TWO years ago this week, a bomb exploded in a jeep in Damascus decapitating Imad Mughniyeh. It bore all the hallmarks of a Mossad assassination.

IF NICENESS had anything to do with it, George Mitchell will pull off Middle Eastern peace by Easter.

THE United Nations urged Israel to reopen Gaza crossings as senior officials assessed war damage and the Jewish state warned it would strike again if Hamas rearms through smuggling tunnels.

Israeli warplanes flew over a home of Syrian President Bashar Assad early today, military officials said, in a message aimed at pressuring the Syrian leader to win the release of a captured Israeli soldier.

Hamas’ political chief today laid out conditions under which the militant Palestinian group would work to calm anger in “the Muslim street” over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed published in some Western media.

LEADERS of Palestinian Islamic militant factions are in Cairo for ceasefire talks with the Egyptians, days before Egypt is to host talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

ISRAEL vowed to hunt down Hamas leaders around the globe and to accelerate construction of its West Bank barrier after Palestinian suicide bombers blew up two buses killing 16 people.

Abdel Aziz Rantissi was clearly one of those leading the battle against Israel, against Jews, co-ordinating actions between the various terrorist organisations in Gaza — and, since we failed to bring him to justice, we brought justice to him.

AFTER Israel’s assassination of two of its leaders in less than a month, Hamas has decided to keep the identity of its new supremo in the Palestinian territories a secret.

HAMAS threatened a "volcano of revenge" against Israel yesterday as some 200,000 Palestinians packed the streets of Gaza for the funeral of the Islamic movement's assassinated leader Abdelaziz Rantissi.