Israel must take back control of the Gaza-Egypt border to stop weapons smuggling, Israel’s new deputy prime minister said today.

The Gaza-Egypt border opened for a day today, after weeks of closure following the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Hamas-allied militants in Gaza.

DOZENS of Israeli tanks pushed deep into the Gaza Strip and aircraft fired missiles at Palestinian militants yesterday in heavy fighting that mirrored the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Israeli troops raided southern Gaza early today, killing at least eight Palestinians, including four militants and an eight-year-old boy, in the latest stage of their month-long offensive, Palestinian officials said.

Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israel through a tunnel early today, attacking a military post and killing two Israelis before soldiers shot dead three gunmen, the army, militants and witnesses said.

Israeli missiles slammed into a car in Gaza City today, killing two members of a Palestinian rocket squad in the second deadly air strike since the Islamic militant group Hamas assumed power last week.

Two Palestinians were killed today when the tunnel they were crawling through under the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed, Palestinian police said.

Dozens of Palestinian gunmen firing in the air blocked access to the Gaza-Egypt border and took over four government buildings for several hours today.

Witnesses today reported that gunmen tried to break into the Gaza-Egypt border crossing and exchanged fire with Palestinian police.

PALESTINIAN policemen angry over the killing of a fellow officer stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing yesterday, firing in the air and forcing European monitors to flee and close the terminal for several hours, Palestinian and European officials said.

A 14-year-old Palestinian boy was killed on today after being shot in the head in renewed clashes outside a police station in Gaza, Palestinian police said.

The tense situation at the Gaza-Egypt border was brought under control today after it was stormed by a group of rebel policemen furious over a colleague’s killing, the Palestinian police chief said.

Palestinian policemen angry over growing lawlessness in the Gaza Strip stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing today, scaring off European monitors who fled the area and forcing the border to close.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon today spoke confidently of winning a third term, and said he planned to use his next tenure “to make every effort to advance the peace process”.

The Gaza-Egypt border opened with a festive ribbon-cutting today – a milestone for the Palestinians who for the first time took control of a border crossing without Israeli veto powers and gained some freedom of movement.

With a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Gaza-Egypt border was reopening today – a milestone for the Palestinians who for the first time take control of a border crossing without Israeli veto powers and gain some freedom of movement.

A truck carrying masked militants and two home-made rockets blew up at a Hamas rally in Jebaliya, Gaza, today, killing at least 10 Palestinians and wounding 85, hospital doctors said.

Palestinians took control of border traffic for the first time ever today, allowing thousands to cross into Egypt from the Gaza Strip in a limited opening of the joint frontier.

Black market prices for weapons and bullets have dropped sharply in Gaza in recent days because of intensive smuggling across the wide-open Gaza-Egypt border, Palestinian officials and arms smugglers said today.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told his people in a televised speech today that he would take immediate steps to impose order in chaotic Gaza.

A Palestinian man was shot and killed today on the Gaza-Egypt border, but the source of fire was not immediately clear, a Palestinian health ministry official said.

Senior officials in Israel’s security establishment are advising that the army evacuate the Gaza-Egypt border at the same time it hands over the rest of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv reported today.

Israel will insist on moving the Gaza-Egypt border crossing to a new location after Israel’s pullout from Gaza so Israeli inspectors can continue to check goods and people, Israel’s Security Cabinet was told today, and the emerging position appears to rule out the deployment of foreign inspectors at Gaza crossings.

ISRAEL is going to slow its planned pullout from five West Bank towns after a day of violence strained an informal ceasefire, and it will stop the process altogether if Palestinians don’t halt all attacks, Israeli security officials said yesterday.

Israel reopened the Gaza-Egypt border crossing today, allowing 1,500 Palestinians to head home after being stranded in Egypt for three weeks.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will ask his Cabinet on Sunday to approve his proposal to withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip, officials said today, setting up a showdown with opponents that could bring down the government.

A car bomb exploded near an Israeli convoy on the Gaza-Egypt border today, killing the bomber and slightly wounding two soldiers, the army said.

Israeli troops withdrew from a besieged Palestinian neighbourhood in Rafah refugee camp early today, leaving behind dozens of demolished homes, acres of levelled agricultural land and residents despairing over how the destruction will be repaired.

Israeli troops and tanks began pulling out of the Rafah refugee camp early today, residents said, after a three-day sweep that left 39 Palestinians dead.

Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border early today as two air strikes killed 11 Palestinians and wounded 30, reflecting an Israeli decision to take control of the camp to stop arms smuggling and arrest militants.

A PALESTINIAN mother-of-two blew herself up yesterday at the main crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip, killing at least four Israelis and wounding seven other people.

An Israeli raid on a Gaza refugee camp killed five Palestinians today in a flare-up of violence that came just hours after a high-level Egyptian peace mission to Israel.

Three Palestinians were killed and 20 other people wounded by Israeli gunfire when tanks and armoured vehicles entered the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border today, hospital officials said.

Israel’s three-day military operation in a Gaza Strip refugee camp left 1,240 Palestinians homeless, the largest demolition of houses in a Gaza raid in three years of fighting, UN officials said.

Israel’s three-day military operation in a Gaza Strip refugee camp left 1,240 Palestinians homeless, the largest demolition of houses in a Gaza raid in three years of fighting, UN officials said.

Israel's use of American-made warplanes in the Middle East conflict has brought new charges from Palestinians that the US Government is leaning heavily in Israel's favour.