U.N., Red Cross curtail aid in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Rushdi Abu Alouf, Richard Boudreaux - January 9, 2009 - 1:00am On a day of rising tension between Israel and international relief agencies, the Red Cross and the United Nations curtailed operations in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Thursday, and the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Palestinian territory. In a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining, the Security Council called for an "immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire" in Gaza that would lead to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. » Read more

Israel 'shelled civilian shelter' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News January 9, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli forces shelled a house in the Gaza Strip which they had moved around 110 Palestinians into 24 hours earlier, the UN quotes witnesses as saying. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called it "one of the gravest incidents" since the beginning of the offensive. The shelling at Zeitoun, a south-east suburb of Gaza City, on 5 January killed some 30 people, the report said. Israel said the allegations were being investigated. » Read more

UN: IDF officers admitted there was no gunfire from Gaza school which was shelled ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar, Barak Ravid - January 9, 2009 - 1:00am The United Nations is claiming Israeli military officers have admitted there was no Palestinian gunfire emanating from inside an UNRWA school in Gaza which was shelled by an IDF tank. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the shelling. In addition, UNRWA Thursday announced it will cease activities in the Strip due to the death of an UNRWA staffer in an IDF shelling during Thursday morning's humanitarian hiatus. UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told Haaretz yesterday that the army had conceded wrongdoing. » Read more

Israel rejects UN truce resolution, widens Gaza ground op ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid, Shlomo Shamir - January 9, 2009 - 1:00am The diplomatic-security cabinet rejected on Friday a United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolution and ordered the Israel Defense Forces to expand its current ground operation against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. » Read more

Israel and Hamas Rebuff U.N. Cease-Fire Call ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - January 9, 2009 - 1:00am Israel and Hamas rebuffed a United Nations call for a cease-fire in the 14-day Gaza war on Friday, with Israel saying continued barrages of rocket fire from its adversaries made the United Nations resolution “unworkable.” In a statement after a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Israeli military would “continue acting to protect Israeli citizens and will carry out the missions it was given,” according to news reports. Officials from Hamas dismissed the United Nations resolution, according to news reports, although one official said it was being studied. » Read more