At least 24 killed in Eilat bus crash

At least 24 people have been killed after an Israeli bus carrying tourists plunged into a desert ravine north of the resort town of Eilat.

Dozens more passengers have been injured, with some reported to be in a serious condition.

The private bus was en route to an airport near Eilat when it veered off the Mitzpe-Ramon-Eilat road into the 80-metre ravine.

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Fears of fresh Gaza violence as ceasefire nears end

The Israel Defense Forces have gone on high alert as Hamas threatened to not renew their ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The six-month truce between Israel and Hamas is due to expire on Friday. While Israel prefers to extend it, Hamas appears to be split between continuing the truce and ending it. Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal said on Sunday that the ceasefire would not be renewed, while Hamas officials in Gaza said only that the issue was under review.

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Student rescue boat arrives in Gaza

Two British academics have arrived in Gaza to collect Palestinian students who would otherwise be unable to take up university places abroad.

Prof Jonathan Rosenhead and Research Fellow Mike Cusham went by boat from Cyprus to collect the 16 students, some of whom have scholarships at colleges in Europe and North America.

They docked on Tuesday afternoon and hope to leave within the next few days.

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Unilever to sell West Bank plant

The multinational company, Unilever, is to sell its share in a food factory located in a West Bank settlement.

The Anglo-Dutch company, the manufacturer of 400 brands in 150 countries, intends to sell its 51 per cent stake in the Beigel & Beigel pretzel factory, based in the Barkan industrial zone near the settlement of Ariel.

In October, Swedish company Assa Abloy decided to move a locksmith plant from the same industrial zone following NGO reports warning that companies may be subject to law suits over the violation of international law if their factories are located in such areas.

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Olmert and Treasury in clash over pension plan

With two months left until the general election, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Finance Minister Roni Bar-On exchanged barbs this week over their different approaches to a pension safety net.

In a rare step, four of the top Finance Ministry officials wrote to the Prime Minister to accuse his office of acting illegally to sidestep the Treasury’s authority.

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Israel hopes to extend Gaza ceasefire

Despite a mortar attack that wounded eight Israeli soldiers last week and almost daily Kassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip since, Israel is hoping to extend the ceasefire with Hamas that is scheduled to expire later this month.

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