Israeli troops move out of the interior of Gaza (1), (2). Control of the strip is now debated as Hamas moves to reassert its authority in spite of shouldering some blame for the carnage (3), (4) (9). UNSG Ban expresses outrage at Israel’s actions, and Israel now admits it may have used illegal white phosphorous munitions (5), (6), (7). The violence has harmed the political fortunes of President Abbas and the PA (8). The Arab summit and Arab political divisions receive much coverage (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15). Ghassan Charbel in Al-Hayat urges Israel, Hamas and the Arab states to learn the lessons of the conflict (16).

The Lessons of the Massacre
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Ghassan Charbel - (Opinion) January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

Every time the events of Gaza are discussed, one must not forget the magnitude of the massacre perpetrated by Israel there. An unprecedented massacre during which the Hebrew State set an extremely serious precedent as the advanced military machine pulverized civilians to compel fighters to stop rocket attacks. The world has beheld scenes it had thought would never happen or recur.

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Gaza needs a unified Arab response
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Opinion) January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

Both Israel and Hamas have claimed victory with their respective unilaterally declared ceasefires, but it is difficult to see what they gained after 22 days of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip. Despite the assault, Hamas’s ability to launch rockets persists. As if to drive the point home, it launched 19 rockets into Israel while the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, was announcing the ceasefire. Hamas, despite having survived the assault, now rules over a devastated populace.

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King Abdullah's Third Way
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Tariq Alhomayed - January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz provided a lifeline for inter-Arab relations yesterday during the Arab Summit in Kuwait, providing great hope at a crucial time in a speech that encompassed everything from the bloodshed [in Gaza] to political absurdity.

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Egypt slams summit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram
by Dina Ezzat - January 21, 2009 - 1:00am

This week, Egypt moved from the subtle to the upfront and officially expressed opposition to a request presented by Qatar for the convening of an emergency Arab summit on Gaza. The proposal was initially forwarded by Qatar to the Arab League at the outset of the Israeli aggression on Gaza 27 December.

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Meeting of Arab leaders on Gaza ends in discord
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Diana Elias - January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

Arab leaders trying to come up with a plan to rebuild Gaza ended their meeting Tuesday in discord, unable to agree on whether to back Egyptian peace efforts or even set up a joint reconstruction fund for the devastated Palestinian territory.

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Jordan's king is torn between U.S.-Egypt and Syria-Hamas axes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Zvi Barel - (Analysis) January 21, 2009 - 1:00am

"I swear in the name of Allah that I will not use that American merchandise, I will not bring it into the house and I will not permit the members of my family to use it." That was the vow made in recent weeks by members of Jordan's committee against normalization with Israel. The burning of U.S.-made goods, a call for a boycott on companies that cooperate with Israel, and even a demand to sever Jordan's diplomatic relations with Israel are nothing new, but the burning of the Israeli flag by Jordanian MPs inside the parliament building - that has never happened before.

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Gaza divide dogs Arab economic summit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Rania El Gamal, Ulf Laessing - January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

Arab leaders agreed at a summit on Tuesday to help rebuild the battered Gaza Strip, but differences persisted over finding a united stance on the three-week Israeli offensive that killed more than 1,300 people. The conflict in Gaza underscored the Arab divide between those allied to Egypt and Saudi Arabia on one side, and those allied to Syria and Qatar on the other.

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Control Of Gaza Subject Of Debate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Craig Whitlock - January 21, 2009 - 1:00am

As Palestinians begin thinking about how to rebuild the bombarded Gaza Strip, the biggest hurdle quickly became apparent: Who will be in charge? European countries, oil-rich Arab kingdoms and the United Nations have all pledged money or aid since Israel declared a cease-fire Sunday in the military offensive it launched Dec. 27. But none of the donors wants to deal with Hamas, the Islamist movement that still controls Gaza but is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union and the United States.

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Gaza operation weakens Palestinian Authority
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Richard Boudreaux - January 20, 2009 - 1:00am

With Israel and Hamas both claiming victory in the Gaza Strip, there is one clear loser: the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority, which desperately wants a peace accord with Israel and a unified Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel's 22-day assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza made the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority look ineffective and marginalized, unable to stop the carnage. Popular support for its peace talks with Israel, already declining, now seems weaker than ever.

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