Israel offers Gaza aid corridor

Israel has agreed to set up a “humanitarian corridor” in the Gaza Strip, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said.

Israel’s military will open up “areas for limited periods of time, during which the population will be able to receive the aid”, it said.

The office said the goal was to “prevent a humanitarian crisis”.

The UN Security Council is meeting in New York to discuss a resolution on the Israeli offensive.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and key European and Arab foreign ministers are attending.

Libya’s representative has circulated a new draft resolution, on behalf of Arab nations, calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to military operations and the firing of rockets.

The draft also calls for the establishment of an international observer force to monitor the truce and for the opening of border crossings into the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, at least 30 people were killed and 55 injured when Israeli artillery shells landed near a UN-run school in Gaza, UN officials said.

The al-Fakhura school in the Jabaliya refugee camp had been a refuge for hundreds people fleeing the 11th day of fighting.

The Israeli military said its soldiers had come under mortar fire from Hamas militants inside the school. A spokesman for Hamas denied there had been any hostile fire coming from the school.

Source: BBC News

Filed under: MidEast, Ehud Olmert, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Libya, Mahmoud Abbas, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, The Terror Journal, U.N, U.S.A

India PM says Pak “agencies” involved in Mumbai 26/11

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused Pakistan on Tuesday of acting irresponsibly, saying November’s Mumbai attacks must have had support from some of its nuclear-armed neighbor’s official agencies.

“There is enough evidence to show that, given the sophistication and military precision of the attack, it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan,” he said.

The Pakistani government, which condemned the attacks and blamed them on “non-state actors,” said it emphatically rejected Singh’s accusation.

“Instead of responding positively to Pakistan’s offer of cooperation and constructive proposals, India has chosen to embark on a propaganda offensive,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding the approach was “fraught with grave risks.”

“Vilifying Pakistan, or for that matter any of its state institutions, on this score is unwarranted and unacceptable. This is a sure way to close avenues of cooperation in combating the menace (of terrorism),” it said.

India sent evidence on Monday to Pakistan that it said linked Pakistani militants to the attacks, including data from satellite phones and what it describes as the confession of a surviving attacker.

“India has given us some material, we are examining it,” Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik told reporters in New Delhi. “There is no question of rejection or otherwise.”

The evidence was also sent to countries whose citizens were victims of the attacks, such as the United States, as India tried to corner Pakistan diplomatically into bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Source: Reuters

Filed under: Asia, India, Mumbai, Mumbai 26/11, Mumbai Terror Attacks, Pakistan, Terrorism, The Terror Journal

The unspoken goal of bringing down Hamas

This morning the Israel Defense Forces operation in the Gaza Strip approaches a critical juncture: To be − deeper in, at a higher cost − or not to be. The operation in its current format has exhausted itself. There is no point in pursuing it. The choice now is between going forward, at a price Israeli society is understandably reluctant to pay, or stopping, completing the mission in place and undertaking a unilateral withdrawal without waiting for the false hope of an agreement without Hamas’ participation. Additional achievements cannot be expected without further efforts that could prove too late and too great.

Last night’s blast, which killed three Israeli troops and wounded about 20 others, was a hint of what could happen if the ground operation is expanded. The IDF is advancing slowly and carefully in the northern Gaza Strip. Israelis, and especially those with loved ones risking their lives in battle, should be grateful to the entire chain of command for their caution. The commanders endanger themselves no less than their soldiers, as last night’s events demonstrated.

The troops’ measured advance is aimed at giving them superiority in every engagement with Hamas. Israel knows that Hamas seeks the blood of IDF soldiers, Israeli civilians and Palestinians not a party to the conflict. The IDF seeks to minimize the damage to these three groups and maximize it among a fourth group − Hamas members.

Source: By Amir Oren Haaretz

Filed under: Analysis, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal, U.S.A

U.S. seeks immediate Gaza ceasefire with conditions

The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it wanted “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza but U.S. officials quickly stressed they would not budge from their stance that it must be durable, sustainable and indefinite.

The United States had previously steered away from the “immediate ceasefire” language embraced by many of its European and Arab allies, who are gathering for a U.N. Security Council meeting on how to end Israel’s 11-day-old offensive in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s decision to go to the U.N. meeting, and the comments by her spokesman Sean McCormack, initially appeared to signal flexibility in the Bush administration’s stance but U.S. officials denied this.

“We would like an immediate ceasefire, absolutely,” McCormack told reporters. “An immediate ceasefire that is durable, sustainable and not time-limited.”

The Bush administration has consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza and McCormack’s comments stopped well short of calling on Israel to halt its offensive.

