Military Affairs

• Short range mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel.
• Four Israelis were killed in an ambush near Hebron. Another ambush wounded two Israelis.In a statement Hamas took responsibility for the attacks and warned of others.
• Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad stated with respect to the fatal shooting "We condemn this operation, which goes against Palestinian interests."Palestinian Authority security forces detained several hundred Hamas supporters and claim to have arrested two suspects.
• Egyptian reports indicate that several arms caches were seized in the Sinai Peninsula. Weapons recovered included several hundred anti-aircraft missiles.
• Lebanese sources report multiple explosions in a village near Tyre. Lebanese army sources are quoted as saying a Hezbollah arms store located in a private house exploded.

Middle Eastern Diplomacy

• Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority began in Washington, D.C. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held meetings at the State Department and agreed to meet again in two weeks. Staff members held parallel talks. Negotiations were preceded by meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah attended the opening dinner. European Union representatives were excluded from the talks.
• U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell stated that going forward the parties would work toward a 'framework agreement' “to establish the fundamental compromises necessary to enable them to flesh out and complete a comprehensive treaty that will end the conflict and establish a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”
• Gaza-based Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated the talks were a "conspiracy against the cause." He added "The heroic attacks that were carried out in Hebron and Ramallah are evidence of the option of resistance and its resolve in the face of security coordination between Palestinian security departments and the occupation."
• Palestinian Authority sources indicate that the Israeli freeze on construction in the West Bank scheduled to expire 26 September must be renewed or direct talks will be halted.
• In an interview with an Israeli newspaper Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlined a two state arrangement to entail consolidation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank into existing settlement blocs, the assignment of Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem to a Palestinian state, and special arrangements for Jerusalem holy sites.
• The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to renew the mandate for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

• Egypt has canceled a visit by Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki in protest over Mottaki's remarks earlier this week stating that leaders who support for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority "are betraying their nations."
• The Japanese Cabinet approved a new series of sanctions against iran, including bans on purchases of Iranian bonds and assets freezes against individuals involved in Iran's nuclear program.
• Reports indicate that government forces attacked the home of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi and prevented him from attending the annual 'Al-Quds Day' protests.
• Iranian sources quote the Palestine Liberation Organization ambassador to Iran, Salah Zawawi, as saying on the event of the annual 'Al-Quds Day' 'As our struggles with the Zionists will get tougher in the future, we hope more support from the Islamic Ummah... With reliance upon Grace of Almighty God and through solidarity of world Muslims, we hope to witness complete eradication of the fabricated regime in due course.”

• Reports indicate that Israeli firms will be contracted to fabricate up to 800 sets of wings for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. Other reports suggest that, contrary to earlier information, locally made electronic systems will be installed on F-35 planes in Israeli service.
• Unconfirmed reports suggest that the U.S. has informed Turkey that U.S. Forces will not participate in the annual Anatolian Eagle aerial training exercise if Israeli forces are excluded.