The Israeli military had its first post-ceasefire casualty today, when a roadside bomb near the Kissufim border crossing killed one soldier and wounded three others. So far none of the assorted groups that fought Israel during the invasion of the Gaza Strip has...
Kadima Tries Hawkish Route as Elections Loom
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni lauded the war in the Gaza Strip today during a meeting with US ambassador James Cunningham, saying it "created a strategic change in the status of Hamas" and "can serve as a stimulus for the new [Obama] Administration and the...
Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza Truce Before Likud Takes Over in Israel
The Egyptian government is reportedly pressing Hamas to hurry up and agree to a ceasefire with Israel's outgoing Kadima-led government before next month's elections. Several terms are yet to be agreed upon by both sides, but they have maintained a ceasefire for over a...
Military Rabbi Urged Troops to Show No Mercy in Gaza
Israeli human rights group Yesh Din is calling for the ouster of the military's top rabbi, Brigadier General Avichai Rontzki over his messages to soldiers during the 22-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The primary concern was a booklet which, among other...
Blockade Stalls Gaza Reconstruction
The fragile truce in the Gaza Strip continues to endure. The Israeli invasion force has left... the bodies have largely been recovered from the rubble that used to be the cities and refugee camps of Gaza. This is the time when a war torn nation would begin its...
Obama’s Envoy Won’t Introduce Any New Policies, Israeli President Assures
New US Envoy George Mitchell will be arriving in the Middle East by Wednesday, but Israeli President Shimon Peres sees no reason for the Israeli government to be concerned. "These are mere overtures by the new US administration in order to learn more about the...
Israel, Hamas Argue Over Opening Border Crossings
Notwithstanding a handful of incidents, the truce in the Gaza Strip appears to be holding, and while the Israeli government and Hamas still aren't talking to one another, the Cairo talks continue, aiming to work out a longer-term ceasefire between the two sides. Among...
BBC Faces Ire Over Gaza Appeal Refusal
"This is not an appeal by Hamas asking for arms." But don't tell that to the BBC, who declined to broadcast a plea for aid to the Gaza Strip by an organization comprised of the British Red Cross, Oxfam, and several other high profile charities. They said they feared...
UN Expert: Compelling Evidence of Israeli War Crimes in Gaza
UN human rights expert and retired Princeton law professor Richard Falk said today that there is compelling evidence that Israel violated the laws of war by "conducting a large-scale military operation against an essentially defenseless population." "There needs to be...
Thousands of Others Waiting for Israeli Explanations on Gaza Attacks
The United Nations is pressuring Israel for a more plausible explanation for why so many of their facilities were attacked during the 22-day war on the Gaza Strip. Those attacks caused scores of civilian casualties, just some of the thousands of civilians killed and...