- Israeli government puts off an offensive to the northern Gaza Strip, and freezes military operations in the southern Gaza strip, to allow further time for diplomatic negotiations. There have been no Palestinian fatalities in two days of Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. (Haaretz)
- Six Qassam rockets are launched from the northern Gaza Strip against Israeli towns. The Israel Defense Forces fire over 400 artillery shells at unpopulated areas in the Gaza Strip, to suppress further rocket attacks. (Ynet)
- Russia asks Israel to avoid harming Palestinian civilians in any offensive in the Gaza Strip and urges militants to free the abducted Israeli soldier. (Independent SA)
- The body of Israeli student Eliyahu Asheri is found buried in a field near Ramallah with a head shot. Asheri, 18, was kidnapped and killed on Sunday night by a Palestinian militant group. (Haaretz)
- Failed Israeli air strike against two Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza leaves one civilian lightly wounded. (Ynet)
- The body of Noam Moskovich, an Alzheimer's patient who was claimed to be abducted by Palestinian militants, is found in Rishon LeZion. Police ruled out both criminal and terrorist motives. (Jerusalem Post)
- Israeli soldiers arrest 62 Hamas members in the West Bank, including 8 ministers and 20 lawmakers in the Palestinian Authority, raising concern at concurrent G8 summit. Israeli officials announce that further arrests are expected, and that the suspects will face standard criminal proceedings. (Haaretz), (Reuters Alertnet)
- Electronic IDs will be distributed to all under the age of 12 in Belgium, as a means of protection from child abduction, and will carry a special code in addition to a hotline. (The Telegraph Group Limited)
- U.S. President George W. Bush criticises the disclosure of a program to monitor financial transactions by suspected terrorists as "disgraceful". White House Press Secretary Tony Snow also states that news organizations, including the New York Times, should think if "the public's right to know, in some cases, might override somebody's right to live..." (CNN)(White House Press Briefing)
- Waziristan War: a suicide car bombing kills six Pakistani soldiers. BBC
- Marí Alkatiri resigns as Prime Minister of East Timor after weeks of political unrest. (Melbourne Herald-Sun), (Reuters)
- A suicide bomb in Pannapittya, Sri Lanka, kills three people, including Parami Kulkathunga, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army. (Asian Tribune)
- Israel has stated that they will ensure that the Hamas-controlled Palestinian government is "toppled" if their captured soldier, Gilad Shalit, is killed. Three Palestinian groups claiming to hold Shalit refuse to provide information about his health via the Palestine Red Crescent, unless all jailed Palestinian women and teenagers are released from Israeli prisons. Three Qassam rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip against Israeli towns, one of them wounding 4 civilians in Sderot and causing a power outage throughout the city. (ABC News America), (Haaretz), (AFP/High Ranking Source), (Jerusalem post)
- Italians reject the modification of their constitution. In a two-day referendum, "No" beats "Yes" aproximately 61% to 38%, thus keeping the text unchanged. The Northern League had announced its withdrawal from the centre-right opposition coalition if reform was defeated. Votes of Italians living abroad are still to be counted. (BBC)(CorriereDellaSera)
- The Sudanese government announces the lifting of a partial ban on United Nations operations in the conflict-hit Darfur region. The ban was made after the government accused the UN of transporting a rebel leader who opposes a recent peace deal. (BBC)
- Arcelor declares its merger with Mittal Steel. The new company will be called Arcelor-Mittal. (CNN-IBN) (BBC)
- Eight Palestinian militants, including Hamas militants, infiltrate into an army post in Israel using a tunnel. Two Israeli soldiers are killed, one kidnapped and three wounded in the attack, in which at least two Palestinian militants die. Israeli PM vows a fierce military response to the attack once the soldier, Gilad Shalit, is returned. Two infantry brigades and supporting armoured regiments are deployed along the Gaza Strip border, in preparation for a major offensive.(Haaretz),(Reuters UK),(BBC)
- José Ramos Horta resigns as both Foreign and Interim Defence Minister of East Timor amidst ongoing political turmoil. (SMH)
- Italians vote in a referendum on whether to approve the modification of 53 articles in the constitution. Approval would give more power to the prime minister and to the regions, making Italy a federal state. (Scotsman)
- The world's second richest man, Warren Buffett, pledges to donate approximately $37 billion USD in shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, effectively making it the largest charitable organization in history. (Fortune)(NYT)(BBC)
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