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 today warned that “tough decisions” lie ahead after his Likud Party rejected his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

ARIEL SHARON’S future as Israeli leader was in grave doubt last night as he faced possible charges following the indictment of a property developer on charges of bribing the prime minister.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said today that he expects an official announcement later today of an agreement by Palestinian militias to suspend attacks on Israelis.

Islamic militants have agreed to halt attacks on Israelis for three months and a formal truce will be announced before the weekend, Palestinian negotiators said today.

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.

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.

OPINION polls have shown Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's party ahead of its rivals heading into today's ballot, while Israeli security forces barred Palestinians from entering Israel in advance of the national elections.

Israel locked down the West Bank and Gaza Strip today ahead of its national election to keep out Palestinian attackers after a large-scale military incursion into Gaza and warnings that Palestinians may try to disrupt the voting with violence.

Israel’s opposition Labour party today dropped further in three opinion polls, just five days ahead of the country’s general election.

A burgeoning corruption scandal has cost Israeli Prime Minister Sharon his once commanding leading in opinion polls with a general election less than three weeks away.