Israel’s ruling Kadima party on Thursday threatened to exclude the centre-left Labour from the new government as coalition talks took an increasingly bitter turn after the Passover holiday. Although prime-minister designate Ehud Olmert has reached an agreement in principle with Labour on joining the incoming government, a definite deal has remained elusive.
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/ 7 February 2006
Israel on Tuesday vowed to continue its policy of targeting Palestinian militants after the air force conducted a third deadly strike on the Gaza Strip in less than three days. Seven Palestinian militants have been killed in a series of air strikes since Sunday, sparked by rocket attacks on Israel.
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/ 31 October 2005
Israel vowed on Monday to carry on its offensive against militants after the army shot dead three Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank, sparking condemnation from the Palestinian Authority. The latest deaths, during shootouts with Israeli troops in Kabatiya, came shortly after an Islamic Jihad official in the Gaza Strip said the group would abide by an informal truce following a deadly week of violence.
Israel said on Wednesday all its soldiers will be out of the Gaza Strip within a month, ending four decades of occupation after the historic pull-out of Jewish settlers from the Palestinian territory. Minister of Defence Shaul Mofaz said it is too soon to expect further evacuations in the occupied West Bank.
Israel on Thursday threatened tougher military action against militants in the occupied Gaza Strip should Palestinians continue to open fire against Jewish settlements and Israeli territory. On Wednesday, Israel launched its first air strike since January against militants in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli police sought to counter the increasingly virulent tactics of extremists opposed to the Gaza Strip pullout on Thursday by beefing up intelligence and banning a protest due to be held in Jerusalem’s disputed mosque compound. Meanwhile, the supreme court was also hearing petitions which argued the whole pull-out is illegal.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday stepped up pressure on opposition MPs to back his 2005 Budget, which Parliament must pass within two weeks or the government will collapse, jeopardising his planned Gaza evacuation. The 2005 state Budget has been touted as the last political chance for staunch opponents to scupper Sharon’s plan to quit Gaza.
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/ 7 December 2004
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was trying on Tuesday to rally support for a reshaped coalition to implement his planned pull-out from Gaza, where two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in a new wave of violence. While enjoying high public approval ratings, Sharon is unable to rely on the loyalty of his party members.
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/ 11 October 2004
Israel was pushing on with its deadly offensive in Gaza on Monday despite reservations of army chiefs. Senior officers reportedly told Sharon that Operation Days of Penitence had now met its main objective, but Sharon told top brass that they must push on with the operation.