A programme using a Mickey Mouse-like character to urge Palestinian children to fight Israel and the West and work for world Islamic domination has been pulled off Hamas’s television station for “review,” the Palestinian information minister said.

Holding photographs of relatives held in Israeli jails, several thousand people gathered outside the Red Cross office in Gaza City today to call for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The rival Hamas and Fatah movements wrapped up months of tortuous coalition talks, saying they would present a national unity government to parliament for approval this weekend.

Talks today between Israeli officials and a top Egyptian mediator failed to bring the release of an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas-linked militants last June any closer, an Israeli official said.

The Hamas militant group won local elections in the West Bank’s largest cities, according to preliminary results released today, dealing a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of a parliamentary poll.

THE ruling Palestinian Fatah Party negotiated feverishly yesterday, trying to persuade young activists from breaking away to form their own faction, a split that might boost the prospects of Hamas militants in parliamentary elections next month.

The Palestinians’ ruling Fatah Party has split, with young activists forming their own group for the January parliamentary election.

Pragmatist Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority president by a wide margin today, exit polls showed, winning a decisive mandate to renew peace talks with Israel, rein in militants and try to end more than four years of Mideast bloodshed.

Palestinians held their first presidential election in nine years today, choosing a successor to Yasser Arafat in a vote many across the world hoped would usher in a moderate leadership and revitalise the Middle East peace process.

Jailed Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti was transferred to the general population in his southern Israeli prison today, an Israeli official said, ending almost three years of separation from other Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian presidential election front-runner Mahmoud Abbas paid tribute to countrymen killed in fighting with Israel, with gunmen firing in the air during a large anniversary rally of the ruling Fatah movement today.

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas received a warm welcome in his first public campaign rally, generating some excitement for the low-key politician’s effort to succeed Yasser Arafat.

Israeli police arrested Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti in the Old City of Jerusalem today.

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas pledged in his first official campaign speech today to fulfill Palestinian dreams of statehood.

Imprisoned uprising leader Marwan Barghouti is dropping out of the election to replace Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestinian Authority, associates said tonight.

Two opinion polls published today predicted a tight race for Palestinian president between interim leader Mahmoud Abbas and his jailed challenger, Marwan Barghouti, while a third survey gave Abbas the advantage.

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is emerging as the front-runner in presidential elections, with an 18-point lead over jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, according to the first poll on how Palestinians will vote on January 9.

Uprising leader Marwan Barghouti, serving life in an Israeli prison, has decided to run for Palestinian president, reversing an earlier decision and throwing Palestinian politics into disarray.

PALESTINIAN officials said yesterday that jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti will not run for president in upcoming Palestinian elections.

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.

Jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti will seek the presidency of the Palestinian Authority, an associate said today.

The ruling Fatah movement chose interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as its candidate for January’s presidential election last night, but Fatah rebels said they would challenge the decision.

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas held talks with rival Palestinian factions today on sharing power and halting attacks on Israel ahead of a presidential election in January.

Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian uprising leader jailed by Israel who is perhaps the strongest candidate to oust Yasser Arafat’s old guard of politicians, will run in presidential elections, a close aide said today.

Israel has ruled out releasing jailed Marwan Barghouti, a leading Palestinian figure who is widely seen as the strongest candidate to succeed Yasser Arafat.

MORE THAN a thousand Palestinian prisoners have started a hunger strike, in their strongest challenge against Israel.

Israeli troops and tanks began pulling out of the Rafah refugee camp early today, residents said, after a three-day sweep that left 39 Palestinians dead.

MARWAN BARGHOUTI, the Palestinian uprising leader seen as a successor to Yasser Arafat, faces life in an Israeli prison after being convicted yesterday of ordering shootings that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk.

Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian uprising leader seen as a successor to Yasser Arafat, faces life in an Israeli prison after being was convicted today of ordering shootings that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk.

A large-scale swap of prisoners with Lebanese guerrillas is closer than ever, Israeli premier Ariel Sharon said today.

Israel has agreed in principle to release about 400 Arab prisoners, including at least 200 Palestinians, in a swap with the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, a Palestinian source said today.

ISRAELI warplanes flattened the home of senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar with a half-ton bomb yesterday, wounding him and killing his eldest son and a bodyguard, in retaliation for two Hamas suicide bombings that killed 15 Israelis a day earlier.

Israeli soldiers killed three Hamas activists and destroyed a house in a village south of Gaza City early today as Palestinian factions worked to wrap up details of a three-month halt to attacks against Israelis.

PALESTINIAN leader Yasser Arafat yesterday said a formal cease-fire announcement was imminent after Palestinian negotiators secured a commitment from Islamic militants to halt attacks on Israelis for three months.

Islamic militants agreed to halt attacks on Israelis for three months, Palestinian negotiators said, but the tenuous deal was immediately undercut by an Israeli airstrike and Hamas threats of revenge.

Top leaders of the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups have agreed to halt attacks against Israelis for three months, a Palestinian source said today.

More than 100 Palestinians were arrested today when Israeli forces swept into the West Bank city of Hebron, the Israeli army said.

PALESTINIAN officials yesterday said they expected a positive response from Hamas on a truce with Israel, perhaps even by late last night, and Egyptian diplomatic sources said an announcement would be made in Cairo.

Terror group Hamas is expected to agree to a truce with Israel, perhaps even by the end of the day, Palestinian officials said.

THE Palestinian prime minister, who is making a final push to halt attacks on Israelis, met yesterday with a US envoy dispatched to the region to get a Mideast peace plan back on track.

The US began piling the pressure on the Palestinian leadership today to halt attacks on Israelis and save the latest Mideast peace effort.

MARWAN Barghouti, a Palestinian uprising leader, yesterday distributed his own 54 count “indictment” of Israel during his murder trial.

POLICE detonated a 1,300 pound car bomb yesterday, one of the largest ever discovered, and Israel’s foreign minister said it averted a catastrophe that could have changed the face of the Middle East.

Yoav Appel, Tel Aviv