AMERICA and Israel often hint at military action to stop Iran’s suspected nuclear-weapons programme. The latest rumblings, however, may be more serious. The atmosphere has been charged by a combination of factors: Iran’s expanding uranium-enrichment programme, faltering diplomatic efforts to halt it, a dying American administration and a nervous Israel. Throw in the latest war [...]

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Hamas and Israeli negotiators have agreed to a cease-fire that could ring in a new era. Instead of fighting, they want to lay down their weapons. By Pierre Heumann in Tel Aviv more…

‘Mission Doable’: Israeli Ministers Mull Plans for Military Strike against Iran
From the Archive: Hamas’ Triumph of Violence
SPIEGEL 360: Our Full Middle East Coverage

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Shrugging off Bush’s warning against “appeasing” its enemies by negotiating with them, the Israeli government is engaging in Egyptian-brokered cease-fire talks with Hamas, the militant Islamic rulers of the Gaza strip. At the same time, through Turkish diplomats, it is sending out feelers to Damascus to discuss Israel’s possible return of the Golan Heights in [...]

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Israel’s military intelligence has projected that Hamas would be capable of producing missiles with a range of up to 50 kilometers.
The military has concluded that Iran wants the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip to achieve the capability of firing missiles and rockets at targets in Tel Aviv, about 50 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. [...]

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