Israel’s parliament today granted Israeli president Moshe Katsav’s request to temporarily step down in light of a police investigation into accusations he sexually harassed former employees.

Incoming prime minister Ehud Olmert laid out his vision for Israel’s future borders in a major policy speech to parliament today.

Ariel Sharon’s new centrist party is widening its lead and would crush political rivals in March elections, a poll indicated today.

A deal was emerging today for elder statesman Shimon Peres to leave the Labour Party, his political home for 60 years, and join Ariel Sharon's government if the prime minister is re-elected in March.

The Israeli Labour Party’s secretary-general, Eitan Cabel, today said the defection of Labour politician Dalia Itzik to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new party signals that her mentor, Shimon Peres, will do the same.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told his fractious parliament today that he will bring his Gaza withdrawal plan to the Knesset for debate on October 25 and will seek approval for compensation for evacuated settlers two weeks later.

Israel’s parliament today opens what is expected to be a stormy winter session with a warning from the speaker that passions over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s planned Gaza pullout next year could boil over into fistfights, and the government itself could fall.

An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a group of gunmen in the Jebaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza after nightfall last night, killing one and wounding seven, in the second air strike of the day as a large-scale military operation continued.

ISRAEL'S opposition Labour Party indicated yesterday it was willing to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government boosting efforts to implement a Gaza pull-out plan after a corruption case against the premier was dropped.

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.

Cracks emerged in Israel’s ruling coalition today after members of the moderate Labour party, led by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, boycotted a cabinet vote on tougher action against the Palestinians.

Three Palestinians were killed today as Israeli tanks moved deeper into West Bank towns, tightening their grip on biblical Bethlehem and five other towns in the widest operation against the Palestinians in years.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today rejected a proposal that his foreign minister meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, saying there can be no negotiations as long as sporadic violence continues.