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.

Egyptian security forces announced by loudspeaker in towns near the border with the Gaza Strip that the frontier would be closed from 1300 GMT, according to witnesses.

A human tide of Palestinians has swarmed out of Gaza into Egypt for the second day after militants blew open the border in a bid to break a punishing Israeli blockade.

Palestinians are continuing to cross into Egypt for a second day to stock up on food, fuel and household supplies that have been scarce in the Gaza Strip since Israel imposed a blockade on the territory last week.

Thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip poured into an Egyptian border town, early Wednesday, after militants blew a large hole in the border wall overnight that separates Gaza from Egypt. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem Bureau.

Following a day of debate, the U.N. Security Council could not agree on language for a statement condemning the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza Strip. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

Israel has allowed a one-day delivery of food and fuel to the Gaza Strip, partially lifting a nearly week-long blockade of the territory. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has decided to allow the delivery of some fuel and medical supplies into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip beginning Tuesday.

Gaza Strip's only power plant has shut down due to an Israeli border closure that is blocking fuel deliveries. The generating station's shutdown late Sunday plunged large parts of the Gaza territory and many of its one1.5 million people into darkness. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the tightening siege on Gaza has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished Palestinian territory.