In a setback to the fragile Middle East peace process, Israel's general elections threw up an inconclusive mandate on Wednesday, with both the centrists and the rightists claiming victory and a hawkish anti-Arab leader emerging as the possible kingmaker.
'In response to incoming enemy fire, the forces returned mortar fire to the source. This is not the first time that Hamas has fired mortars and rockets from schools, in such a way deliberately using civilians as human shields in their acts of terror,' the army said in a statement. With this attack, the death toll since the launch of the offensive on December 27 rose to over 620.
Describing the ground offensive in Gaza as unavoidable, Israel has pledged to extend and intensify the operation amid heavy exchange of fire between troops and the Hamas militants that have taken the death toll in the coastal territory beyond 500. Palestinian sourcesin Gaza said that 23 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, three of them top Hamas militants, as Israeli troops targeted traffic routes bisecting the Hamas ruled territory in two parts.
The Pakistani groups included in the list are Aid Organisation of the Ulema, Al Akhtar Trust International, a financier of which has been linked to the murder of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl, Al Harmain Foundation of Pakistan, Al Masjid Al Aqsa - Aqsa Foundation and Al Rashid Trust.
Israel on Monday massed hundreds of tanks in expectation of a land strike on the Gaza Strip as fighter jets continued their blanket bombings of Hamas targets for the third day today, raising the toll of Palestinians killed to 315.Amidst no let up in the fury and intensity of attacks even in the face of growing international calls for halt to the violence, Defence Minister Ehud Barak warned that Israel was in an 'all-out war against Hamas'.
Israeli fighter planes continued to pound Gaza for a second day on Sunday in the largest military operation in the area since 1967 leaving over 270 Palestinians dead. Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel will expand and deepen the attacks on the Hamas-ruled territory. 110 Kassam rockets and mortar shells hit Israel on Saturday, the farthest of which landed 27 kilometres from its launcher inside Gaza. The Israeli army warned that Hamas will fire 200 rockets a day.
The Israel government today slammed an Israeli rescue group for alleging that Indian commandos may have inadvertently killed one or more Jewish hostages during the Nariman House operation, saying the "irresponsible" comments could cause considerable damage to bilateral ties.
The experts will examine whether the attack was part of a new global terror tactic and if there is a need to adapt coping mechanisms in Israel to the new threat, Ynetnews reported.
India has turned down an offer by Israel to send its crack commandos to Mumbai, where a Jewish centre has been taken over in the terrorist attack which have claimed so far over 160 lives, media reports said in Jerusalem.
With nearly 15 Israelis held hostages by terrorists in Mumbai, the government has sent a team of paramedics, medics and other professionals to India to assist with rescue efforts amid an offer by Tel Aviv to help New Delhi in dealing with terror attacks and its aftermath.
"India, the second largest populated nation in the world and the biggest democracy with a booming economy, including hi-tech, could play an important role in the Middle East peace process," Abbas told PTI in an interview a day before leaving for New Delhi.
They have launched a political party -- Shivtei Israel (Yachad), in this southern Israeli city to contest the forthcoming municipal elections. More than 5,000 Indians have registered as party members, out of a total of about 10,000, in the city amid efforts by party leaders to muster support of other fringe groups comprising Moroccans, Tunisians and Ethiopian Jews.
"The Left parties are basically anti-US and therefore countries that are seen as allies of Washington are disliked by them. They do not like whatever America does while we look at things on a case to case basis with regard to US," Swaraj, who is on a three-day visit to Israel as the chairperson of Indo-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, said, adding, "We are not anti-US in principle, but we oppose its policies which are against India's interest."
"It should be borne in mind that India will never allow a separate independent state for Tamils in Sri Lanka because such a development will have a disastrous effect in India," Wickremanayaka, who is the first Sri Lankan Prime Minister to visit Israel, told a gathering. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister, who is on a four-day visit, claimed that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief V Prabhakaran wanted to create a Tamil state "by including certain parts of India as well".
India has urged Palestinians to unite to realise their goal of an independent state amidst the growing wedge between rival Hamas and Fatah factions.
Hamas described the move as a declaration of war with an aim to starve Palestinians to force them to accept Tel Aviv's demands.
Israel's largest investment company, IDB, the largest health service network, Clalit Medical Organisation, and an NGO, Pirkey Refuah, have joined hands to fight Israel's negative image in India by coming up with the 'Peace Backpackers Project'.
Genady Shlomper has been teaching Hindi at the Hebrew and Tel Aviv University for several years during which more than 260 students have graduated with Hindi as one of their main subjects.
Peres has been elected ninth President of Israel at a time when the office of the ceremonial head has taken a severe battering in view of charges of rape and sexual misconduct against the outgoing President.
"In order to maintain national unity and preserve Palestinian blood, Hamas and Fatah leaders met and agreed to end the fighting and remove the checkpoints," Ayman Taha, a Hamas official, said.
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