Palestinian militants attacked the Gaza Strip’s main cargo crossing with mortar fire early today, slightly wounding an Israeli truck driver in the latest flare-up of violence in the coastal strip.

Egypt has sent a large shipment of weapons to the Gaza Strip to shore up embattled Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli security officials said today.

Israeli soldiers searching for tunnels and explosives withdrew from the outskirts of Gaza City today, the army said, ending a five-day operation that Palestinians said left 20 people dead, and heavily damaged houses, streets and farmlands.

THE US has put forward plans to deploy international observers at the main cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza to prevent repeated security closures of Gaza’s economic lifeline.

The US proposes deploying international observers at the main cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza to prevent repeated security closures of Gaza’s economic lifeline, Palestinian and Israeli officials said today.

Israeli soldiers, backed by helicopter gunships and tanks, moved into Palestinian-controlled areas near the main Israel-Gaza cargo crossing today to conduct house-to-house searches.

THE United Nations warns of food shortages. Hospitals refuse all non-emergency care to avoid running out of medicine.

Israel has rebuffed a ceasefire call from the Palestinian premier while leaving behind a wide path of destruction in northern Gaza and pounding militants in Gaza City with airstrikes.

Israel today opened an additional crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow emergency food from Egypt to enter the impoverished Palestinian area.

Two Palestinians armed with an explosives belt attacked the Erez checkpoint between Israel and Gaza before daybreak today, and were killed in an ensuing shootout with Israeli troops.

A Palestinian militant was killed and another seriously wounded today when they attempted to carry out an attack against Israeli forces, Palestinian hospital officials said.

An Israeli aircraft fired at three Palestinian gunmen trying to infiltrate Israel from the Gaza Strip today, killing one man and wounding the other two, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The Palestinians’ ruling Fatah Party has split, with young activists forming their own group for the January parliamentary election.

Three dead Palestinians were brought to a Gaza City hospital today after an explosion ripped apart a car in a nearby neighbourhood, witnesses said.

An Israeli-Palestinian agreement on Gaza border crossings is “in sight,” US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today, after holding separate meetings with leaders of both sides.

An Israeli airstrike on a car killed two Palestinians in the Jebaliya refugee camp today, including a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.

Israel sealed its crossings with the Gaza Strip today after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed five people.

Israel today reopened its crossings with the Gaza Strip after closing them two days ago in a wave of violence, the army said.

A deadlock over Israeli troop withdrawals in the West Bank and further releases of Palestinian prisoners clouded prospects today that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas would meet this week for the first time since Israel’s Gaza Strip pullout.

Palestinians will not open their border with Egypt unilaterally, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said today, answering Israeli concerns and illustrating how much the poverty-stricken seaside territory remains dependent on its Jewish neighbour, despite Israel’s pullout.

PALESTINIANS voted for local governments in dozens of towns and villages across the West Bank and Gaza Strip yesterday — a contest that is expected to boost the Islamic militant group Hamas and could foreshadow results of parliamentary elections in July.

Palestinians voted for local governments in dozens of towns and villages across the West Bank and Gaza Strip today – a contest that is expected to boost the Islamic militant group Hamas and could foreshadow results of parliamentary elections in July.

Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Jerusalem

Israeli Cabinet ministers today approved the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners – 500 of them next week – and a withdrawal from the West Bank town of Jericho.

Israel’s army chief has ordered troops to halt operations in the Gaza Strip and to scale them back in the West Bank.

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.

Israel decided to delay a major military offensive in the Gaza Strip today, to give new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas more time to act against militants.

A top PLO decision-making body yesterday called on Palestinian militants to halt attacks against Israel, charging that the violence gives Israel an excuse to carry out military operations.

A top PLO decision-making body today called on Palestinian militants to halt attacks against Israel, charging that the violence gives Israel an excuse to carry out military operations.

The first hours in office for new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s have been marked by a series of crises, from the resignation of 46 election officials to renewed violence that could threaten his leadership.

Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon has cut all contact with newly-elected Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in a startling U-turn, saying he must halt terror attacks if he wanted peace talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut all contact with the newly elected Palestinian leader today, promising the silence would continue until Mahmoud Abbas moves to halt militant attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered all contact cut with newly elected Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas until Abbas reins in the militants, Israeli media reported tonight.

Israel signalled today it will delay retaliating for a Gaza crossing ambush that killed six Israeli workers and give Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas a chance to rein in violent groups.

One Palestinian militant was killed in an explosion at a busy crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip today, a Palestinian militant group said.

Four Israeli soldiers were wounded today when a bomb went off in a Gaza Strip chicken coop while they were searching for explosives, the military said.

A radar system installed in an Israeli border town provides a 20 second warning if Palestinian militants fire rockets from the nearby Gaza Strip, an Israeli arms manufacturer said today.

Israeli troops shot and killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents today in the Gaza Strip, the army and Palestinian doctors said.

THREE Palestinian gunmen, an Israeli officer and two Israeli civilians were killed yesterday in bloodshed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that included shootouts at a border freight terminal and a militant hideout.

Israeli soldiers stormed the fortress-like Palestinian headquarters in the city of Hebron early today, occupying the seventh of eight main West Bank centres.

Islamic militant leaders were yesterday summoned by the Palestinian Authority and warned there would be a tough response if they did not stop attacks on Israelis.

The new US Mideast envoy today urged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to do everything possible to stop attacks against Israel and called on both sides to implement recommendations of an international commission.

Thousands of Palestinians rallied in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Israeli troops patrolled flashpoints today, the anniversary of what Palestinians call Al Naqba, or their displacement during Israel’s creation in 1948.