Misery Hangs Over Gaza Despite Pledges of Help

By ETHAN BRONNER

Published: May 28, 2009

GAZA — Dozens of families still live in tents amid collapsed buildings and rusting pipes. With construction materials barred, a few are building mud-brick homes. Everything but food and medicine has to be smuggled through desert tunnels from Egypt. Among the items that people seek is an addictive pain reliever used to fight depression. Four months after Israel waged a war here to stop Hamas rocket fire and two years after Hamas took full control of this coastal strip, Gaza is like an island adrift.

Leon Panetta’s mission to stop Israel bombing Iranian nuclear plant

Times

James Hider in Jerusalem

America’s spy chief was sent on a secret mission to Israel to warn its leaders not to launch a surprise attack on Iran without notifying the US Administration.

“A Gaza furono colpiti i civili” il rapporto Onu accusa Israele

Repubblica

di VINCENZO NIGRO

ROMA – Con una lettera al presidente di turno del Consiglio di sicurezza dell’Onu, il segretario generale Ban Ki-moon ha presentato una sintesi del rapporto sui “nove incidenti più gravi” accaduti durante l’operazione “Cast Lead” decisa da Israele alla fine del 2008 per fermare il lancio dei razzi Kassam da Gaza. Dal 27 dicembre al 19 gennaio 2009, data della tregua fra Israele e Hamas, molte scuole ed edifici dell’Onu a Gaza vennero colpite durante i combattimenti: dipendenti dell’Onu, ma anche civili rifugiati all’interno di scuole ed edifici delle Nazioni Unite furono uccisi o feriti da proiettili della IDF (Israel Defence Force).

UN report condemns over Gaza war

Times

James Bone in New York

A United Nations investigation yesterday accused Israel of “reckless disregard” for human life in using white phosphorus munitions that killed and injured Palestinians sheltering in a UN school during the Gaza war.

Palestinian Rivals to Try Once More for an Accord

IHT

By TAGHREED EL-KHODARY and ISABEL KERSHNER

Published: April 28, 2009

CAIRO — The rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas ended a fourth round of reconciliation talks here on Tuesday without success, but agreed to convene one more time to try to reach an accord.

Egypt, which has been mediating the talks, set May 15 as the new deadline for reaching an agreement, according to Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas leader based in Damascus who participated in the meetings.

Israel backs down over white phosphorus

Times

Sheera Frenkel in Tel Aviv

Israeli troops stopped using white phosphorus shells in Gaza this year after The Times published evidence that they were injuring civilians.

In its first explicit admission, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that “media buzz” had forced the army to withdraw the shells from its arsenal on January 7 – the day that The Times obtained photographs of stockpiles and two days after the newspaper had exposed the effect of white phosphorus on the population of Gaza.

Israeli Military Says Actions in Gaza War Did Not Violate International Law

IHT

By ISABEL KERSHNER

Published: April 22, 2009

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military on Wednesday presented the conclusions of several internal investigations into its conduct during the war in Gaza and stated that it had operated in accordance with international law, countering widespread international criticism over its actions and continuing accusations of possible war crimes.

The military said in a statement that it had “maintained a high professional and moral level” during the 22-day war, which ended Jan. 18, though it faced “an enemy that aimed to terrorize Israeli civilians whilst taking cover” among Palestinian civilians and “using them as human shields.”

Israel stands ready to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites

Times

April 18, 2009

Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem

The Israeli military is preparing itself to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government. Among the steps taken to ready Israeli forces for what would be a risky raid requiring pinpoint aerial strikes are the acquisition of three Airborne Warning and Control (AWAC) aircraft and regional missions to simulate the attack. Two nationwide civil defence drills will help to prepare the public for the retaliation that Israel could face.

Egypt Accuses Hezbollah of Plotting Attacks and Arms Smuggling to Gaza

IHT

By MICHAEL SLACKMAN

CAIRO — Egypt released new details on Monday of what it said was a Hezbollah plot to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip, to attack Israeli tourist sites in the Sinai Peninsula and to fire on ships in the Suez Canal.

WATCH: Syria envoy to U.S. says he prefers Lieberman to Livni

HA’ARETZ

The Syrian ambassador to Washington told CNN on Sunday that the election of Barack Obama gave him reason to be optimistic that Israel and Syria could clinch a peace deal, and that he was not deterred by the prospects of working with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

“Personally I believe it is better to deal with someone like Lieberman than it is to do deal with someone like [former foreign minister Tzipi] Livni,” Imad Moustapha told CNN on Sunday.