the composition of the new-look coalition “raises legitimate questions about the direction it may be headed in.”

Israel Radio news reports that a rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel overnight. It landed in the Shar Hanegev region without causing any injuries or damage. Israel responded with air strikes against two strategic Hamas position in Gaza. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot adds that two female Border Police officers were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after the base they were manning in East Jerusalem was struck by firebombs.

The Mako news website reports that several MKs from the Joint Arab List have declared their intention to visit the sensitive Temple Mount in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Knesset members are banned from visiting the site for fear of inciting violence. Just this week, incoming Likud MK Yehuda Glick, a long-time campaigner for Jewish prayer rites at the Temple Mount said he would respect the ban and refrain from visiting.

Maariv reports that UK superstar Elton John has arrived in Israel for a concert this evening in Tel Aviv. Israel Radio news says that he arrived via private jet yesterday, with his piano having arrived in Israel several days beforehand. Elton John has performed in Israel on several previous occasions.