18:00: A firebomb was hurled at a bus traveling on the Abud Bypass Road. No injuries.

**The Bank of Israel on Monday lowered interest rates .25% to 0.75%, a new record low.

**49 people have been killed on the nation’s roadways since January 1, 2009.

**Bituach Leumi employees who struck in six cities on Monday announce they will return to regular work schedules on Wednesday.

**PM Olmert announces the suspension of Amos Gilad will not negatively impact efforts to obtain Gilad Shalit’s release. Officials in the PM’s Office add that Amos Gilad never addressed the issue of Shalit’s release so his suspension is not relevant to the matter.

**A soldier who serves in the IDF Rabbinate was sentenced to four months in prison for throwing rocks at police during the evacuation from an outpost near Adi Ad in Shomron.

**The IDF General Staff on Monday formally bid farewell to outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

**Hamas leaders accuse Fatah of arresting 80 Hamas-affiliated members in an act to sabotage unity talks.

**Arabs threw rocks at mispalalim as they left Kever Shimon HaTzaddik in eastern Yerushalayim on Monday evening.

**Hamas: Placing the Gilad Shalit issue atop of the agenda proves Israel is not genuinely interested in a ceasefire.

**Binyamin Netanyahu wishes to meet with Kadima leader Tzipi Livni for a second time on Friday.

**The PA (Palestinian Authority) has turned to the United States to intervene to prevent the demolition of illegal homes by Israel in eastern Jerusalem.

**Bayit Yehudi officials on Monday met with Council of Settlement officials to formulate demands for coalition talks.

20:30: Two vehicles were hit with rocks southwest of Shechem. Baruch Hashem, there were no injuries but damage was reported.

**During her participation in the Cairo donor conference next week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to pledge a major sum towards rebuilding Gaza. While a final sum has not been set, it is expected to be in the area of $900 million.

**A bus was bombarded with rocks near al-Aroub in the Bet Lechem. No injuries reported.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)