Copyright (c) 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/i/1312 world Mideast Conflict en-us Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:40:10 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/i/1312 http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142b.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians ap/20091126/ml_israel_palestinians AP world Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:40:10 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091125/capt.93eae475958a4a42b8da37acb63d4503.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl134.jpg?x=130&y=87&q=85&sig=dKVMveU3Noo6.DDnGTRLCg--" align="left" height="87" width="130" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gestures as he speaks during a press conference in his Jerusalem office, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2009. Israel will halt construction in its West Bank settlements for 10 months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday, in an effort to restart peace talks, but Palestinians rejected the freeze as insufficient because it did not include east Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)" border="0" /></a>AP - Israel on Wednesday proposed a 10-month halt to new construction in West Bank settlements as a step toward restarting Mideast peace negotiations. Washington welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer, but the Palestinians swiftly rejected it because it did not include a building freeze in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, the mainly Arab sector of the city they want as the capital of a future state.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091125/capt.93eae475958a4a42b8da37acb63d4503.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl134.jpg?x=130&y=87&q=85&sig=dKVMveU3Noo6.DDnGTRLCg--" align="left" height="87" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, gestures as he speaks during a press conference in his Jerusalem office, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2009. Israel will halt construction in its West Bank settlements for 10 months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday, in an effort to restart peace talks, but Palestinians rejected the freeze as insufficient because it did not include east Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel nm/20091125/us_palestinians_israel Reuters world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:53:34 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091125/capt.c921b251d7d34ad4af22972826847de1.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl141.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=9rmi2tiy8.oR17Qo8uCn.Q--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Palestinians hold pictures of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, during a protest calling for their release, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a 10-month freeze on some building in West Bank settlements on Wednesday, pleasing the United States but Palestinians said it was not enough to restart peace talks.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091125/capt.c921b251d7d34ad4af22972826847de1.mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl141.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=9rmi2tiy8.oR17Qo8uCn.Q--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Palestinians hold pictures of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, during a protest calling for their release, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_uk_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerbritain afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettlerbritain AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:53:18 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_uk_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerbritain"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259185956339-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=e4ZVN14HCtzieXuyT0uTJA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin between Jerusalem and Jericho on November 25. Britain said Wednesday it wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a temporary halt in settlement building to help resume Middle East peace talks.(AFP/File/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The government said Wednesday it wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a temporary halt in settlement building to help resume Middle East peace talks.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_uk_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerbritain"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259185956339-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=e4ZVN14HCtzieXuyT0uTJA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin between Jerusalem and Jericho on November 25. Britain said Wednesday it wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a temporary halt in settlement building to help resume Middle East peace talks.(AFP/File/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_abbas_vote nm/20091125/us_palestinians_abbas_vote Reuters world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:34:14 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_abbas_vote"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091125/i/r3376511076.jpg?x=79&y=130&q=85&sig=YqoI5Z8aLwwkM6lCEm5PSw--" align="left" height="130" width="79" alt="Palestininan President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during his meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Salvador November 20, 2009. Abbas is on a three-day official visit in Brazil. REUTERS/Thiago Teixeira" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he plans to stay on in his post until the next election is held and that he would be ready to hold the vote as soon as consensus was reached with Islamist group Hamas.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_abbas_vote"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091125/i/r3376511076.jpg?x=79&y=130&q=85&sig=YqoI5Z8aLwwkM6lCEm5PSw--" align="left" height="130" width="79" alt="photo" title="Palestininan President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during his meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Salvador November 20, 2009. Abbas is on a three-day official visit in Brazil. REUTERS/Thiago Teixeira" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_bi_ge/us_racketeering_criminal_group ap/20091125/us_racketeering_criminal_group AP business Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:58:25 GMT AP - Eight men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for selling stolen goods at five St. Louis area convenience stores and funneling part of their profits to the Palestinian territories. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerus afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettlerus AFP politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:20:37 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerus"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259173631603-2-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=A9Nho5mHRD7P9L4qi7ptfA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. The Obama administration welcomed Israel's temporary freeze of settlement building Wednesday as a way to revive Middle East peace talks, despite its long struggle to break the deadlock.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The Obama administration welcomed Israel's temporary freeze of settlement building Wednesday as a way to revive Middle East peace talks, despite its long struggle to break the deadlock.