77% of Israelis unsatisfied with Olmert

According to a survey carried out by the Dahaf institute, 77% of Israelis are unsatisfied with the performance of Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. The survey encompassed 420 interviewese and these are the results:

Only 23% said that Olmert's performance is "Good" or "Excellent".

69% responded that Olmert's leadership ability is poor.

62% said that Olmert does not handle pressure well.

74% answered that Olmert's decision making capabilities are not good.

60% do not appreciate Olmert's character in terms of honesty.

Olmert suffered great criticism and a plummet in public opinion of him after the war with Hezbollah last summer and various corruption scandals in which he was supposedly involved.

Dan Halutz: I will resign if found at fault by war investigatory committee

IDF Chief of Staff, General Dan Halutz, said that he will step down if found at fault by the Vinograd comittee. The Vinograd committee is investigating the war with Hezbollah last summer which ended with unfavorable results to Israel.

Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, who is under great public criticism for his command of the war, said that he will resign if found at fault by the Vinograd committee.

Israel's northern cities and towns were bombed for over a month in the war and Israel lost over 130 soldiers. Two top officers had already resigned their posts in the IDF, but Dan Halutz refused to step down.

Violence in Gaza

A day of resumed violence in Gaza and a return to kidnapping. Fatah and Hamas return to kidnapping each other members.
At least 4 Fatah operatives and 18 Hamas militants were kidnapped today in Gaza. 7 of the 18 Hamas kidnapees had already been released, but it is feared that the situation is on the brink of explosion.
This afternoon, a French photographer was kidnapped by masked men. It is yet unclear which organization is responsible for the kidnapping.
President Abu Mazen ordered security forces to search for the photographer.
In another incident, two mortars were fired on the house of a senior Fatah officer.

Gilad Shalit is close to being released

Kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who is being held captive for the past six months by Hamas in Gaza is to be released soon, according to Palestinian media.

The deal shall be announced in the forthcoming meeting between Ehud Olmert and Abu Mazen which is scheduled for this Thursday. According to the Palestinian media report, in the first stage, Hamas will deliver a tape proving that Shalit is alive and Israel will release several hundreds low scale Palestinian prisoners. Afterwards, Shalit will be delivered to Egyptian hands and Israel will release higher scale prisoners in return.

Ehud Olmert's spokesperson said that no breakthrough has been reached.

Thousands visit Saddam's grave

Thousands of Iraqis, mostly Sunni, made the pilgrimage today to Saddam Hussein's grave in the town of Ouja, on the outskirts of Tikrit.

Saddam was buried in his home town, a few miles from the graves of his sons Uday and Kusay who were killed by American troops.

Saddam was hanged yesterday after an Iraqi tribunal sentenced him to death for the murder of more than a hundred people in Iraq. The complete extent of Saddam's crimes was not raised in the trial, but he is responsible for the death of over a million people.