Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu today called for immediate elections in the wake of his rival Ehud Olmert’s decision to quit as prime minister.

Israel’s hardline Likud party would score a big win at the expense of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima and his main partner Labour – a complete turnaround – if elections were held now, according to a poll published today.

The condition of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma since suffering a stroke in January, has deteriorated, though there was no immediate danger to his life, according to hospital officials and former aides.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for nearly five months, left Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem in an ambulance today en route to a long-term care facility in Tel Aviv, hospital officials said.

Acting Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert today announced that he’ll seek to form a coalition with the centre-left Labour Party, an alliance that would boost his plan to withdraw from much of the West Bank and draw Israel’s final borders by 2010.

The leaders of Israel’s two largest parties, Kadima and Labour, were to meet in Jerusalem later today to start coalition talks, signalling the end of a rift that began after last week’s national election.

ISRAEL yesterday took its first steps toward forming a new government widely expected to be led by interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who wants to set the country’s final borders with or without Palestinian agreement.

An offshoot of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party has carried out its first suicide bombing against Israel since a February 2005 truce.

Projections by Israel’s three main TV stations today showed acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s centrist Kadima Party winning Israel’s election.

Israelis voted today in a historic election seen as a referendum on the future of the West Bank, with the leading candidate, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, promising to pull back from most of the territory and draw Israel’s final borders by 2010.

The centrist Kadima Party dropped in opinion polls today, a day before Israel’s elections, a sign acting that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert might have difficulty forming a coalition that will back his plan to withdraw from parts of the West Bank and draw Israel’s final borders by 2010.

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today pledged to consult Israel’s citizens and the world about his plan to pull out of much of the West Bank, remove settlements and set his country’s borders within four years.

Israel will determine its border with the West Bank in the absence of negotiations with the Palestinians – and then it will build a wall and move all settlers to the Israeli side, acting prime minister Ehud Olmert said today.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, in a coma since suffering a massive stroke last month, was 78 yesterday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent emergency surgery today, his seventh operation in five weeks, after an abdominal scan disclosed severe damage to his digestive tract.

ISRAELI officials convened emergency meetings yesterday to decide how to respond to the militant Hamas group’s upset victory in Palestinian elections, maintaining an outward silence while privately blaming each other for the upheaval.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon opened his eyes twice yesterday after family members played a tape of his grandson’s voice, aides said, raising hopes the 77-year-old stroke victim may be emerging from a coma.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today briefly opened his eyes in response to a recording of his grandson’s voice, family members told doctors, though hospital officials warned there were no signs that the comatose Israeli leader was any closer to regaining consciousness.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was reported to be in a “very worrying” condition as he spent his ninth day in a medically induced coma since suffering a massive brain haemorrhage.

Israel returned to politics today while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was improving, but still comatose in a hospital a week after a massive stroke.

With Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recovering from emergency brain surgery today, his doctors said it was still too early to assess how much damage the Israeli leader has suffered from a massive stroke. Independent experts said the prognosis remained grim.

Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke yesterday was sure to throw both Israeli politics and Middle East peacemaking efforts into turmoil, perhaps raising the electoral fortunes of hard-line opponents such as Benjamin Netanyahu and damaging prospects for a deal with the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today suffered a “significant” stroke with “massive bleeding” in his brain, a hospital official said.

Ariel Sharon is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a mild stroke and will be released from hospital tomorrow, his doctors said today.

FORMER Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres quit the Labour Party yesterday, leaving his political home of nearly six decades to campaign for Ariel Sharon's new centrist party.

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

ELDER statesman Shimon Peres looks set to leave Israel’s Labour Party, his political home for 60 years, and join Ariel Sharon’s government if the prime minister is re-elected in March.

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.

Shimon Peres has decided to leave the Israeli Labour Party and join Ariel Sharon’s next government, a senior Sharon adviser said today.