International outrage grew over civilian deaths in Gaza tonight after an Israeli bombardment killed at least 34 people, many of them children, near a UN school.

Four young siblings were killed in an Israeli attack in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials said today.

Thousands of Israelis today gathered for the funerals of the eight religious students killed by a Palestinian gunman in Jerusalem.

Israeli troops raided the northern Gaza Strip today, killing at least nine Palestinians, including the son of a senior Hamas leader and three civilians, in an operation against rocket squads.

The Israeli army today said it foiled a 15-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber who tried to attack soldiers operating in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli aircraft fired missiles in the northern Gaza Strip today, and Hamas security forces said one of the group’s rocket-launching squads was the target.

Israeli aircraft attacked Palestinian rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip today, the army said, as Israel persisted in its two-week operation meant to stop the crude projectiles.

Israeli planes pounded Hamas targets early today, bringing the toll in the past 24 hours of raids to 11 Palestinians killed and dozens wounded.

A small number of Israeli tanks edged into the northern Gaza Strip today, taking up positions near the border fence, the army said.

The rival Hamas and Fatah movements wrapped up months of tortuous coalition talks, saying they would present a national unity government to parliament for approval this weekend.

Gunmen from the rival Hamas and Fatah movements battled each other in Gaza today, continuing an increasingly bloody power struggle over the Palestinian government that left the coastal strip littered with dead over the weekend, while civilians cowered in their homes.

A resurgence in factional violence in Gaza killed three Palestinians today, sparked a daylight gun battle and led to fears that an already fragile truce between Hamas and Fatah would completely collapse.

An Israeli air strike targeted a group of Palestinian militants trying to launch rockets at Israel from the northern Gaza Strip today, residents said.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas today defiantly insisted he will push ahead with his call for new elections, despite a wave of factional fighting that has left Gaza on the brink of chaos.

The Israeli military today launched a three-pronged offensive in the northern Gaza Strip, killing a top Hamas commander, in its latest operation against Palestinian rocket squads.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he would be willing to sacrifice his job if the international community would lift economic sanctions that have crippled his Hamas-led government.

Israeli tank shells ripped through a residential neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip early today, killing at least 18 members of an extended family, including 10 children, as they slept, health officials said.

A female suicide bomber approached Israeli troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun today and blew herself up, the army and Palestinian residents said.

A Palestinian youth was killed in an Israeli airstrike today on a northern Gaza Strip refugee camp, Palestinian officials said.

Israeli troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip today shot and killed seven Palestinians, including three brothers and their cousin, Palestinian hospital officials said.

An Israeli airstrike on a car driving through the northern Gaza Strip killed two people today, Palestinian security sources said.

Three Palestinians were killed this morning in an Israeli military strike near the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, Palestinian medical officials said.

ISRAELI air and artillery attacks in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday killed 14 Palestinians, including 12 gunmen and a little girl — the latest violence on the second front of Israel’s fight against Islamic militants.

Israel has delayed a ground invasion of the northern Gaza Strip, security officials said today.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma for three months, will be declared permanently incapacitated tomorrow, a decision that will signal the official end of his premiership.

Israel pounded the northern Gaza Strip with artillery fire today, killing a Palestinian police officer and wounding nine people as Israel escalated its retaliation for militant rocket attacks and put pressure on the new Hamas government that refuses to stop the attacks.

Israeli military aircraft today dropped leaflets in the northern Gaza Strip, urging civilians to stay away from rocket-launching sites for their own safety.

Palestinian gunmen kidnapped an Italian peace activist in the Gaza Strip today but released him several hours later.

Palestinian gunmen kidnapped an Italian in the Gaza Strip today.

A PALESTINIAN suicide bomber trying to enter Israel blew himself up yesterday at a military checkpoint set up to foil attackers, killing an Israeli soldier and two other Palestinians.

An Israeli airstrike today killed two Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip and a Palestinian man fatally stabbed an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, intensifying a new round of violence in the wake of a suicide bombing at an Israeli shopping centre this week.

An Israeli aircraft launched two missiles at a group of Palestinian militants gathered in the northern Gaza Strip today, wounding three of them, Palestinian security and health officials said.

Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a militant group’s charity and a rocket-launching ground in the northern Gaza Strip today, in the first aerial attack on Gaza in more than a month, the military said.

Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a white Subaru travelling in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun today, killing a Palestinian militant, witnesses and hospital officials said.

A leading Islamic Jihad militant, Shadi Mohanna, was among five killed when Israeli forces fired missiles in a Gaza refugee camp after nightfall today.

A three-year-old boy was killed and nine other people wounded in the northern Gaza Strip today when rockets fired by militants misfired and landed in Palestinian areas, rescue workers said.

The first Palestinian-Israeli summit in four months failed to advance peace prospects or solidify a shaky truce, leaving main issues unresolved and both sides disappointed.

An armed group linked to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah party today announced it would be willing to accept a ceasefire if Israel also agrees to stop its attacks.

Thousands of armed Palestinian police took up positions in the northern Gaza Strip to prevent attacks on Israel, and Islamic militants said they were suspending rocket fire – major steps toward a possible truce after more than four years of bloody Mideast conflict.

Islamic militant group Hamas joined in the mood of optimism in Gaza today and signalled it would suspend rocket attacks on Israel.

Palestinian security forces started deploying in the northern Gaza Strip today in an effort to halt Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli targets and stave off a threatened Israeli military offensive.

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has agreed to resume security talks with the Palestinians after they promised new steps to prevent militant attacks on Israel.

A Palestinian civilian was killed today during an Israeli arrest raid in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources and the army said.

Israel is prepared to turn over security responsibilities in the northern Gaza Strip to Palestinian forces well ahead of a planned withdrawal from the area in mid-2005, Israeli security officials said today.