Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was set on a collision course today with his most loyal coalition partner, the Shinui Party, raising prospects of early elections that could postpone an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

JAILED uprising leader Marwan Barghouti threw Palestinian politics into turmoil last night when he let it be known from his Israeli prison cell that wants to succeed Yasser Arafat.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s largest coalition partner threatened to quit today, raising the possibility of early elections that could endanger his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip next year.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is expected to fire one of his Cabinet ministers after television uncovered a scandal in which a minister is heard in a taped conversation planning to frame a fellow minister.

PRIME Minister Ariel Sharon will ask his Cabinet to vote on his newly revised Gaza withdrawal plan the evacuation of just three small settlements in hopes of securing the support of undecided ministers.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will ask his Cabinet to vote only on the first stage of his Gaza new withdrawal plan – the evacuation of three small settlements – in hopes of securing the support of undecided ministers, officials said today.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is exploring the possibility of bringing the opposition Labour Party into his government as he tries to push forward with his plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip, officials said today.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his Cabinet today that he is preparing a new plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is scrambling to come up with alternatives after his Likud Party overwhelmingly rejected a withdrawal from all of the Gaza Strip, a government official said today.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is scrambling to come up with alternatives, including a possible pullout from just five Jewish settlements, after his Likud Party overwhelmingly rejected a withdrawal from all of the Gaza Strip, a senior government official said today.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is determined to withdraw troops and settlers from much of the Gaza Strip, despite a mounting corruption probe that could drive him out of office, a close ally said today.

Israel’s Supreme Court today ordered Ariel Sharon’s son to hand over tapes and documents in two corruption cases, including one that allegedly also involves the prime minister.

PRIME MINISTER Ariel Sharon and key Cabinet ministers yesterday considered proposals to move sections of a contentious West Bank security barrier closer to Israel, apparently hoping to deflect growing international criticism.

In signs of a potential thaw in relations between historic enemies, Libyan and Israeli officials have held at least two meetings in recent months, Israeli media reported today.

The United States has criticised Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon over his threat to draw his own borders and isolate the Palestinians if peace efforts remain deadlocked.

ISRAEL’S cabinet narrowly approved a US-backed Middle East peace plan yesterday, accepting for the first time a timetable for the creation of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but objecting to significant portions of the plan.

Israeli troops blew up a suicide bomber’s home in the West Bank and thwarted a car bombing today, hours before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to present his new hard-line government to parliament for approval.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon brought the centrist Shinui Party into his coalition yesterday, ensuring a slim majority in parliament that will allow him to form a government, a spokesman for Sharon said.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon failed yesterday to persuade Labour Party chief Amram Mitzna to join a broad coalition government.

Winning Israel’s general election was the easy part. Now premier Ariel Sharon faces an uphill battle to form a national unity government against “the murderous hatred” of Palestinian militants.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s hawkish Likud Party appeared headed for a convincing general election victory last night.

Israel’s Likud party won 36 seats in the 120-member parliament, according to Israel TV’s exit poll after voting finished tonight.