A UNITED NATIONS anti-racism panel has questioned Israel’s policy on preserving holy sites, asking the country to explain whether it protects places considered sacred to religions other than Judaism.

TENS of thousands of Hamas supporters poured into the streets of Gaza yesterday in a show of strength by the Islamic militant group before next week’s Palestinian parliamentary election.

US First Lady Laura Bush said today she was not surprised to be met by protesters during her tour of Mideast holy sites and pledged the United States will do all it can to help resolve age-old conflicts.

PROTESTERS besieged Laura Bush during her visit yesterday to two of Jerusalem's holiest sites, with Israeli police locking arms to restrain the crowd and Secret Service agents packed tightly around America's first lady.

Three Jewish extremists were interrogated by police on suspicion they planned to fire a missile into the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, in hopes of disrupting the planned Gaza withdrawal, police said today.

Hundreds of Israeli police have entered the mosque compound that is Jerusalem's most contested religious site and fired stun grenades at Muslims who were throwing stones at Jews worshipping nearby.