Tel Aviv - Israeli aircraft bombed tunnels under the Gaza-Egyptian border early Wednesday morning, in response to an attack against an Israeli army border patrol Tuesday which killed one soldier, the Israeli military said in a statement.

The statement gave no further details, and there was no word of casualties.

Tel Aviv  - A bomb planted by Palestinian militants killed an Israeli soldier Tuesday morning along the Gaza Strip border, sparking Israeli retaliation that killed two Palestinians in the most serious violence since the start of a Gaza ceasefire on January 18.

Israel closed the crossing points into the Gaza Strip "until further notice," an Israeli official said.

Early Wednesday, Israeli forces struck an alleged tunnel complex in southern Gaza near the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Arab media reported citing witnesses.

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Gaza City/Tel Aviv - What was once Gaza City's modern centre surrounding Omer al-Mukhtar street has changed beyond recognition.

The Palestinian parliament building, near the monument of the unknown soldier, has been reduced to a pile of rubble, as has the Saraya security headquarters.

But not only they were destroyed, also the Bank of Palestine, pharmacies and many fancy clothing and shoe stores were badly damaged on the main city Gaza City road, blocked off by large chunks of concrete and electricity wires. Debris, stones and dust are everywhere.

Tel Aviv/Gaza  - Israel's unilaterally-declared cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip entered into effect at 2 am (0000GMT) Sunday, in accordance with the announcement of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert several hours earlier.

No troops will withdraw from the enclave but Olmert said Israel will not initiative any offensives in Gaza and troops would only fire if fired upon by Palestinian militants, as decided upon in a security cabinet.

The Islamic Hamas movement, against whom the three-week-long Israeli operation was directed, said they would not respect any ceasefire so long as Israeli troops remained in the Gaza Strip and the borders to the territory were opened.

Tel Aviv  - Saying Israel has achieved the aims of its Gaza offensive, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Saturday night that Israel will stop fighting in the salient at
0000 GMT Sunday (2 am local time), although troops would not be pulling out of the enclave.

But the Islamic Hamas movement, against whom the three-week-long Israeli operation was directed, said they would not respect any ceasefire so long as Israeli troops remained in the Gaza Strip.

"The cabinet has decided to accept my proposal and to declare a ceasefire," Olmert told a news conference, held immediately after the inner, or security, cabinet met in Tel Aviv.