Jerusalem- The Israeli government is deeply divided ahead of a debate scheduled for Sunday on a proposed law offering compensation to Jewish settlers who leave parts of the occupied West Bank from which Israel plans to withdraw under a future peace deal.

Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon, who initiated the proposal, accused Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni Thursday of adopting the position of the hardline opposition Likud party.

Livni opposes the proposal, saying it was too early to offer compensation to settlers who are willing to leave those West Bank areas now.

Jerusalem- A Jerusalem district court convicted Tuesday two Israeli border policemen of abduction and manslaughter for their role in the 2002 kidnapping and subsequent death of a Palestinian teenager in Hebron.

Shahar Botabicka and Denis Alhazov and two other border policemen kidnapped 17-year-old Amran Abu Hamadya in the southern West Bank city of Hebron in December 2002. They dragged him into their jeep, beat him and eventually threw him out of the vehicle while it was travelling at high speed.

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday for the second time in a month to discuss the progress of the peace negotiations.

A spokesman for Olmert said the two sides continued discussions on core issues and that there were still gaps between the parties.

"There is a need for ongoing serious efforts" to solve the "complex issues on the table," said spokesman Mark Regev.

Regev stressed that there were no attempts during the meet at Olmert's Jerusalem residence to force a joint document in the upcoming weeks and that the goal was to reach an agreement by year's end, as was stated when the Annapolis peace process was launched last autumn.

Jerusalem - The Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group plans to kidnap Israelis travelling abroad, Israel's National Security Council warned Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, the council urged Israelis abroad to be wary of "unusual events," to turn down unexpected tempting business or entertainment offers and to avoid letting suspicious persons or unknown visitors into their hotel rooms or apartments.