Protesters on a boat bound for the Gaza Strip were escorted back to shore today as Greece announced it was banning vessels heading to Gaza from leaving Greek ports.

Israeli troops opened fire today at a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to break into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from neighbouring Syria, killing as many as 11 people and wounding scores in a burst of violence marking the Arab defeat in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israeli troops clashed with Arab protesters today along three hostile borders, including the frontier with Syria, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens wounded.

Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel swiftly and without meeting resistance today, preventing it from breaking a naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody.

Labour MEP Proinsias de Rossa is calling on the Government to initiate legal action against Israel in light of the attack on the aid convoy last Monday and the boarding of the MV Rachel Corrie.

Fine Gael Foreign Affairs Spokesman Billy Timmins has said that boarding of the MV Rachel Corrie by Israeli troops "was plain wrong".

The Israeli military said its forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel today, preventing it from breaking a maritime blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.

ISRAELI commandos have seized a ship that defence officials said was carrying hundreds of tonnes of weapons from Iran bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerrillas — the largest arms shipment Israel has ever commandeered.

Israeli ground forces made their deepest foray yet into Gaza’s most populated area, with tanks rolling into residential neighbourhoods and infantry fighting urban warfare in streets and buildings with Hamas militants.

Israel assassinated a Hamas strongman today by dropping a one-ton bomb on his house, also killing two of his wives and four of his children.

Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes today, killing more than 200 people and wounding nearly 400.

Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from Gaza pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of air strikes today, killing at least 155 and wounding more than 310 in the bloodiest day in Gaza in decades.

The Israeli army says forensics teams have begun efforts to identify two bodies turned over by Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.