Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was returned to the operating room today after a brain scan revealed he required more treatment following “massive, widespread” bleeding in his brain.

THE more moderate line promoted by Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s new centrist party has suffered a big setback after plans for new settlement buildings were revealed.

The more moderate line promoted by Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s new centrist party suffered a big setback when plans for new settlement buildings were revealed.

THE Palestinian Authority will cancel January 25 parliamentary elections if Israel goes ahead with its plan to bar Palestinians from voting in disputed Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian official said yesterday.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a primary to head the Likud Party in a March election against the leader who abandoned the party, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, just hours before Sharon was to be released from a Jerusalem hospital after treatment for a mild stroke.

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.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent additional tests and evaluations in a Jerusalem hospital today after suffering a mild stroke.

HAMAS supporters yesterday celebrated a landslide election victory in major West Bank towns, the strongest sign yet of the Islamic militant group’s growing political appeal ahead of January 25 parliament elections.

The Hamas militant group won local elections in the West Bank’s largest cities, according to preliminary results released today, dealing a harsh blow to the ruling Fatah party just six weeks ahead of a parliamentary poll.

Jordan’s King Abdullah will visit the West Bank on Monday, the office of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced.

Hamas said today that the Islamic militant group would not renew an informal nine-month-old truce, which expires at the end of the year, after Israel killed one of its leading activists in an airstrike in Gaza.

Hamas, the largest Palestinian militant group said today it would not go back to all-out war against Israel, even after Israeli missiles killed one of its top gunmen.

MILITANTS said yesterday they will renew attacks on Israel, despite a six-month ceasefire, after Israeli soldiers killed five Palestinians, at least three of them armed, in a West Bank arrest raid.

Israel will ask Washington for hundreds of millions of dollars to help foot the bill for next month’s €1.6bn evacuation of the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements, a senior Israeli official said today.

AN Israeli aircraft yesterday fired at a group of Hamas militants who were about to shoot mortar shells at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, a move which threatened a fragile ceasefire declared in February.

An Israeli aircraft today fired at a group of Hamas militants who were launching mortar shells at a Jewish settlement in the first such airstrike since a ceasefire was declared in February.

An Israeli aircraft today fired at a group of Hamas militants who were preparing to shoot mortar shells at a Jewish settlement, the army and witnesses said, the first such airstrike since a fragile cease-fire was declared in February.

Palestinian police released a member of a Hamas rocket squad today, despite a pledge to get tough with those who break a ceasefire with Israel.

Israel will not move forward in the US-backed road map peace plan if Hamas participates in Palestinian legislative elections without disarming, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today.

Israel has agreed to remove major roadblocks as part of its withdrawal from five West Bank towns in coming weeks – the most tangible improvement in the lives of ordinary Palestinians as a result of a fledgling truce.

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.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas summoned militant leaders to ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip today, with his political survival depending on agreement by the armed groups to halt attacks against Israel.

In a first step against militants, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ordered his security forces today to try to prevent attacks against Israel and to investigate a shooting at a Gaza Strip crossing that killed six Israeli civilians last week.

Pragmatist Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian Authority president by a wide margin today, exit polls showed, winning a decisive mandate to renew peace talks with Israel, rein in militants and try to end more than four years of Mideast bloodshed.

Four Israelis were killed and 10 others were wounded in a Palestinian bomb attack at the Israeli checkpoint between Gaza and Egypt, a senior Israeli official said.

The EU today opens two days of talks with Israel and its Arab neighbours to take stock of fresh chances for Mideast peace less than three weeks after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Israel’s parliament moved to give generous compensation packages to 8,800 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip and West Bank for leaving their homes, in a boost for prime minister Ariel Sharon’s fight to withdraw from Gaza after nearly 40 years of occupation.

Israel’s Cabinet has given strong support to a key element of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to withdraw from Gaza and four West Bank settlements, setting up what is expected to be a fiery parliamentary debate and vote on the controversial programme, starting today.

This week’s suicide attack in southern Israel has sparked a war of words between Israel and Syria and increased pressure to finish the West Bank barrier that many Israelis believe saves lives, regardless of international condemnation.

ISRAELI forces destroyed two apartment buildings in a Gaza refugee camp early yesterday after evacuating 6,000 Palestinians from a neighbourhood, residents and the military said.

Israel ratcheted up its rhetoric against Syria today, hinting of possible military action following this week’s suicide bombing of two buses in southern Israel.

Israeli forces destroyed two five-story apartment buildings in a Gaza refugee camp early today after evacuating thousands of Palestinians from a neighbourhood, residents and the military said.

Israeli troops killed five Palestinian militants early today, hours after the army pledged to forge ahead with an offensive despite harsh international criticism of a deadly attack on a Palestinian demonstration.

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.

Two Palestinian suicide bombers infiltrated a closely-guarded port, killing 11 Israelis in the first deadly attack on a strategic installation in more than three years of Middle East fighting.

The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers have agreed to meet in a summit that will probably be held next week, a senior Palestinian official said today.

A SENIOR Israeli official warned that the founder of the Islamic militant group Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was “marked for death”.

Israel is building a wartime command centre under the hills outside Jerusalem that will be able to withstand nuclear, biological or chemical attacks, officials said today.

Palestinian factions have failed to unite behind a comprehensive truce offer to Israel after militants refused to agree to it at a meeting in Cairo.

THE Israeli army carried out a sweeping raid against militants in the West Bank yesterday, killing four people and destroying a building that was home to 60.

The Israeli army carried out a sweeping raid against militants in the West Bank today, killing four people and destroying a building that was home to 60.

A perceived increase in European anti-Semitism is to be the focus of talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Italian leaders during Sharon’s three-day visit to Rome, an Israeli official said.

THE new Palestinian Cabinet, stacked with ministers hand-picked by Yasser Arafat, is set to win approval by parliament this week but may have trouble renewing talks with Israel, lawmakers said yesterday.

ISRAEL unleashed three air strikes within four hours yesterday, killing two Hamas members and a bystander and destroying two suspected weapons warehouses of the Islamic militant group.