Arab-Israeli Conflict

(Newser) - An overnight Israeli air strike killed a top Hamas commander and nine others, including family members, in a refugee camp north of Gaza City, CNN reports. Nizar Rayan—described by Haaretz as an "outspoken advocate of renewing suicide bombings against Israel"—is the most senior Hamas leader killed in the 6-day Gaza offensive. Israel says the strikes will continue until Hamas quits firing rockets at it. More »

(Newser) - The Gaza death toll passed 400 as Israeli airstrikes continued for a sixth day on the start of the New Year and gutted the Palestinian parliament building, CNN reports. The dead include 42 children, 13 women and two medical workers. Some 2,000 others are injured, hundeds of them critically. Israel has rejected calls for a truce and vowed to continue the assault until a "real and sustainable" solution is found to stop Palestinian attacks on Israel. More »

(Newser) - Dubai's ruler has canceled its ritzy public New Year's Eve celebrations "in solidarity with the Palestinian people" in Gaza, the Times of London reports. Festivities also were called off in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. In Dubai, residents and tourists scrambled to come up with alternative plans. "We probably won’t know what we’re doing until 10 to midnight," said one British expat. More »

(Newser) - An uneasy triumvirate of Israeli politicians united to plan the offensive against Gaza, the Washington Post reports. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who will compete to become prime minister in February's election, both want to convince the electorate they can successfully defend Israel. For outgoing PM Ehud Olmert, who resigned under pressure from a corruption scandal, the offensive could be the last chance to leave a positive legacy. More »

(Newser) - Israel today rejected a 48-hour humanitarian truce designed to allow foreign aid into Gaza, CNN reports. Israeli officials said the deal, proposed by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, didn’t come with any assurances that Hamas would honor it. “The residents of the south of Israel must have a real and sustainable solution and not a Band-Aid,” a foreign ministry spokesman said. More »

(Newser) - A deeply worried Bush administration is privately pushing Israel to settle on a Gaza exit strategy, despite the White House's public support of the offensive, insiders tell the Los Angeles Times . Amid rising international pressure to end the fighting, administration officials fear that rather than crushing Hamas, Israel's assault could increase support for Hamas in the same way that the 2006 Lebanon conflict boosted Hezbollah. More »

(Newser) - The Israeli army has launched a YouTube channel of graphic war videos in an attempt to curry public favor for its Gaza siege, the Jerusalem Post reports. The footage shows aerial strikes, aid distribution, and—in one potentially unsettling piece—an alleged airstrike on tw