To Halt Hamas, Win 'Confidence War'

Escalating violence threatens ceasefire as US envoy heads to region

(NEWSER) - Israel bombed smuggling tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border today in response to yesterday's killing of an Israeli soldier, CNN reports. The escalating violence is threatening the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. The strikes occurred just as George Mitchell, President Obama's envoy to the Middle East, was scheduled to arrive for meetings in the region in hopes of shoring up peace. No one was apparently hurt in today's attacks, but panicked residents fled their homes. More»

Civilians pay the price of 'asymetrical urban warfare'

(NEWSER) - The disturbing civilian death toll in Gaza is a result of new tactics being deployed by Hamas, Steven Erlanger writes in the New York Times. Hamas militants, trained by Hezbollah and Iran, are said to be systematically hiding weapons in schoolyards, mosques and hospitals, fighting in civilian clothes, using tunnels to disappear, and setting up elaborate booby traps. And for its part, Israel is countering with trickery of its own, including officers pretending to be sympathetic Arabs calling Gazans to weasel out local intelligence. More»

Death tolls edges to 900 in 16-day offensive.

(NEWSER) - Israeli forces pushed toward the heart of Gaza City today in continued defiance of a UN call for a ceasefire and killing close to 30 Palestinians, Reuters reports. Nearly 900 people have been killed in the 16-day offensive. Israeli forces and tanks backed by helicopter gunships battled Hamas militants as they pushed into eastern and southern sections of the city. More»

(NEWSER) - Israel dropped leaflets on the Gaza strip today warning inhabitants of an escalation in the 2-week offensive against Hamas militants, the BBC reports. The leaflets assured civilians that the action was against “Hamas and the terrorists only” and urged people to stay away from military targets. The development could signal a deeper incursion by Israeli ground forces into Gazan cities and refugee camps, the BBC notes. More»

Palestinians call for tougher stance from president

(NEWSER) - As violence continues in Gaza, support for Hamas is growing in the Fatah-controlled West Bank, the New York Times reports. Though demonstrations of solidarity with Hamas have thus far been relatively small, West Bank residents see Gaza as “part of themselves,” writes Steven Erlanger. Still, there’s little appetite for uprising after years of conflict. “The people are tired,” says a restaurateur. More»