Ananova:

Madonna has dropped out of three gigs in Israel after apparently receiving death threats.

The Sun says the threats against herself and her two children, seven-year-old Lourdes and three-year-old Rocco, came in a series of letters.

The newspaper says the singer "freaked out" when she learned of the threats - believed to have come from a Palestinian group.

She first planned to defy the extremists but cancelled after the unnamed group mentioned details about her children in letters sent to her Los Angeles office.

A source told the paper: "The notes were unbelievably scary. Madonna is a strong woman but she freaked out when her kids were mentioned. At first she was prepared to go on stage anyway and hire extra security.

"But she was not ready to take chances with her kids - they are her whole world."

Madonna was due to perform three gigs in September in Tel Aviv, including a televised concert on September 11 to mark the third anniversary of al-Qaida's attacks on America.

However, her representatives have insisted the Israel leg of her Re-Invention tour has been cancelled because the singer wants to concentrate on Europe.