The Israeli prime minister said Friday Israel would continue its military offensive in Gaza despite the UN Security Council's resolution calling for an immediate and durable Gaza ceasefire.

Fighting continued in Gaza Friday despite a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate end to hostilities. Both sides in the conflict rejected demands for an immediate cease-fire.

The Knesset marked Monday the 13th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Rabin was murdered as part of a campaign of incitement that many took part in. He said that truth will require Israel to give up large parts of Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem and the Golan.

PM Ehud Olmert of Israel has handed in his resignation to President Shimon Peres. Tonight the president will consult with the heads of the 4 largest knesset factions - kadima, labour, likud and shas- before deciding who to appoint with responsibility for forming the next government.

The police of Israel are expected to recommend on Sunday indicting the prime minister Ehud Olmert in three separate affairs: Talansky, Rishon Tours and the Investment Center.

PM Olmert to step down as head of the Kadima party and Prime Minister.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said following talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Israel and the Palestinians have never been so close to a peace deal.

PM's lawyers to cross-examine Talansky as the Police in Israel will question PM Ehud Olmert.

In a major setback to beleaguered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defence Minister Ehud Barak threatened to topple the coalition government if the Israeli leader does not step down to face corruption charges based on Morris Talansky's reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says a peace agreement with the Palestinians will not necessarily be concluded by the end of this year.

Israel says it plans to continue crippling sanctions on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, despite international opposition. The announcement was made as three Palestinian gunmen and a civilian were killed in Israeli raids in Gaza. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.

US President George W. Bush arrived in Israel late Wednesday morning, at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at dealing with both the threat posed by Iran, as well as advancing towards a Palestinian-Israeli permanent status agreement in the coming year.