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.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin today repeated calls for Israel to allow aid boat the MV Rachel Corrie through its military blockade of Gaza.

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.

Activist Shane Dillon who was seized by Israeli authorities in a commando operation which left at least 10 people dead on an aid flotilla will be sent back to Ireland today.

POPE Benedict XVI called for a two-state solution to end Middle East wars and “terrorism” and slammed the Holocaust as “brutal extermination” as he concluded his Holy Land trip.

AUTHORITIES in Israel are investigating claims that Israeli women were trafficked to Dublin where they were forced to have sex after their passports were seized.

Tens of thousands of Israeli workers launched an open-ended general strike today that crippled the country’s ports, transport and financial services.

FAI PRESIDENT Milo Corcoran had to disembark from the Irish team’s flight home from Tel Aviv yesterday and remain on in Israel due to a medical scare just prior to take-off at Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli soldiers killed two armed Palestinians during a raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the army said.

Senior Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s son and Yasser Arafat’s security adviser, were meeting in London today at the start of a two-day conference on implementation of a US-backed peace plan.

THE Irishman accused of being a dissident republican bomb maker was on his way back home last night after being deported from Israel.

Israel confirms it is prepared for an Iraqi attack that could come as retaliation for any US military action against the Arab state.