AFP - Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert underwent a hernia operation under full anaesthesia but left hospital hours later, media reports said on Saturday.

AFP - Two British police officers are in Israel to investigate the use of fake passports by the killers of a senior Hamas militant in Dubai last month, the British embassy in Tel Aviv said on Saturday.

Reuters - The British embassy in Israel said an investigator was flown in this week to interview 10 dual Israeli-British citizens whose British passports may have been used in the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai.

AFP - Most of the 26 people so far linked to the murder of a top Hamas commander are to be found in Israel, Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan charged in comments published on Saturday.

AFP - Australia stepped up pressure on Israel Saturday over fake passports linked to the murder of a top Hamas commander, saying it was yet to receive a satisfactory explanation.

Reuters - Israel's perspective on Iran's nuclear program differs from that of the United States, and the two may part ways on what action to take, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Friday.

AFP - Israel has given the green light for 600 new homes in a Jewish settlement in annexed Arab east Jerusalem, the Haaretz daily reported on Friday.

AFP - The United Nations Friday effectively gave Israel and the Palestinians another five months to conduct "independent, credible probes into alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict 14 months ago.

AFP - The United States is committed to a "peaceful" resolution of the nuclear showdown with Iran while weighing pressure for Tehran to change course, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.

AFP - Dubai police said on Friday they have DNA proof of the identity at least one of top Hamas militant Mahmud Mabhuh's killers and will set up a multinational unit to hunt the alleged Israeli hit squad.

AFP - Lebanon has arrested at least five more suspected spies for Israel as it presses on with a crackdown on espionage rings, local media reported on Friday.

AFP - The UN General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly approved a resolution renewing a demand that Israel and the Palestinians conduct "independent, credible" probes of alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict 14 months ago.

AFP - Palestinian premier Salam Fayyad on Friday prayed at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank on the fifth day of clashes amid mounting international concern over Israel's addition of the shrine to its national heritage list.

AFP - Dubai police said on Friday they have DNA proof of the identity of at least one of the killers of senior Hamas militant Mahmud Mabhuh in the emirate last month.

AFP - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday he hoped that indirect Middle East peace talks would begin by the end of this month and that direct talks would follow by the end of March.