Rice tentatively decided on Monday to attend the U.N. session in New York, McCormack said

More than 600 Palestinians have been killed and at least 2,700 wounded since Israel began the campaign last month with the declared aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas Islamist militants on its southern towns. Nine Israelis, including three civilians hit by rocket fire, have been killed.

Source: Reuters

Filed under: MidEast, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal, U.S.A

The sooner, the better – Ehud Olmert

PM Ehud Olmert told Haaretz on Tuesday that Israel has no interest in a prolonged offensive on the Gaza Strip.

“The sooner, the better,” he said when asked when the army planned to end its operation. “We did not set out to occupy Gaza or kill every terrorist. We set out to bring change to the south “There are different ideas for a diplomatic solution,” he said. “I am currently in discussions regarding them with many leaders around the world.” “The result must me an effective blockading of the Philadelphi Route, with supervision and follow-ups,” the prime minister added, referring to the area between Gaza and Egypt where militants have been digging tunnels for smuggling weapons and guerillas.

The prime minister also said that Israel did not oppose the United Nations’ efforts to find a solution to the crisis, but stressed that “we need an active solution, and that’s what we are working toward.”

Regarding the situation of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held captive by Gaza militants since June 2006, Olmert said: “We are in contact with the Shalit family. I have not spoken to them about it personally in the last few days, but the matter is being dealt with.

“Hamas has received an unprecedented blow to its strength.” “There is no state that would absorb [so many rockets] and continue to bite its lip and restrain itself,” he added. “All those chiding us around the world today would have responded with even more strength and cruelty were they in our place.”

Earlier Tuesday,Olmert rejected the European Union’s request for a 48-hour “humanitarian” cease-fire with Hamas. “We honored the cease-fire despite being fired at on a daily basis,” Olmert said. “Now is the time for action. We are ready for a cease-fire only in exchange for actions, not empty words.”

Source: Harretz

Filed under: MidEast, Ehud Olmert, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal

No end in sight as casualties mount on both sides

St.-Sgt. Alexander Mashevizky, 21, was killed and four other soldiers from a joint Golani-Engineering Corps force were lightly hurt in a gun battle with Hamas operatives in northern Gaza City on Tuesday, the IDF announced on Tuesday evening.

It was the fifth IDF fatality in 24 hours, three of which came from friendly fire, The IDF was looking into the circumstances of the death, and was reportedly investigating the possibility that the soldier was killed by an errant tank shell.

Should that turn out to be true, the case would mark the second friendly-fire incident of the night. Hours earlier, during separate clashes in northern Gaza, three IDF soldiers were killed and two dozen injured when a tank shell destroyed a house that they were using for cover.

The casualties also mount on the Palestinians side as Israeli tank shells killed more than 40 Palestinians on Tuesday at a U.N. school where civilians had taken shelter, an Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into information on the incident at al-Fakhora school in Jabalya refugee camp, on the fourth day of a ground assault launched after a week of air strikes failed to end Hamas rocket salvoes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, asked by reporters about the deaths, said she was “not familiar” with the incident. “Unfortunately, (Hamas fighters) are hiding amongst civilians,” she said, adding that Israel was trying to avoid civilian casualties.

In fighting on Tuesday, Israeli forces pushed into the southern town of Khan Younis and battled Hamas militants on the outskirts of the city of Gaza. Palestinian medical officials said four militants were killed.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, at least 631 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,700 wounded since Israel began its offensive.

Source: Reuters/Jerusalem Post

Filed under: MidEast, Gaza strip, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal

A three-state solution

Separating Gaza from the West Bank makes more historical sense than forming a unified Palestinian nation. The hamas takeover of Gaza and the the recent crisis revealed deep fissures within the Palestinian cause.

The Americans, the Israelis and the Palestinians all might like to think these divisions are temporary, but the reality is not so simple. To a large extent, residents of Gaza and the West Bank are two different peoples, and the idea of a three-state solution — Israel, plus a Hamas-run Gaza and a Fatah-governed West Bank — makes historical sense.

Gaza was, starting in the early 1800s, culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt. Though Gaza was part of the Ottoman Empire, a large number of its residents were Egyptians (and their descendants) who had fled political turmoil. The West Bank, on the other hand, became culturally and economically linked with Jordan after the kingdom’s founding in 1921. Unlike Gaza, the West Bank always has had a prosperous Christian minority, which served as an important moderating influence.

The two regions’ experiences after the establishment of Israel in 1948 also were quite different. In 1950, Jordan annexed the West Bank, granted its residents citizenship and created a bureaucratic and legal infrastructure that helped connect the West Bank with the rest of the Arab world.

The simultaneous Egyptian occupation of Gaza, however, was both careless and brutal. Gazans remained stateless and were forbidden to leave the strip. Egypt never created a Gazan civil service, placing Egyptians in charge of all civil and military posts.

