Israel has held talks with its Western allies and the Jordanian government over the possibility of attacking Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles.

Officials involved in these talks have confirmed their existence and said that Israel was dissuaded from carrying out pre-emptive attacks.

The British ambassador to Israel has criticised those "who would rather go down the route of boycott than engagement".

Four Security Council members, including the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on Wednesday attacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to proceed with the E1 settlement plan.

The UK, France, Germany and Portugal said they “strongly oppose” the decision to build 2,612 housing units in East Jerusalem.

An Israeli-Arab teenager has been charged with planting the Tel Aviv bus bomb that wounded 15 people on November 21, during the recent Israel-Gaza conflict.

Eighteen-year-old Mohammed Mafarja, a Bir Zeit University student from Taibe, allegedly informed associates when the bomb was in place, before they detonated the device using a mobile phone.

Bar Refaeli made a star appearance at Tel Aviv’s second fashion week of the year, created after a rift formed between organisers of Israel Fashion Week.

The Israeli supermodel walked for the fashion chain Fox in tight fitting blue denim jeans and a black tshirt with the slogan “Basic is beautiful”. Ms Refaeli posted a picture of herself walking on image sharing website Instagram.

The majority of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank believe that armed struggle is the best method of achieving Palestinian independence, according to a new poll by the Arab World Research and Development centre in Ramallah.

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, a former chief of staff of the Israeli army and a leading member of Knesset, has died aged 68.

Mr Lipkin-Shahak joined the IDF in 1962, served in the Six Day War and succeeded Ehud Barak as the 15th Chief of the General Staff in 1995.