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US does not support Israeli strike on Iran
Barack Obama insisted the US did not support an Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear programme, in comments that appeared to slap down his own vice-president
Egypt says captured Israeli soldier well
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he believes an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants three years ago is well and that he hopes the issue will not take a long time to resolve
Philip Stephens: Israel struggles to adapt to a changing picture of Iran
Iran is no longer the country the west had thought, or wanted to think, it was. The post-election scenes on the streets of Iranian cities surely strengthen those who argue that the way to encourage Tehran’s return to the international community is through engagement, writes Philip Stephens
Amnesty details violations in Gaza assault
The human rights group says Israeli forces had shot, at close range, civilians who were fleeing their homes in search of shelter and had fired tank shells into civilian homes
1.5m Gazans ‘trapped in despair’
A report by the Red Cross says Israel’s restrictions on the Gaza Strip’s crossing points and its stringent limitations on imports are making it impossible for residents to rebuild their lives
Israel defies US on West Bank homes
The country’s defence ministry said it had approved the construction of 50 new dwellings in the occupied Palestinian territory – 24 hours before Ehud Barak was due to meet the US Middle East envoy
Quartet urges Israeli move
The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators urged Israel to make a positive move on settlements that diplomats said could pave the way for the resumption of direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and possible concessions by Arab states
Israel in plan to expand West Bank settlement
A rights group says Israel’s defence minister has approved construction of 240 new homes in an unauthorised outpost in a report that appears to defy US calls to halt settlement growth
Palestinian leader urges state-building
Salam Fayyad, the western-backed Palestinian prime minister, urged all Palestinians to build up the necessary institutions to establish an independent state within two years
Clinton clashes with Israelis over settlers
The US secretary of state and Israel’s foreign minister disagreed on the US call for a freeze on settlement growth and Israel’s contention that the Bush administration had signalled that some expansion was permissible
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Comment
Obama must build on Arab peace initiative
Israel’s behaviour – specifically its expansion of settlements – alongside its new policy of rejecting the two-state solution, will only give Iran and allies such as Hamas a groundswell of support, writes Ghassan Khatib
A Middle East peace plan puts Netanyahu on the spot
Biden’s speech on the conflict laid out in plain terms that Israel’s security depends on peaceful co-existence with a viable Palestinian state, writes Philip Stephens
