Lebanese troops inched towards Islamic strongholds in a north Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp Tuesday as mediators hinted at a possible ceasefire deal that includes the disarmament of the Al Qaeda-inspired gunmen.

US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged on Tuesday to bolster Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, as Israel sought to tighten the screws on Hamas Islamists who control Gaza.

BAGHDAD (AFP) — A massive truck bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque in the heart of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, killing at least 65 people in the deadliest attack there in two months.