January 12th, 2009

Hamas: A Crisis of Leadership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - (Opinion) January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

What is Hamas lacking?

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Hamas reportedly rejects Egypt bid for long-term Gaza truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

Hamas has rejected an Egyptian proposal for a long-term truce between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayyat reported on Monday. The newspaper quoted a senior Hamas source as saying: "There are still many details that need to be discussed before we can say that we have reached an agreement of principles. Egypt's state-owned news agency reported on Sunday that talks were progressing between Egyptian officials and a Hamas delegation dispatched to Cairo on finding an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

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Israel sees cracks in Hamas's will to fight
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune
January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

On the 17th day of the war against Hamas, Israel said it launched around 15 airstrikes overnight, fewer than in some recent nights, as Israeli troops pushed into a heavily populated area of Gaza City from the south on Sunday in fierce fighting that reportedly continued on Monday. Senior Israeli officials said for the first time in the war that they believed that the Hamas military wing was beginning to crack and that Hamas leaders inside Gaza were looking for a cease-fire. News reports said Hamas fired at least one missile out of Gaza into southern Israel without causing casualties.

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Battered by Israel, Hamas faces tough choice
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Rushdi Abu Alouf, Jeffrey Fleishman - January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

Hamas fighters are scattered in cells across the Gaza Strip, launching rockets, ambushing Israeli soldiers, and vanishing into tunnels and bunkers to escape airstrikes on a pummeled terrain of shattered buildings and bodies curled and crumpled in the streets.

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Sources: Hamas leaders hiding in basement of Israel-built hospital in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

Senior Hamas officials in Gaza are hiding out in a "bunker" built by Israel, intelligence officials suspect: Many are believed to be in the basements of the Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza City, which was refurbished during Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip. Shifa, the coastal strip's largest hospital, was built while Gaza was under Egyptian rule, before 1967. During the mid-1980s the building underwent massive refurbishment as part of a showcase project to improve the living conditions of residents.

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1 dead, dozens injured in Gaza by suspected white phosphorus munitions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Yasser Ahmad, Richard Boudreaux - January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

Palestinian villagers said the shelling came from the direction of the Israeli border, less than a mile away, scattering flaming objects in their midst and burning down 20 homes and the local United Nations-run school. "One landed in my kitchen and caused a fire," said Zohair Mohammed abu Rejila, 35. "I went to put it out, but another one landed on Mayar, my baby daughter. It was like a block of fire, a piece of plastic on fire. When I knocked it off her, it exploded and out came this heavy white smoke with a very bad smell."

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Israeli Bombing Continues, Palestinian Death Toll Tops 900
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
by Luis Ramirez - January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

Israeli warplanes have been attacking the homes of Hamas leaders in Gaza, during the 17th day of Israel's assault. Palestinian medical officials say nearly 900 people have died in the attacks, which are showing no signs of letting up. The fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas raged on, as thousands of Israeli reservists entered the Gaza Strip. Israeli ground troops battled militants in house-to-house combat, edging closer to the center of Gaza City.

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Israeli Troops Push Into Gaza City
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner, Steven Erlanger - January 12, 2009 - 1:00am

On the 17th day of the war against Hamas, Israel said its ground forces called in a series of air strikes after troops pushed into a heavily populated area of Gaza City from the south on Sunday in fierce fighting that continued on Monday. Senior Israeli officials said Sunday for the first time in the war that they believed that the Hamas military wing was beginning to crack and that Hamas leaders inside Gaza were looking for a cease-fire. But news reports on Monday said Hamas militants fired as many as 10 missiles out of Gaza into southern Israel without causing casualties.

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January 11th

Israeli ground forces enter populated Palestinian areas in Gaza, as Israel’s leaders proclaim that the conflict is nearing an end (1), (2), (3), (4). Cease-fire talks focus on tunnels, border security (5), (6), (7), (8). Ha’aretz says that the UN Security Council cease-fire resolution was a “serious diplomatic malfunction” for Israel, while Asharq Alawsat calls it a victory for Arab moderates (9), (10). Reuters and Ha’aretz look at who is “winning” and “loosing” thus far (11), 12).

A big shudder on the wing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) January 11, 2009 - 1:00am

Around two weeks after the start of fighting in Gaza, there are only vague reports on Israel's success in damaging Hamas' terrorist infrastructure. On the other hand, statistics on the harm done to civilians accumulate. More than 800 Palestinians have been killed and around 3,000 have been wounded, an overwhelming majority of them from air strikes. According to UN figures, half of those killed are civilians, and half of the civilians killed are women and children.

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