Fresh Israeli airstrikes raise Gaza death toll to 91
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Newly launched two Israeli airstrikes killed three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip shortly before noon on Monday, as the raids against Gaza entered the sixth day, Palestinian sources said on Monday.

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PLO leader: Ceasefire talks underway in Cairo
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Negotiations in Cairo for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have made progress, but a truce is unlikely in the coming days, PLO official Nabil Shaath said Sunday. Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal and his deputy Mousa Abu Marzouq updated Shaath on talks in Cairo between Palestinian factions and an Israeli delegate. Fatah leader and President Mahmoud Abbas is also in direct contact with Mashaal, Shaath said.

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Hamas’s Illegitimacy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

The death of more than 100 Palestinians and the wounding of hundreds of others in the six-day-old Gaza war were not enough for the top leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshal. Speaking in Cairo on Monday, he taunted Israel to begin a ground invasion, saying “if you wanted to launch it, you would have done it.” He ignored the fact that an invasion would kill many more Palestinians and further devastate the Gaza Strip, which, in August, before the current fighting, the United Nations predicted would be unlivable by 2020.

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The callousness of Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

Of all the points of disagreement between Israel and Hamas, maybe the most profound is this one: Israel cares more about sparing innocent lives — including those of Palestinians — than does Hamas. Not only have Hamas and other militant groups this year sent more than 700 rockets crashing haphazardly into southern Israel, but also Hamas instigated yet another war where the chief loser will certainly be its own people. If hell has a beach, it’s located in Gaza.

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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.

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End the war while you're ahead
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Ari Shavit - November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

The first day of Operation Pillar of Defense was quite successful. The Hamas military chief was assassinated and Hamas' long-range rocket capability was impaired, sending the radical Palestinian group into shock. The second day went pretty well too: Iron Dome proved its worth, Israeli civilians proved their steadfastness and Israel showed that it still enjoys a fair amount of international legitimacy and domestic cohesion.

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Hamas rule
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
(Editorial) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

It is tempting to call for the toppling of Hamas’s rule in Gaza. In the long run, the only way to stop the barrage of rocket and mortar fire directed at Israeli civilians may indeed be to remove Hamas from power altogether. As was the case in the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead, any sort of cease-fire – even one that comes after a critical blow to Hamas’s infrastructure – will be temporary.

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How Hamas Won the War
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

Cruel Middle East ironies abound. And here's a doozy for you. Why is it that Hamas -- purveyor of terror, launcher of Iranian-supplied rockets, and source of "death to the Jews" tropes -- is getting more attention, traction, legitimacy and support than the "good" Palestinian, the reasonable and grandfatherly Mahmoud Abbas, who has foresworn violence in favor of negotiations? Since the crisis began, President Obama seems to have talked to every other Middle Eastern leader except Abbas.

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When did Hamas become secular?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon
by Hanin Ghaddar - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

If one reviews the rhetoric of the liberal "resistance" supporters, especially after the escalation of violence in Gaza, you'd think that Hamas is a liberal or secular group, not an Islamic faction. During the nearly two years of systematic and brutal killing by the Syrian regime of the Syrian people who are resisting tyranny, many Arabs preferred to remain silent, justifying their denial by fear of the Islamists. But suddenly, when Hamas decided to respond to the Israeli attack on Gaza, this reaction was cheered as the ultimate resistance.

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Why is Israel tweeting airstrikes?
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In The Washington Post - November 19, 2012 - 1:00am

Governments have always sought to manage public perception in wartime, but the Israel Defense Forces’ steady stream of updates on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook since it began airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday seems different.

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