5:53am UK, Monday May 24, 2004

Death threats have reportedly forced pop superstar Madonna to cancel three shows in Israel.

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Star fears for her children

A series of poison pen letters warned the singer she and her two young children would be killed if she went ahead with the gigs.

The concerts at the Tel Aviv stadium later this year included one to mark the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

But the star was forced to axe them after the letters mentioned details about her children, Lourdes, seven, and three-year-old Rocco.

A source told The Sun: "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."

It is understood the terrorists, thought to be Palestinian, targeted Madonna as a symbol of the west.

It was not thought to be because she is a follower of the Jewish Kabbalah faith.

A spokesman for the singer - who has not performed in Israel since 1993 - said the shows had been cancelled because she wanted to focus on Europe.