A Key part of Netanyahu's speech - and it is repeated endlessly by Israeli hardliners and their supporters in the United States - is that Israel withdrew from Gaza and that was not enough for the violent Palestinians who responded to this humane and wonderful sacrifice by firing rockets; the ungrateful villains! There is much wrong with this statement.

In December and January Israel invaded and assaulted Gaza reducing it to rubble and killing over a thousand people, most of them civilians. Throughout this bombardment the Israeli government claimed it made superhuman attempts to avoid harming Palestinian civilians. Well, Many Israeli soldiers are speaking out, and they tell a very different tale.

To say that access to and quality of health care in Gaza is poor is to grossly understate the situation.

In an attempt to discredit war crime accusations Israel launches an investigation into the use of white phosphorous bombs in the recent Gaza strip military action, Operation Cast Lead.

On Saturday Israel said it will declare a cease-fire starting Sunday, after a 22-day offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert boasted about his connected to outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush, saying that the reason Rice abstained during a vote on a cease-fire resolution was all due to him.

It is hard to imagine how much worse the situation could get, but the confrontation in Gaza could see a dangerous escalation in the coming days as Iran threatens to break the Israeli blockade and deliver urgently needed medical supplies and other aid to the coastal strip.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair hastily cancelled a planned visit to Gaza after extremists linked to al-Qaeda plotted to "kidnap and slaughter" him.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh says the militant group and Israel may be close to signing a truce in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are crossing into Egypt for a fourth day since militants destroyed a border barricade Wednesday.

Egypt has increased security around its now open border with the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians poured into the country for a second straight day to stock up on food, fuel and household supplies.