An Israeli bulldozer crossed the U.N.-drawn Blue Line and entered Lebanese territories in the area of Hounine-al-Abbad, the state-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The bulldozer stayed there for more than 20 minutes, it said.

Palestinian militants fired a rocket on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip Wednesday, prompting Israel's premier to hold Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas responsible for such attacks.

The rocket hit the Eshkol region without causing any casualties or damage, officials said.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday congratulated Israeli's newly elected next president, the hawkish Reuven Rivlin, and poured praise on his friend, outgoing President Shimon Peres.

"President-elect Rivlin has a long and dedicated record of public service and we look forward to continued strong ties, to the benefit of both our nations, under Mr. Rivlin's presidency," Obama said in a statement.

President Shimon Peres, whose successor was being chosen by the Knesset Tuesday, is the last of Israel's founding fathers and a hawk-turned-dove whose international aura will be sorely missed by many Israelis.

Now 90, Peres has stood at the forefront of Israeli politics for 65 years, demonstrating resilience in the face of innumerable challenges.

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was to leave Tuesday for visits to several African countries on a mission to gain observer status for Israel in the African Union.

The 10-day trip, Lieberman's first to Africa since 2009, will be to Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia, a foreign ministry statement said.

Former parliamentary speaker Reuven Rivlin, elected Tuesday as Israel's 10th president, is a far-right hawk with a quirky sense of humor and a reputation as the guard-dog of democracy.

Popular and affable, 74-year-old 'Ruby' Rivlin is a veteran member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party.

Israel's parliament on Tuesday elected Reuven Rivlin, a far-right member of the ruling Likud party, to be the nation's 10th president when Shimon Peres steps down next month.

Known for his affable character and quirky sense of humor, the 74-year-old former parliamentary speaker will take over as head of state when Peres retires at the end of July, drawing a line under what many regard as a golden age of the presidency.

Jordan on Monday summoned Australia's charge d'affaires John Feakes after Canberra said it would no longer refer to annexed east Jerusalem as "occupied," the foreign ministry in Amman said.

"The ministry summoned the Australian charge d'affaires and informed him that the kingdom is concerned about the Australian government's decision to stop referring to east Jerusalem as 'occupied'," ministry spokeswoman Sabah Rafei said in a statement.

Several dozen radical Jews gathered Monday at the Jerusalem site known as the Cenacle to protest against Christian pilgrims praying there for Pentecost, a police spokeswoman said.

"Around 30 Jewish faithful gathered to pray in the presence of (rightwing Likud) MP Moshe Feiglin," Luba Samri told Agence France Presse.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday lashed out at fellow ministers for espousing contradictory solutions to the conflict with the Palestinians, maintaining Israel needed one binding diplomatic plan.

"Four senior ministers, appearing one after the other and each taking a totally different diplomatic direction, created a grotesque spectacle," he said, referring to a series of presentations given by senior ministers at the Herzliya security conference on Sunday.