I try hard to get on with life and ignore the horrors in Palestine, but sometimes a piece of news literally makes me weep. Imagine if this had happened in Belfast during the Troubles.

Palestinian officials today rallied round a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after a video surfaced showing him in an alleged attempt to trade his influence for sex.

Gaza erupted in the worst day of violence in a month, with at least 20 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers dead, and putting Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire in jeopardy.

A cameraman for the Reuters news agency was among more than a dozen people killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip today.

Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at an Israeli security patrol in east Jerusalem late today, injuring two, police said.