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Senior ministers on Thursday vowed that Israel would issue a "strong" response after a rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip killed a migrant worker in the south earlier in the day. Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai declared Hamas responsible for the rocket that hit Moshav Nativ Ha'asara, even though it was not launched by militants from the ruling movement. Deputy Premier Silvan Shalon vowed that "the the Israeli response will be appropriate. It will be strong," adding: "This is a crossing of the red line, which Israel cannot accept. It was the first deadly rocket attack since...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says Israel must prove it is committed to the Mideast peace process with actions, but brushed aside suggestions that U.S.-Israeli relations are in crisis.</p> <p>Clinton said Tuesday that U.S. and Israeli officials are in intense talks "over steps that we think would demonstrate the requisite commitment to the process."</p>

Clinton says Israel announcement 'insulting to the United States' By Eric Zimmermann - 03/13/10 10:27 AM ET Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Israel today for announcing an expansion of settlements while Vice President Joe Biden was visiting the country this week. The announcement forced Biden to issue a statement condemning the decision while in the midst of touring through Israel and meeting with top officials. "It was insulting," Clinton told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell in an interview airing today. "And it was insulting not just to the vice president, who certainly didn't deserve that. He was there with a very...

....Middle East envoy George Mitchell promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the U.S. will bring a halt to Israeli building in East Jerusalem. ...In an interview with CNN aired Friday night, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Israel's announcement of new construction of homes in a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem was "insulting" to the United States.

The Obama administration criticized Israel Wednesday for designating two shrines on Palestinian territory as national heritage sites. The criticism came as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she hopes long-stalled peace talks between Israelis and the Palestinians will resume. Clinton told a congressional committee that groundwork is being laid to restart the talks with the help of U.S. envoy George Mitchell. She didn't say exactly when the negotiations might resume but her remarks come amid a flurry of U.S. diplomatic activity in the region. They come as the United States, Russia and their Mideast peace partners are trying to...