Hamas not likely behind Jerusalem bombing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - March 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Is there a direct connection among the recent string of security incidents - the murder in Itamar, the escalation around the Gaza Strip, the Grad rockets on Be'er Sheva and the terror attack in Jerusalem? That was one of the questions occupying defense and government officials on Wednesday. At this point, the answer is still unclear. In any case, the bombing in Jerusalem cut short a period of almost three years of calm in the capital. It is a significant turn for the worse for the city, which managed only with great difficulty to extricate itself from the second intifada.

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War won't stop rocket fire from Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) March 24, 2011 - 12:00am

The relative quiet on the security front that Israel has enjoyed over the past two years has come to an end. The exchanges of fire between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces along the Gaza border have escalated over the past 10 days, while in Jerusalem, a bomb exploded near a bus yesterday. And the investigation of the murders in Itamar earlier this month is still underway.

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ANALYSIS-Surge in violence "arose from Hamas internal row"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Douglas Hamilton - March 24, 2011 - 12:00am

An ill-fated attempt to smooth over a dispute in Gaza's Palestinian Islamist movement was the real reason behind the salvo of mortars Hamas fired at Israel four-days-ago, triggering a flare-up of fighting, observers say. If it was a ploy, it went badly wrong. Ten people have been killed in the cycle of violence, and some on both sides fear a new war could erupt unless it is contained. On Thursday, Palestinian militants fired more rockets and Israel directed more air strikes at the enclave, as the spiral of armed exchanges showed no sign of abating.

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Gaza militants fire rockets deep into Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Aron Heller - March 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a new wave of rockets that landed deep inside Israel Thursday, defying Israeli retaliatory attacks and threats. As the violence threatened to escalate the day after a deadly Jerusalem bombing, Israel got a boost from the visiting U.S. defense chief, who said no country could tolerate the "repugnant" attacks on its soil.

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Gazans count cost of escalating violence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
by Jon Donnison - March 24, 2011 - 12:00am

"Why is Palestinian blood cheaper than Israeli blood?" asks Wael Abu Awema, a 40-year-old father of five. There have been Israeli attacks on Gaza every day this week. At least 10 Palestinians have been killed, including at least four civilians, two of them children. More than 30 Palestinians have been injured. "Of course we are worried. My kids are wetting themselves at night when they hear the Israeli air strikes," says Mr Abu Awema. His eyes are bloodshot and red, as if he also might be losing sleep.

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Hamas Risks Unwinnable War as It Raises Tensions with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Rosenberg - March 23, 2011 - 12:00am

Hamas is ratcheting up tensions with Israel as a means of deflecting growing calls in the Palestinian street to end its feuding with the Fatah movement and form a national unity government, analysts say. But they warned that the shower of mortar shells and rockets its militants have rained on Israel risks dragging the organization into an unwinnable war.

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Hamas seeks calm, stability in Gaza: spokesman
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 23, 2011 - 12:00am

The deposed Hamas government that rules the Gaza Strip announced Wednesday that it is seeking to calm the growing violence in the enclave. Taher al-Nouno, spokesman of the Hamas government, said in a press statement sent to Xinhua that "we reiterate that our position is to firmly restore stability and work on calming down the situation in the field."

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Hamas protests UN plans to teach Holocaust in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - March 22, 2011 - 12:00am

The United Nations has launched a new plan to teach the Holocaust in Gaza schools, drawing fierce condemnation from Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, school teachers — and even the body tasked with peace negotiations with Israel. If implemented, it would be the first time most Palestinian children learn about Jewish suffering. But the outcry underscores how sensitive the issue is to Palestinians.

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Hamas vows to restore calm with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
March 22, 2011 - 12:00am

The deposed government of Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, and its armed wing al- Qassam Brigades vowed Monday to restore calm with Israel. Hamas government said in a short press statement sent to reporters that "it still respects the national factional accordance over the security situation to foil the Israeli occupation plans to overcome its crisis on the expense of our blood." Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in another statement that if the "enemy" commits not to escalate but to end the aggression, "we will be committed to calm too."

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Hamas digging ‘terror tunnels’ along border with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz - March 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Facing a possible new conflict against Hamas, concern is growing within the IDF regarding increased efforts by Palestinian terrorist groups to dig tunnels under the border that could be used to infiltrate into Israel and perpetrate attacks. According to IDF sources, the number of tunnels has grown in recent years. Hamas is under orders to dig “terror tunnels” along the border. Hamas has split into five different regional brigades – north, Gaza City, central Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah. The exact number of tunnels is unknown to the IDF.

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