Middle East, Israeli-palestinian Dispute | featured news

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ending a three-day trip, is likely to face questions on Capitol Hill on his refusal ...

Pope Benedict XVI called for the creation of a “homeland of their own” for Palestinians, underscoring in a speech that the Vatican supported the creation of a state.

The United States stepped up pressure on Israel's new right-leaning government on Tuesday to accept the goal of a Palestinian state and halt expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Israel and the Palestinians to "step back from the abyss," saying he expected good faith gestures from both sides in coming months as part of a bid to revive stalled peace efforts.

The Israeli military on Monday rejected allegations that its soldiers committed atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday promised vigorous and personal involvement in stalled Mideast peace efforts and criticized Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem as "unhelpful."

Israel rules out a truce in Gaza unless an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants is freed, Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says.

Hamas officials said Friday that an announcement of an 18-month cease-fire with Israel was days away. An Israeli official said nothing had been agreed yet.

Israel launched air strikes against a number of targets in Gaza Monday to retaliate against Palestinian militants who have fired a "barrage" of rockets inside the Jewish state in recent days, the military said.

Palestinian militants fired mortar shells from southern Gaza at Israel and Israel carried out an air strike against what the military said were members of the launching squad.