News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) A senior Hamas terrorist leader has expressed fears that politically beleaguered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will order an all-out attack on the terrorist party in order to deflect attention from the criminal investigation against him. The unnamed leader told the Hebrew daily Yediot Aharonot, "We are preparing for any scenario, and we won’t be surprised if the Israel side initiates severe escalation."

Hamas has proposed through Egyptian mediators a truce or "calm" in rocket and shooting attacks on Israeli targets but has included a demand that the Rafiah border be opened. Israel has rejected the idea out of concern that Hamas would use the breach to increase smuggling of advanced weapons into Gaza.