Rockets fired from Lebanon have struck Israel as long-range missile fire from Gaza continued against the country for a fourth day.

HAVING been stopped from reaching Gaza on two previous occasions, crossing over the border was a moment realised.

Israel and Hamas continued to bombard each other today as attempts began to broker a cease-fire after six days of death and destruction.

Dan Buckley’s article ‘Lifeblood of the World is Running Dry’ (Sept 5) suggests that a leading motivating factor in Israel’s participation in the 1967 Six Day War against three Arab armies was its desire to conquer water sources in the West Bank and the Golan Heights.

Three Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli air raids in Gaza yesterday, raising the death toll to 18, as militants fired more rockets into the Jewish state.

Israel pounded Gaza for the second day in a row today, trading airstrikes and rocket fire with Palestinian militants and killing 15 of them as the deadliest Gaza violence in over a year showed no signs of abating.

Five TDs have accused Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore of double standards regarding the detention of 14 Irish activists in Israel as they tried to bring aid to Gaza.

The interception of an Irish ship trying to break Israel's naval blockade on Gaza was violent and dangerous, activists have claimed.

ISRAELI forces have boarded protest boats trying to break its naval blockade of Gaza, the military said.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore was tonight facing demands to intervene over the Israeli interception of an Irish boat trying to break the naval blockade on Gaza.

Israeli forces have boarded an Irish ship sailing in a so-called 'Freedom Waves' aid convoy to Gaza, it was confirmed this afternoon.

VIOLENCE between Israel and Gaza militants flared anew yesterday after Egypt said it had brokered a truce to end attacks that have killed 10 Palestinian gunmen and an Israeli civilian in the past five days.

Gaza militants launched barrages of rockets deep into Israel early today and Israeli aircraft struck targets in the Palestinian territory in the aftermath of the deadliest attack against Israelis in three years.

ISRAELI naval commandos yesterday took over a French ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, reporting no resistance during the takeover in international waters.

Israeli naval commandos have seized control of a French ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, reporting no resistance during the takeover in international waters.

ISRAELI foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman said participants in an aid flotilla planning to challenge an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip were seeking “confrontation and blood”.

Israeli aircraft struck a Palestinian rocket squad in the Gaza Strip today, killing two militants as the military activated a new defence system to shoot down incoming rockets.

PALESTINIAN rockets struck deep inside Israel, landing closer to the urban sprawl south of Tel Aviv, and Israeli aircraft pounded targets in Gaza in a surging conflict that has raised fears of a new war.

Gaza militants said they have fired rockets at Israel a day after the Israeli military killed seven Palestinians, including three children and their uncle.

A former Israeli soldier has come under fire for posting photos on Facebook of herself smiling beside bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.

An Israeli warship attempted to stop a Libyan aid vessel trying to breach the Gaza blockade tonight.

PRESSURE on Isreal to lift the blockade on Gaza has been increasing since their army attacked a flotilla of vessels attempting to bring aid to the beseiged area.

An Irish activist whose ship was blocked from delivering aid supplies to Gaza tonight accused the Israeli government of committing “slow genocide” against the Palestinian people.

The five Irish activists on board an aid ship carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza say they are determined to go back.

A plane carrying five Irish Gaza activists - a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt - has touched down at Dublin Airport.

Five Irish activists who were deported from Israel yesterday after trying to bring aid supplies to Gaza are due to arrive in Dublin airport later.

Five Irish activists whose ship was blocked from delivering humanitarian relief supplies to Gaza will arrive back in Dublin tomorrow, it was confirmed today.

Israeli officials say the activists on board the Irish-owned aid ship prevented from reaching Gaza will be deported soon.

The Irish aid ship blocked from delivering relief supplies to Gaza has arrived in Israel, campaigners confirmed tonight.

Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel swiftly and without meeting resistance today, preventing it from breaking a naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody.

Labour MEP Proinsias de Rossa is calling on the Government to initiate legal action against Israel in light of the attack on the aid convoy last Monday and the boarding of the MV Rachel Corrie.

Fine Gael Foreign Affairs Spokesman Billy Timmins has said that boarding of the MV Rachel Corrie by Israeli troops "was plain wrong".

The Israeli military said its forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel today, preventing it from breaking a maritime blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory.

Israeli forces have boarded the Irish-owned aid ship, the MV Rachel Corrie, which was bound for Gaza.

One of the last ships on a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza is to be intercepted by the Israeli navy today.

One of the last ships on a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was intercepted by the Israeli navy today.

A GOVERNMENT-brokered compromise deal with Israel to safely bring an Irish aid vessel ashore with its cargo and onto Gaza was yesterday rejected by the ship’s crew, just hours before the boat’s expected arrival off the Palestinian coast.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has once again demanded Israeli Authorities to show restraint in dealing with the crew of an Irish Aid vessel on its way to Gaza.

A leading Irish activist seized by Israeli authorities tonight revealed he was assaulted in custody while three others were severely beaten.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected criticism of a deadly raid against a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza earlier this week, saying the blockade of the Palestinian territory is needed to prevent missile attacks against Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has today cast doubt on reports that an Irish citizen was injured during the recent attacks on aid ships in Gaza.

ISRAELI naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip yesterday, killing as many as 19 people in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis.

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has accused Israel of kidnapping up to eight Irish citizens and breaking international law by refusing diplomats access to them.

Israeli naval commandos stormed a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists to the blockaded Gaza Strip today, killing at least nine passengers in a botched raid that provoked international outrage and a diplomatic crisis.