Blizzard blankets Jerusalem in snow

A rare blizzard has left Jerusalem and surrounding areas coated with a thick blanket of snow.

The unseasonal weather has paralysed public transport, closed schools and led to the cancellation of an Israeli cabinet meeting on a proposal to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Palestinian and Israeli children have been joining forces to hurl snowballs at passing cars.

Jerusalem normally receives an annual sprinkling of snow, but it usually melts rapidly.

The blizzard follows severe weather in Israel's southern neighbour, Egypt -- which has been badly hit this week by sandstorms.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service