Israel ready to start biggest build yet

Hawkish Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has moved more than 5,000 homes close to a stage where construction can begin, including the first new settlement in east Jerusalem for 15 years.

Palestinian official Yasser Abed Rabbo said this week: "The Israeli government is making the two-state solution impossible with this unprecedented settlement building."

But two polls today showed Mr Netanyahu is still poised to win parliamentary elections next month.

One survey predicted he'd slip from 37 to 33 seats in the 120-member Knesset while another suggested he'd maintain his vote.

Hard-line Naftali Bennett's Jewish Home party rose to third place behind the centrist Labour Party in both polls, rising from its current five seats to 12 and 13 respectively.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas claimed today that Israel has reduced its security co-operation with Palestine since last month's UN recognition.

Mr Abbas told Israeli daily Haaretz that soldiers had started entering West Bank cities without Palestinian co-ordination.

An aide added that the Israeli army had detained 200 Palestinian officers in recent months, mostly for short interrogations.

Israel denies the charges.

• A group of French and Egyptian activists arrived in the blockaded Gaza Strip on Thursday. The Welcome to Palestine delegation brought humanitarian aid to the besieged region.