Jerusalem  - Israel repeatedly fired white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas of Gaza during its offensive there in late December to mid January, a human rights group charged Wednesday.

The firing "was indiscriminate and is evidence of war crimes," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its 71-page report.

Jerusalem / Haifa- ­ Israeli police said Sunday they had averted a large-scale bomb attack on a Haifa shopping centre after they discovered a car laden with several dozen kilogrammes of explosives.

"We have no doubt that a major attack was prevented," police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. "Thousands of Israelis would have been at the mall at that time."

He said explosives experts had also defused several bombs.

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu asked Israeli President Shimon Peres for a two-week extension to form his government on Friday.

Netanyahu arrived at Peres' Jerusalem residence to make the formal request.

Following Israeli's elections last month, where Netanyahu's Likud party came second but with the strongest likelihood of forming a coalition, the country's constitution gave the prime minister- designate 28 days to form a government, with a 14-day extension option.

Jerusalem - Outgoing premier Ehud Olmert on Tuesday said Israel would not give in to demands by the Palestinian Hamas movement in negotiations for a prisoner swap that would see the release of an Israeli soldier.

Addressing a press conference in Jerusalem, Olmert said Israel had made "generous and far-reaching" offers in return for the release of Gilad Shalit who was captured some three years ago.

Jerusalem - Negotiations on a last-minute prisoner exchange between Hamas and the outgoing Israeli government have broken down, Israel announced overnight.

Outgoing Israeli premier Ehud Olmert, who has held intense, Egyptian-mediated indirect negotiations with Hamas in a bid to reach a deal during his final days in office, issued a statement, charging Hamas had "hardened its position," "reneged" on understandings that had already been formulated over the past year and "raised extreme demands."

Jerusalem - Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was taking efforts before his term ends to obtain the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Two envoys - Israeli domestic security head Yuval Diskin and diplomat Ofer Dekel - were sent by Olmert to Cairo to engage in last- ditch negotiations for a prisoner exchange with the radical Palestinian Islamic group Hamas, reports said.