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. » Read more

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. » Read more

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." » Read more

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. » Read more

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. » Read more