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerus"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259173631603-2-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=A9Nho5mHRD7P9L4qi7ptfA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. The Obama administration welcomed Israel's temporary freeze of settlement building Wednesday as a way to revive Middle East peace talks, despite its long struggle to break the deadlock.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_usa nm/20091125/us_palestinians_israel_usa Reuters politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:01:33 GMT Reuters - An Israeli decision on Wednesday to limit settlement construction in the West Bank fell short of the U.S. goal of a full freeze but was more than previous government have done and could advance peace efforts, U.S. officials said. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictisraelhamasshalit afp/20091125/mideastconflictisraelhamasshalit AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:34:36 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictisraelhamasshalit"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259176011975-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=ZQDZtibYhpSUfuLjTNctpA--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="Israeli women sit near portraits of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit at a protest tent outside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. Israel is refusing to free a group of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, officials close to the talks on a deal said on Wednesday.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Israel is refusing to free a group of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, officials close to the talks on a deal said on Wednesday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictisraelhamasshalit"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259176011975-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=ZQDZtibYhpSUfuLjTNctpA--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israeli women sit near portraits of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit at a protest tent outside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. Israel is refusing to free a group of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, officials close to the talks on a deal said on Wednesday.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettler afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettler AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:20:38 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettler"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171365564-4-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=EiVsTZdlhRA.83sPpT5srQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettler"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171365564-4-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=EiVsTZdlhRA.83sPpT5srQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerclinton afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettlerclinton AFP politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:35:52 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerclinton"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259173631603-2-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=A9Nho5mHRD7P9L4qi7ptfA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. The Obama administration welcomed Israel's temporary freeze of settlement building Wednesday as a way to revive Middle East peace talks, despite its long struggle to break the deadlock.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that a temporary freeze on new Israeli settlement building in the West Bank would aid progress toward peace with the Palestinians.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerclinton"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259173631603-2-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=A9Nho5mHRD7P9L4qi7ptfA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. The Obama administration welcomed Israel's temporary freeze of settlement building Wednesday as a way to revive Middle East peace talks, despite its long struggle to break the deadlock.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_israel ap/20091125/us_us_israel AP politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:33:04 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259185956339-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=e4ZVN14HCtzieXuyT0uTJA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin between Jerusalem and Jericho on November 25. Britain said Wednesday it wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a temporary halt in settlement building to help resume Middle East peace talks.(AFP/File/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AP - The Obama administration on Wednesday welcomed Israel's decision to temporarily freeze new construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank as a step toward restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_israel"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259185956339-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=e4ZVN14HCtzieXuyT0uTJA--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin between Jerusalem and Jericho on November 25. Britain said Wednesday it wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a temporary halt in settlement building to help resume Middle East peace talks.(AFP/File/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_apnewsalert ap/20091125/us_apnewsalert AP politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:00:47 GMT AP - US welcomes Israeli decision to temporarily halt Jewish settlements in West Bank. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/italymideastconflictprisonershalit afp/20091125/italymideastconflictprisonershalit AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:55:30 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/italymideastconflictprisonershalit"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171622362-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=XAoQNAteau6qYcJ3gngfwA--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="A Palestinian security guard stands in front of a poster of Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti, in August 2009. Barghuti said in an Italian newspaper report Wednesday that he believed he was among hundreds of prisoners due to be exchanged for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.(AFP/File/Hazem Bader)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghuti said in an Italian newspaper report Wednesday that he believed he was among hundreds of prisoners due to be exchanged for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/italymideastconflictprisonershalit"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171622362-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=XAoQNAteau6qYcJ3gngfwA--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian security guard stands in front of a poster of Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti, in August 2009. Barghuti said in an Italian newspaper report Wednesday that he believed he was among hundreds of prisoners due to be exchanged for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.(AFP/File/Hazem Bader)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastenvironmentwaterjordan afp/20091125/mideastenvironmentwaterjordan AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:28:28 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastenvironmentwaterjordan"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259075611220-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=79&q=85&sig=x169.9uRoMexXdbTYAJ2MQ--" align="left" height="79" width="130" alt="A picture shows the drying shores of the Dead Sea, south of the Jordanian capital Amman, on November 9. The Dead Sea may soon shrink to a lifeless pond as Middle East political strife blocks vital measures needed to halt the decay of the world's lowest and saltiest body of water, experts say.