Israel has decided to move an upcoming military exercise off the disputed Golan Heights to avoid further heightening tensions with neighboring Syria, defense officials said.
Two Palestinian civil servants, equipped with phones, a knowledge of Hebrew and unending patience, are the only direct link these days between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel on Friday promised Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, that Israel would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, despite its declared intention to carry out limited power cuts to the strip.
A senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's plan to cut power supplies to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip shortly before Abbas was to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday.
JERUSALEM — Israel is seeking a missile defense capability to replace its decades-old policy of preemptive military strike.
Israel will no longer stage large-scale manoeuvres on the occupied Golan Heights in order not to raise tensions with neighbouring Syria, military sources were reported as saying on Thursday.
Disruptions would be steadily increased and tied to any rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory. Israel approved Thursday a plan to start punitive disruptions of the Gaza Strip's scarce supplies of electricity in response to rocket attacks from the Palestinian territory.
Senior Palestinian officials appealed for international intervention on Friday after Israel approved a plan to disrupt power supplies to the Gaza Strip in response to continuing rocket attacks.
Israel has decided to move an upcoming military exercise off the Occupied Golan Heights to avoid further heightening tensions with neighboring Syria, defense officials said. The border has been jittery since September 6, the date of a mysterious raid by Israeli jets on a target in northern Syria.
By MARK LAVIE Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that an upcoming Mideast peace conference would not result in a final deal with the Palestinians and may not take place at all. His government moved closer to a punishing regime of power cuts to the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rocket attacks. Israel has consistently played down the gathering called by President Bush and ...