Israel welcomes assurances U.S. President Barack Obama gave on the Iranian nuclear program on his milestone visit to the Jewish state, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.

"The president is firmly committed to acting against Iran's nuclear program and to strengthening military, diplomatic and intelligence cooperation between the two countries," newly sworn-in Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said.

Two rockets fired by militants in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Thursday hit southern Israel as U.S. President Barack Obama was visiting the Jewish state, police said.

"One exploded in the back yard of a house in Sderot, causing damage, and the second landed in a field," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Agence France Presse, referring to a town very close to the Gaza border, which was visited by Obama on a previous trip in 2008 when he was a senator.

World powers gave Iran fresh details on a proposed deal aimed at ending international concern over Tehran's nuclear program during talks in Istanbul, the European Union said Tuesday.

At the talks on Monday, experts from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. -- plus Germany "had technical discussions with Iran," said a brief statement from a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Israeli forces on Tuesday razed four temporary structures in two West Bank settler outposts, police said, in an operation just 36 hours before a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The overnight operation targeted structures in the outposts of Or Tzion and Ramat Migron near the West Bank city of Ramallah, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.

China's new premier Li Keqiang on Sunday rejected U.S. accusations of hacking, saying that Beijing did not support cyber spying after President Barack Obama stepped up rhetoric on the issue.

"China itself is a major victim of cyber attacks," Li told a news conference after China's parliament meeting. "China doesn't support cyber attacks. Indeed we oppose such activities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his center-right partners have overcome differences with rightwing factions to pave the way for an accord on a new government on Friday, reports said.

Media outlets said that Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid, and Naftali Bennett of Jewish Homeland renounced their demands for the post of deputy prime minister, a key obstacle to finalizing a coalition agreement.

It will take Iran "over a year or so" to develop a nuclear weapon, U.S. President Barack Obama told Israel's Channel 2 television a week before he pays a historic visit to the Jewish state.

"We think that it would take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon, but obviously, we don't want to cut it too close," he said in an exclusive interview with the private TV station.

U.S. President Barack Obama offered "warm wishes" on behalf of the American people to newly elected Pope Francis I on Wednesday, hailing the Argentine as "the first pope from the Americas."

"As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years, that in each other we see the face of God," he said.

President Barack Obama entered the fray Wednesday on cyber attacks from China, saying some intrusions affecting U.S. firms and infrastructure were "state sponsored."

The comments appeared to step up the rhetoric against China following similar remarks from other members of the U.S. administration.

President Barack Obama on Monday, just days ahead of his Mideast trip, met with about 10 leaders of Arab-American groups who encouraged him to deliver a message of hope to the Palestinian people even if he is unable to immediately deliver a peace plan with Israel.

Obama met with the officials Monday, four days after meeting with Jewish leaders as part of his preparation for the visit.