November 19th

West Bank mosque damaged by fire; locals blame settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 19, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Vandals set fire to the entrance of a West Bank mosque on Monday, damaging the door, in an attack that villagers blamed on Jewish settlers. » Read more

Overwhelmed Palestinian doctors run out of life-saving medicines ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Jeremy Lawrence - November 18, 2012 - 1:00am Health authorities in Gaza warned last night of a critical shortage of life-saving drugs and medical supplies as casualties threatened to overwhelm the main Al Shifa hospital in the city. » Read more

Obama: Preferable to avoid Gaza ground operation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 18, 2012 - 1:00am President Barack Obama insisted on Sunday that Israel had a right to defend itself but said it would be "preferable" to avoid an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. He said persuading Israel not to attack would depend on the success of efforts by Middle East leaders to bring a halt to Hamas rocket fire into Israel. » Read more

Obama Defends Israel's Right to Defend Itself ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Statesman.com November 19, 2012 - 1:00am President Barack Obama on Sunday defended Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, but he warned that escalating the offensive with Israeli ground troops could deepen the death toll and undermine any hope of a peace process with the Palestini...

Gaza children struggle to cope with life under fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Noah Browning - November 18, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Barefoot boys chase each other in circles around the street, pointing pretend guns made out of rubber pipes up at the Gaza sky, which is thick with Israeli F-16s and surveillance drones. » Read more

Southern Israel residents scared but determined ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aron Heller - November 18, 2012 - 1:00am BEERSHEBA, Israel — After days of incessant rocket fire, the largest city in southern Israel has been turned into a ghost town. Schools are closed, stores are shuttered and normally bustling streets are empty. » Read more

Abbas: Israel trying to undermine Palestinian UN move ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 17, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday accused Israel of launching an deadly assault on the Gaza Strip to undermine his efforts to secure a diplomatic upgrade at the United Nations. Israel started an air offensive on Wednesday with the assassination of a Hamas commander. Medics say 28 Palestinians have been killed, and three Israelis died from rocket fire from Gaza. » Read more

Israel hits 2 Gaza media HQs, 6 journalists injured ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 19, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- An Israeli airstrike damaged two media headquarters in Gaza City early Sunday, injuring at least six journalists, witnesses said. Khader al-Zahhar, a cameraman with al-Quds TV, had a leg amputated due to injuries sustained in the attack. The Al-Shawa building, struck in the early hours, houses a number of media organizations, including Ma'an News Agency's headquarters in the Gaza Strip. » Read more

Israel hits 2 Gaza media HQs, 6 journalists injured ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 19, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- An Israeli airstrike damaged two media headquarters in Gaza City early Sunday, injuring at least six journalists, witnesses said. Khader al-Zahhar, a cameraman with al-Quds TV, had a leg amputated due to injuries sustained in the attack. » Read more

Iran denies supplying Fajr-5 rockets to Gaza militants-report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 18, 2012 - 1:00am DUBAI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A senior Iranian lawmaker denied his country had supplied Palestinian Islamist militants in Gaza with missiles capable of hitting Israel's commercial centre, Iran's Arabic-language Al Alam television reported. » Read more