Israel plans to boycott the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said it would send notice to Al-Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular satellite news channel, that Israeli officials would no longer offer cooperation.
Barack Obama called Israel's foreign minister to express support for Israel in the wake of the recent increase in violence. The Democratic presidential front-runner initiated the call on Tuesday to Tzipi Livni during her visit to Washington.
While Israel's eyes were focused on the security threat from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, terrorism struck in the heart of the Jewish state. A gunman stormed into the Yeshivat Mercaz Harav complex late Thursday, killing eight students.
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has signalled a readiness to resume peace talks. The Palestinian leader had suspended the talks in protest of Israel's recent fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has said further military action in the Gaza Strip will soon resume. He said Israel's armed forces would continue using a variety of actions to achieve the objectives of stemming cross-border rocket fire.
