Jewish extremists plan to take over a hotly disputed holy site in the Old City of Jerusalem in an attempt to sabotage Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank in the summer, it was reported tonight.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today began a two-day mission to talk to Israeli and Palestinian leaders about the peace process.

Israel prepared today to start handing control of West Bank towns to Palestinian police, in a huge step to ease four years of bloodshed, confrontation and tension.

Yasser Arafat’s health has deteriorated significantly, Palestinian officials said tonight.

The Justice Ministry is coming to the conclusion that there is not enough evidence to indict Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a bribery case, Israeli TV reported tonight.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat today brushed off new Israeli threats against him, saying Israel can never get rid of him.

Outlining vivid details about his abduction by the Mossad spy agency, Israel’s most famous nuclear informer wrote in a letter published today that he was lured by a young woman to agents who drugged, bound and shipped him from Rome to Israel.

Israeli warplanes attacked Hezbollah guerrilla targets in south Lebanon on Tuesday, an Israeli TV station reported.

The daughter of assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was admitted to hospital last night after being told that the jailed killer is to be married.

Israel shut down the Gaza Strip today after a Palestinian bomber killed four Israelis at a Gaza crossing – the first time the Islamic Hamas group had sent a woman on a suicide mission.

Two Palestinian gunmen sprang from a car and sprayed automatic gunfire at Israelis outside a military base today, killing two women soldiers and seriously wounding five others before they were shot dead by the troops.

The new US Mideast envoy today urged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to do everything possible to stop attacks against Israel and called on both sides to implement recommendations of an international commission.