Source: By Jacob Savage Los Angeles Times

Filed under: Analysis, Egypt, Gaza strip, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal

Iran’s display of power over Gaza crisis

Iran wants to send a message to the new U.S. administration and Arab governments that it is a power to be reckoned with in the region by championing the cause of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, in its fight with Israel.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, expected to seek re-election in June, may also have found a cause to muzzle criticism of his economic management and tumbling oil revenues, analysts say.

But Tehran’s outspoken support for Hamas and criticism of the response by some Arab states could backfire if it wins over the Arab public but, in doing so, pushes wary Arab governments closer toward the United States in its dispute with Iran.

Washington accuses Tehran of seeking a nuclear bomb, which Iran denies. The row is likely to be near the top of President-elect Barack Obama’s foreign policy in-tray, though Gaza may now trump it bringing another benefit to Iran from the crisis.

“The message from the Iranians (to Washington) is there is give and take. We can help you in Afghanistan, we can help you in Iraq, we can help you with Lebanon and Palestine, if you have good relations with us,” said Iranian analyst Baqer Moin.

“We are a regional power and you have to acknowledge that and talk to us on that level if you want us to be cooperative on issues where you need us,” the London-based analyst said.

Source: By Edmund Blair Reuters

Filed under: Analysis, Ahmadinejad, Gaza strip, Israel, Moses, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, The Terror Journal

Pakistan may outsmart India in diplomatic game

India may be frustrated and even outwitted by Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks, after placing its faith in diplomacy and the support of the United States.

New Delhi has responded to the attacks on its soil with a determined diplomatic offensive, trusting Washington and ultimately Barack Obama to force Pakistan’s hand.

It could be disappointed, but is unlikely to vent its frustration through military action, analysts and diplomats say.

“Pakistan has been able to obfuscate the issue, which is testimony to its chutzpah,” said Indian security analyst Uday Bhaskar.

“It is also a reflection of the degree to which the major powers are complicit in allowing the Pakistani establishment to engage in this kind of double-speak.

“India will have to temper its own expectation of what the international community can deliver.”

Monday, India handed evidence to Pakistan and other countries which it said showed Pakistani militants carried out the November attack on Mumbai, and Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram will take the dossier to Washington this week.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept up pressure Tuesday, saying the attack must have had support from “official agencies” in Pakistan and accusing Islamabad of “whipping up war hysteria.”

But with Obama and the West depending on Pakistani support for a planned troop surge in Afghanistan, there are limits to how far the world will twist Islamabad’s arm.

Immediately after the attack, India won what it called “very, very heartening” international support, but Pakistan has since had some success in obfuscating the issue by raising the threat of Indian military retaliation.

Its people have largely united against India, and its army suddenly seems indispensable again. But there are critical voices — Pakistan’s main human rights group accused its government Saturday of being in a “state of denial.”

Source: By Simon Denyer, Robert Birsel, Alistair Scrutton Reuters

Filed under: Analysis, FBI, India, Mumbai, Mumbai 26/11, Pakistan, The Terror Journal, U.S.A

We’re fed up with empty gestures – Ehud Olmert

Speaking during a Jerusalem meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Czech Republic Foreign Minister Karl Schwarzenberg and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, the prime minister said Israel would only agree to a cease-fire in exchange for concrete measures that ensure immediate security for southerners.

“This is the time for action not words. We are fed up with empty gestures,” he said, according to Army Radio.

“The goal of the operation is not to destroy the Hamas leadership, even though we are able to do this, as well,” Olmert told Sarkozy. “We defined from the very beginning a limited goal – to change the security situation in the South and to free thousands of citizens from the threat of terror.”

“In view of the diplomatic developments, it would be unwise to pass a resolution on the matter, since past experience has proven that Israel cannot afford restricting its freedom to act against terrorism – today Hamas, tomorrow Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and Al-Qaida,” he continued.

“Sometimes the need to find a compromise in the UN comes at Israel’s expense,” the premier said, adding that Israel has “experience in this matter.”

“I am a man of compromise,” he began. “I have conducted two negotiations in an effort to bring about compromise. However, on one thing I cannot compromise, and that is the security of Israeli citizens.”

“We will not be able to come to a compromise when Hamas is able to fire in another month or two on the Israeli population,” the prime minister said. “Before the ceasefire, Hamas had rockets that could reach as far as 20 kilometers. After the ceasefire, the range of their rockets grew to 40 kilometers, threatening the lives of a million Israelis.”

“We cannot reach a compromise that would enable Hamas to fire at yet more cities and towns in Israel,” he added.

Source: Jerusalem Post

Filed under: MidEast, Ceasefire, Ehud Olmert, Gaza, Gaza raids, Hamas, IAF, IDF, Israel, Operation Cast Lead, The Terror Journal