Tel Aviv - Abie Nathan, a maverick Israeli peace campaigner who was flew solo to Egypt in an attempt to meet then-Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and founded The Voice of Peace radio station which attracted tens of millions of listeners, died Wednesday night in a Tel Aviv hospital. He was 81.

Nathan had suffered a stroke in 1996 and was hospitalized five days before his death, Israel Radio reporter.

Tel Aviv - A 45-year-old Israeli man is suspected of murdering his granddaughter, who in a convoluted family relationship was also his stepdaughter, and dumping her body in a river on Tel Aviv's northern outskirts, police announced Tuesday.

Four-year-old Rose Ron has been missing since May, but police only publicised her disappearance two days ago and a gag order on the exact details of the case was lifted Tuesday morning.

Tel Aviv  - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered Monday night the country's crossing points with the Gaza Strip to be shut Tuesday, after militants in the salient fired two missiles at southern Israel in violation of a two-month-old truce.

Israel Radio reported the missiles caused neither damage nor injuries.

The launching of the rockets continues a pattern of sporadic firings of mortars and missiles from the Strip since the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza-based militias went into effect on June 19.

Tel Aviv  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arr

Tel Aviv - Israel will release 198 Palestinian prisoners Monday as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a government statement Sunday said.

The release follows a cabinet decision of one week ago and includes two prisoners "with blood on their hands" - Israeli terminology for prisoners who have killed Israelis, and who Israel has previously refused to include in prisoners deals with the Palestinians.

The prisoners will be released as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to arrive for a visit to the region, during which she will meet Israeli and Palestinian officials and gauge the progress of the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, which resumed around the turn of the year.