In an interview to Israeli TV, Benjamin Netanyahu called the affair a "misunderstanding," saying there was no intention to infringe on Muslim freedom of worship.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised Mossad, the country's spy agency, to kill senior Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mahbouh in Dubai, a media report claimed on Sunday.

Jerusalem's first light rail starts test runs this spring, with its sleek silver cars gliding across the city and promising to relieve the perpetual congestion.

In a jolt to efforts to renew stalled peace talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Tel Aviv will never cede control of united Jerusalem nor retreat to 1967 borders, the two core issues plaguing the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Israel plans to build nearly 700 new apartments in east Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said on Monday, drawing tough criticism from both the Palestinians and the United States.

The Israeli prime minister has asked moderate opposition leader Tzipi Livni to join his government -- a move that could boost efforts to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.

Marathon top-level Israeli meetings ended early on Tuesday without announcement of a decision over whether to accept Islamic militants' demand to swap 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for a lone Israeli serviceman.

Israel's Army Radio says the prime minister has begun a meeting with top ministers to decide whether to approve a deal on a prisoner exchange with Hamas militants.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met French President Nicolas Sarkozy for talks on the crisis in the Middle East peace process and appeared to open the door to talks with Syria.

Dismissing US contention that Israel has made "unprecedented" concessions on constructions, the Palestinian Authority on Sunday refused to return to the negotiating table without a complete freeze on Jewish settlement activities in West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will never allow any of the country's leaders or soldiers to be put on trial for war crimes.

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday for a second time on his latest trip aimed at restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

A controversial decision not to press a vote on a UN report on the Gaza war has angered many Palestinians and weakened president Mahmud Abbas amid US-backed peace efforts, observers say.

Pressing for elusive Mideast peace, President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged Israeli and Palestinians leaders to do more. It was the president's most direct engagement yet on a problem that has vexed leaders for years.

President Barack Obama will seek to restart stalled Mideast peace talks Tuesday when he hosts a trilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Washington's special Mideast envoy launched a last-ditch push on Tuesday to wring an Israeli promise to curtail settlement construction and persuade the Palestinians to attend a high-profile US meeting meant as a prelude to peacemaking.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed US demands for a total West Bank settlement freeze on Monday, digging in his heels before a crucial meeting with Washington's special Mideast envoy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that there were still gaps to bridge as efforts to kick-start the Middle East peace process intensified ahead of the UN General Assembly.

After initially issuing a vague statement about visiting a top-secret Mossad installation inside Israel, Netanyahu kept silent Thursday as reports emerged that he flew to Moscow aboard a private jet for urgent talks on Iran.

The plot thickened on Thursday over a secret trip by Israel's prime minister, as his office admitted it had misled about his whereabouts but stopped short of denying reports he had stolen away to Russia.

Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Moscow on Monday, the Yediot Aharonot daily said, citing anonymous sources.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has authorised the construction of nearly 400 new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, his ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Israeli Cabinet ministers lined up on Sunday behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to approve the construction of hundreds of new apartments in West Bank settlements, defiantly shrugging off a rare and harsh public rebuke from top ally Washington.

Aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday he would approve hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements before considering a temporary freeze in construction, drawing harsh criticism from Washington, which has called for a total halt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's four-day visit to London and Berlin is likely to showcase the tricky balancing act on which his political survival depends.