Next US leader should get to work on Mideast: Palestinian (AFP)
AFP - The next US president, be it Barack Obama or John McCain, should get to work immediately to jump-start Middle East peace talks, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said here Thursday.

Chances for peace emerge in Mideast clashes (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Both Israel and the United States soon will have new leaders at the helm. The Palestinians, too, are facing possible elections. During such transitional times for the three major players in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, few expected any concrete steps toward peace.

Palestinian kills elderly Israeli near Jerusalem (Reuters)
Reuters - A Palestinian stabbed and killed an 86-year-old Israeli and wounded a policeman in a Jewish settlement near Jerusalem on Thursday, police said.

Coalition talks flop, push Israel toward election (Reuters)
Reuters - Israel stepped closer to an early election on Friday when a Jewish religious party refused to join a new coalition under Tzipi Livni, the designated successor to scandal-hit outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Israel election looms as key party rejects coalition (AFP)
AFP - The creation of a new Israeli government hung in the balance on Friday after a powerful ultra-Orthodox party said it would not join a coalition headed by prime minister designate Tzipi Livni.

Israel okays more Palestinian police in Hebron: report (AFP)
AFP - Israel has approved deploying several hundred additional Palestinian police in the West Bank town of Hebron as part of an operation to restore order, Israeli public radio reported Wednesday.

Palestinian force enters Hebron in security drive (Reuters)
Reuters - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas deployed hundreds of security officers in Hebron Saturday as part of a Western-backed campaign to strengthen his control over the occupied West Bank.