A slip of the tongue by prime minister Ehud Olmert about Israel’s nuclear policy ballooned into a domestic crisis today for the already embattled Israeli leader.

ISRAEL could eventually relinquish more West Bank settlements, beyond the four to be dismantled in coming weeks, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suggested in an interview published yesterday.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians crowded into Gaza City’s small fishing harbour today to celebrate the impending Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, waving flags and hearing promises from their leader, Mahmoud Abbas, that the West Bank and Jerusalem will be next.

Palestinian militants pose a "cancer-like" threat to Israel and must be defeated at all costs, Israel’s new army chief has said.