War Clouds Back Over Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Mel Frykber - April 12, 2011 - 12:00am

After several days of intense violence, during which 19 Palestinians were killed and one Israeli wounded, a fragile calm has returned to Gaza. But political commentators argue that this could well be a precursor to Israel’s next war on the coastal territory. During the last week the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a series of attacks following a rocket attack from Gaza which hit an Israeli school bus, seriously injuring a 16-year-old pupil.

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It's time for disengagement No. 2
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) April 11, 2011 - 12:00am

Every rocket launched from the Gaza Strip toward Sderot and Ashdod serves as "further proof" that the evacuation of the Gush Katif settlement bloc was a bad bargain. And once again we are being warned that "this is what will happen to Kfar Sava and Netanya if we withdraw from Judea and Samaria." And once again the settlers are able to pull the wool over people's eyes, turning themselves from a security burden into a strategic asset.

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Encountering Peace: The bombs bursting in air
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) April 11, 2011 - 12:00am

Yes, it’s difficult to think about peace when missiles are flying from Gaza into Israel, and when innocent civilians on both sides are regularly forced to take cover. Yes, it’s true that Hamas and its proxies in Gaza intentionally shoot at Israeli civilians, but it’s also true that many innocent civilians inside Gaza end up paying with their lives – killed by Israeli bombs. Go and explain to their families that their deaths were not intentional.

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Gaza City officials: Weekend strikes targeted water facilities
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 11, 2011 - 12:00am

Officials in the Gaza Strip's northernmost municipality on Monday accused Israeli forces of striking drinking water sources and infrastructure, during a weekend of violence that saw at least 18 dead in the coastal enclave. Gaza's municipality released a report cataloging damage to the water infrastructure from artillery shells over the weekend, which included damages to the Al-Mintar water tank in Al-Quba area of Gaza City, which gives water to the eastern areas of Ash-Shuja'iyeh neighborhood.

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Short-term ceasefire, long-term instability foreseen in Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Adam Gonn - April 10, 2011 - 12:00am

After a weekend of intense Israeli air strikes and artillery fire in response to over 120 rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, Hamas is calling Israel to halt its attacks. In an interview with the Israel Radio on Sunday, Ghazi Hamad, the deputy foreign minister of the deposed Hamas government, said that "we are interested in calm, but want the Israeli military to stop its operations." Earlier on Sunday Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was willing to accept a mutual ceasefire with Hamas.

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An Israeli initiative worth watching
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) April 9, 2011 - 12:00am

The historic transformations under way in many Arab countries have temporarily overshadowed other major regional issues. Well, this period seems to be coming to an end, forcing us all to refocus on understanding the hard reality that we can no longer isolate a single issue or conflict in the Middle East – Palestine-Israel, Iran, democratization, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, terrorism, Anglo-American invaders, corruption, take your pick – and address it on its own.

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11 killed in Gaza, dozens injured in series of strikes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 8, 2011 - 12:00am

Israeli air strikes and artillery fire have hit Gaza eight times Friday, killing six, and bringing the total number of dead over the past 24 hours to eleven, almost half of who were civilians. A mother and daughter, and elderly man were killed in two separate strikes near Khan Younis, and a fourth unidentified man was killed in the most recent strike near Gaza City.

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Israeli officials file suit against Goldstone after regret over Gaza war report
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Dave Bender, Khaled Khalefe - April 8, 2011 - 12:00am

Israeli President Shimon Peres is set to ask United Nations to invalidate Judge Richard Goldstone 's 2009 report on the Israeli army's role in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The presidential request comes in the wake of the South African jurist's regret over some of UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict probe's conclusions, in an op-ed published in The Washington Post last week. Peres has called the report "a mockery of history," and "fails to distinguish between the aggressor and those acting in self- defense."

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Goldstone's 'regret' is a result of emotional pressure
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Oudeh Basharat - (Opinion) April 8, 2011 - 12:00am

In any event, when Richard Goldstone "retracted" he didn't really retract. Read his op-ed in the Washington Post once, twice - there's no retraction there on any substantial issues. And when he stated in his "regret" that Israel had started its investigation after his conclusions were made, that is a kind of reaffirmation of Goldstone's report. At the time, we should recall, Israel vehemently refused to conduct a probe of Operation Cast Lead. According to the strange interpretations of his "regret," 1,400 people - most of them civilians - were killed in Gaza by mistake.

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Goldstone’s message
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) April 8, 2011 - 12:00am

It was definitely coincidental - but harbouring many unclear scenarios - that Richard Goldstone’s infamous volte face came on April Fool’s day, when it appeared on the website of The Washington Post.

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