Israel’s leaders today blamed the Hamas-led Palestinian government for the worst suicide bombing in 20 months but decided against launching a large-scale military operation, an apparent attempt to avoid escalating violence in Israel’s showdown with the Islamic militant group.

THE Palestinians’ new Hamas leaders called yesterday’s suicide bomb in Tel Aviv a legitimate response to Israeli “aggression”.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a fast food restaurant in a bustling commercial area of Tel Aviv during the Jewish holiday of Passover today, killing himself and eight people and wounding 49 in the deadliest Palestinian attack in more than a year.

NOW that Israel has redrawn its own borders before the eyes of the world, completing with dazzling speed its pullout from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank, it has this message for the Palestinians: “We’ve dealt with our extremists, now you deal with yours.”

Now that Israel has redrawn its own borders before the world’s eyes, completing with dazzling speed its pull-out from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank, it has this message for the Palestinians: We’ve dealt with our extremists, now you deal with yours.

A suicide bomber carrying 20lbs of explosives blew himself up in a crowd of Israelis queuing outside a nightclub near Tel Aviv’s beachfront promenade, killing at least four people, wounding dozens and shattering an unofficial Middle East truce.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared yesterday that their people would stop all violent attacks against each other, pledging to break a four-year cycle of bloodshed and get peace talks back on track.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared today that their people would stop all violent attacks against each other, pledging to break a four year cycle of bloodshed and get peace talks back on track.

Israel and the Palestinians agreed a ceasefire at a historic summit today where Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he hoped Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would lead his people to to an independent state.

With their flags whipping in the wind, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met face-to-face today to announce an end to four years of violence and offer goodwill gestures they hope will start a new era of peace talks.

With a verbal ceasefire deal in hand, Israeli and Palestinian leaders met at a Mideast summit today for face-to-face talks and goodwill gestures aimed at ending four years of violence and entering a new era of peace talks.

Cartographers have begun moving the planned route of the West Bank separation barrier closer to Israel in line with an Israeli court ruling that the government must reduce hardship for Palestinian residents.

Israeli helicopters killed four Palestinian fighters, including a fugitive Hamas commander, in a missile strike in the Gaza Strip, hours after its army chief declared all Hamas members "potential targets for liquidation".

Palestinian militants called off a two-month-old truce after Israel killed a Hamas leader with a volley of missiles yesterday, and tens of thousands of Hamas supporters marched in protest through the streets of Gaza City, vowing revenge.

HAMAS said yesterday its ceasefire was over after Israel killed one of its senior political leaders in a missile strike in retaliation for a suicide bombing of a bus that killed 20 people, including six children.

The main Palestinian terror groups called off their eight-week-old ceasefire today after a Hamas leader was killed in an Israeli missile attack.

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.

Israeli officials have shown little enthusiasm for a Palestinian peace proposal which appears to soften long-standing territorial demands and offers Israel sovereignty in parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Two Israeli soldiers and a Palestinian gunman were killed in a firefight in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military, and Israeli troops rolled into two West Bank towns last night.

All but 13 Palestinians inside in the embattled Church of the Nativity were due to leave the ancient basilica today, as Israel and the Palestinians moved to implement a deal to end a five-week siege.

A suicide bomber killed at least 19 people and injured more than 120 when he burst into a hotel dining room and blew himself up as Israelis dressed in their holiday best were sitting down to a meal celebrating the Jewish Passover.

A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in an Israeli hotel dining room today killing at least 15 people and wounding a more than 100 others.

A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself into martydom in the heart of Jerusalem today, killed two others and dealt yet another grievous blow to peace hopes.

The Al-Aqsa Brigade, a militia linked to Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement, has claimed responsibility for today's Jerusalem suicide bombing, which killed at least three people.

Israel said tonight it had suspended a planned withdrawal from two West Bank towns after Palestinian gunmen fired on its soldiers.