(AFP/File/Khalil Mazraawi)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The Dead Sea may soon shrink to a lifeless pond as Middle East political strife blocks vital measures needed to halt the decay of the world's lowest and saltiest body of water, experts say.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastenvironmentwaterjordan"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259075611220-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=79&q=85&sig=x169.9uRoMexXdbTYAJ2MQ--" align="left" height="79" width="130" alt="photo" title="A picture shows the drying shores of the Dead Sea, south of the Jordanian capital Amman, on November 9. The Dead Sea may soon shrink to a lifeless pond as Middle East political strife blocks vital measures needed to halt the decay of the world's lowest and saltiest body of water, experts say.(AFP/File/Khalil Mazraawi)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisraelus afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettlerisraelus AFP politics Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:31:42 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisraelus"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259161209388-1-0.jpg?x=97&y=130&q=85&sig=Vygg6V0Ib2Jer7Y9oEWxBw--" align="left" height="130" width="97" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on November 22. Netanyahu's proposal for a 10-month settlement halt in the West Bank can help revive Middle East talks, a US official said Wednesday.(AFP/Pool/File/Jim Hollander)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The United States hopes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for a 10-month settlement halt in the West Bank can help revive Middle East talks, a US official said Wednesday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisraelus"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259161209388-1-0.jpg?x=97&y=130&q=85&sig=Vygg6V0Ib2Jer7Y9oEWxBw--" align="left" height="130" width="97" alt="photo" title="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on November 22. Netanyahu's proposal for a 10-month settlement halt in the West Bank can help revive Middle East talks, a US official said Wednesday.(AFP/Pool/File/Jim Hollander)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonpoliticsgovernmenthezbollah afp/20091125/lebanonpoliticsgovernmenthezbollah AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:58:36 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonpoliticsgovernmenthezbollah"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259161021320-1-0.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=4GR66SZ2r7o82ewL0aLvSA--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri answers questions during a press conference on November 9. Efforts by Lebanon's new government to agree on a policy statement have again stumbled over Hezbollah's weapons, with Christian members of the Western-backed majority rejecting a hands-off approach.(AFP/File/Joseph Barrak)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Efforts by Lebanon's new government to agree on a policy statement have again stumbled over Hezbollah's weapons, with Christian members of the Western-backed majority rejecting a hands-off approach.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/lebanonpoliticsgovernmenthezbollah"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259161021320-1-0.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=4GR66SZ2r7o82ewL0aLvSA--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="photo" title="Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri answers questions during a press conference on November 9. Efforts by Lebanon's new government to agree on a policy statement have again stumbled over Hezbollah's weapons, with Christian members of the Western-backed majority rejecting a hands-off approach.(AFP/File/Joseph Barrak)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisrael afp/20091125/mideastdiplomacysettlerisrael AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:47:46 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisrael"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171365564-4-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=EiVsTZdlhRA.83sPpT5srQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asking his government to approve a 10-month moratorium on new building permits for Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, his office said on Wednesday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_afp/mideastdiplomacysettlerisrael"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259171365564-4-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=EiVsTZdlhRA.83sPpT5srQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian laborer clears the debris from a construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumin located between Jerusalem and Jericho. Israel on Wednesday offered a temporary ease in settlement building in a move hailed by Washington as helping move forward the stalled peace process but rejected by the Palestinians as insufficient.(AFP/Gali Tibbon)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_swap nm/20091125/us_palestinians_israel_swap Reuters world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:15:05 GMT Reuters - Israel has rejected a demand for the release of two Hamas commanders as part of any exchange for a captured Israeli soldier, a source close to negotiations said Wednesday, signaling talks had hit a snag. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_apnewsalert ap/20091125/ml_apnewsalert AP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:44:19 GMT AP - Netanyahu office says Israel to propose 10-month freeze on West Bank settlement construction. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictsettlementdiplomacy afp/20091125/mideastconflictsettlementdiplomacy AFP world Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:48:41 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictsettlementdiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259152782438-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=pMRb8ahDTJ4qZPiMqO58mw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="A Palestinian construction worker is seen at a large apartment building complex being built in the Jerusalem settlement suburb of Gilo. The Palestinians said they will not view any partial or temporary halt to Israeli settlements as sufficient for the relaunch of US-backed Middle East peace talks.(AFP/Daniel Bar-On)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The Palestinians said on Wednesday they would not view any partial or temporary halt to Israeli settlements as sufficient for the relaunch of US-backed Middle East peace talks.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091125/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictsettlementdiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20091125/capt.photo_1259152782438-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=pMRb8ahDTJ4qZPiMqO58mw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Palestinian construction worker is seen at a large apartment building complex being built in the Jerusalem settlement suburb of Gilo. The Palestinians said they will not view any partial or temporary halt to Israeli settlements as sufficient for the relaunch of US-backed Middle East peace talks.(AFP/Daniel Bar-On)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP)