Jerusalem  - Setting in motion the process of forming Israel's next government, President Shimon Peres met Wednesday night with representatives of the Kadima party, to hear their views on whom to charge with the task of building a coalition.

Under Israeli law, the president has to meet with all factions which won Knesset seats in an election, to hear who they recommend for the premiership. He can then task any legislator with the job, but gives the nod to the one who has the best chance of forming a coalition.

Jerusalem, Feb. 18 : Israel's Defence Forces (IDF) reportedly used gadgets seen quite often in James Bond movies during the recent offensive against the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

For instance, there is a softball-sized camera that was thrown into a suspect house to transmit images to soldiers outside. Another item used was a special door-buster that is connected to an M-16 and can blow open booby-trapped portals.

Jerusalem , Feb 18 : Archaeologists have found three fragments of a Greek inscription, believed to be part of the famous "Heliodoros stele", in an Israeli excavation, has shed light on ancient Jewish warriors.

The Heliodoros stele, dating back to 178 B. C. E. and consisting of 23 lines inscribed in limestone, is considered one of the most important ancient inscriptions found in Israel.

Jerusalem  - Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert was to convene the security cabinet Wednesday to discuss a proposal whereby any truce in the Gaza Strip would be conditioned on the release of an Israeli soldier held in the salient for the past two and a half years.

The militant groups in the Strip were demanding that as part of any truce, Israel open the crossing points into the salient and end its blockade of the enclave.

Jerusalem, Feb. 17 : Three out of every five Israelis want a unity government in the country, The Jerusalem Post quotes a survey, as saying.

The survey was conducted among 498 Israelis who voted in last week''s general election and ahead of the "Forming a Government" gathering to be held on Tuesday in ZOA House in Tel Aviv.

According to the survey, 47 percent of the people questioned thought a day after the elections that Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu should form the next government, while 39 percent thought Kadima leader Tzipi Livni should.

Jerusalem - Israel has decided to posthumously decorate the German officer m