Gazans sought refuge at school buildings (Hatem Moussa AP)
United Nations Findings on Israel's UN Building Attacks in Gaza
Israel protested United Nations findings that military fire on an international facility in the Gaza Strip during Operation Cast Lead was deliberate. In the first two weeks of Israel's offensive in Gaza, it hit five UN installations, out of nine total. In one of the attacks, the January 6 shelling of an UNRWA school grounds, Israel claimed Hamas fighters were firing away from the grounds, a claim the UN found no support for.
Israel rejected the report as "unbalanced, biased and oblivious to the facts… It completely ignored the facts presented to the UN committee, which has clearly sided with Hamas – a murderous terror group – and is therefore misleading the international public." The UN report is to be released this evening.
Hamas' Peace Offensive?
The New York Times reported that Khaled Meshal, Hamas politburo chief, said its fighters had stopped firing rockets at Israel for now. He also reached out in a limited way to the Obama administration and others in the West, saying the movement was seeking a state only in the areas Israel won in 1967. He said Hamas would be open to a long-term truce of ten years.
Meshal declared, "I promise the American administration and the international community that we will be part of the solution, period."
HEADLINES
Palestinian official expects less US pressure on Israel for peace (Xinhua)
Israel orders more Palestinian houses destroyed (Gulf News)
Israel's Peres omits mention of Palestinian state (Washington Post)
PM: Recognition of Israel basis for peace (Ynetnews)
Israel begins revoking Arabs' citizenship (Ynetnews)
Palestine and the Palestinians
PCHR strongly condemns Israeli plans to confiscate 12000 donums of Palestinian land in order to link the Illegal “Ma’ale Adumim” and “Qedar” settlements (ISM Palestine)
PA working to root out Hamas, Hezbollah secret agents (Ha'aretz)
Bedouins strengthen ties to Palestinians (Ynetnews)
Over 24600 Palestinian families facing hardship in the Gaza Strip (ReliefWeb)
Israel publishes plan to add East Jerusalem housing (Reuters India)
Christians in Israel: A minority within a minority (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Israel
UN to press Israel on Lebanon border village (Reuters UK)
Top UNIFIL official to visit Israel for to discuss Ghajar pullout (Daily Star)
Israel 53 out of 115 for gender equality (Jerusalem Post)
Report: Israel fails to care for homeless (Ynetnews)
Could piracy blacklist backfire? (BBC News)
Foreign Ministry: Durban II boycott improved outcome (Jerusalem Post)
'UK airline BMI must explain its omission of Israel from maps' (Ha'aretz)
MK Cabel quits top Labor post after bitter dispute with Barak (Ha'aretz)
On Europe trip, Lieberman seeks to upgrade Israel ties (Ha'aretz)
Bat Ayin settlers seek new outpost in wake of terror attack (Ha'aretz)
Black Hebrew Polygamists Begin To Gain Acceptance In Israel (Huffington Post)
Israel's Hebrew Catholics keep the faith (AFP)
US Foreign Policy
US to reassure Arabs on diplomacy with Iran (AFP)
Obama gets tougher with Israel on Palestinians, Iran (Ha'aretz)
The Neighbors
Egypt policeman shot dead by smugglers on borders with Israel (Xinhua)
Book suggests Israel, Syria were on verge of peace deal a decade ago (Ynetnews)
Syria looks to Lebanon War for tips on arming Hezbollah (Ha'aretz)
The Lobby
At Annual Meeting, Pro-Israel Group Reasserts Clout (New York Times)
Mayor Villaraigosa talks about LA and Israel at AIPAC (The Jewish Journal of greater L.A.)
Harman defends herself at AIPAC (msnbc.com)
Judge Formally Dismisses Case Against 2 Former AIPAC Lobbyists (Washington Post)
International Relations/Law
New UN Security Council president calls for Middle East debate (Xinhua)
Iran assails West and Israel at talks on nuclear treaty (Gulf News)
Report: Iran accuses US of breaching NPT (Jerusalem Post)
UN meeting to give impetus to Mideast peace (The Associated Press)
Israel rejects 'biased' UN report on Gaza war (Ha'aretz)
Spain judge orders investigation of Israel (JURIST)
Italy: Warning on Iran by Israeli Official (New York Times)
Vatican representative: Visit to focus on cooperation (Jerusalem Post)
Arts and Activism
Code Pink activists interrupt Shimon Peres during AIPAC speech (Mondoweiss)
Canadian co-op rejects Israel boycott (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Misc.
Norton Mezvinsky retires (New Britain Herald)
Commentary
Hala Gores: Israel continues to persecute its Palestinian citizens (OregonLive.com)
Reza Mazali: Israel's war against youth (guardian.co.uk)
Antony Lerman: Antisemitic alarm bells (guardian.co.uk)
Wayne Madsen: Emanuel's stringent press conference rules freeze out veteran reporter
Online Journal (Online Journal)
George Giacaman: Don't bet much on a US-Israel showdown (Daily Star)
Linda Heard: US too lenient on Israeli spies (Gulf News)
Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.
