August 2nd

What will Hamas do if direct Mideast peace talks take off? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - August 2, 2010 - 12:00am The impression from the weekend's events was that neither Israel nor Hamas was interested in escalating the situation, and both are looking for ways to lower the flame and restore the unofficial cease-fire on the Gaza Strip border since the end of Operation Cast Lead about a year and a half ago. On Friday a Grad Katyusha rocket fired from Gaza landed in Ashkelon, causing no injuries. It is not clear who was behind the firing. It is reasonable to assume it was not Hamas but one of the rogue organizations in the Gaza Strip identified with World Jihad or Al-Qaida. » Read more

Abbas, Mitchell's deputy discuss peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 2, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Monday with David Hale, deputy of U.S. special Middle East envoy George Mitchell, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, state-run Palestinian Wafa news agency reported. During the meeting, Abbas updated the U.S. official with the latest political developments in the region and efforts aiming to push the peace process forward, the report said. » Read more

Israeli army orders officers to protect civilians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press August 2, 2010 - 12:00am The Israeli military says it will assign officers to protect civilians in combat zones during wartime. The move appears to be a response to international criticism of Israel for high civilian death tolls in recent wars in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The military says an officer in each battalion will be responsible for planning and marking evacuation corridors for civilians in combat areas. Lt. Col. Shuki Shine says the officer will specify where soldiers cannot shoot and will also ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. » Read more

World Bank group appoints new Palestine rep ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 2, 2010 - 12:00am The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, a member of the World Bank Group, announced the appointment a new local representative for the agency in the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday. Layali Abdeen will be the point of contact for MIGA’s West Bank Gaza Guarantee Trust Fund. She will also focus on business development and work with local and foreign investors to assist them in managing the political risks associated with their projects in the West Bank and Gaza. » Read more

Ashrawi denies saying US threatened PA ties ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 2, 2010 - 12:00am PLO leader Hanan Ashrawi on Sunday denied saying the US had threatened to sever ties with the Palestinian Authority unless it resumed talks with Israel. Ashrawi described a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz quoting an interview she gave an Arabic newspaper as "totally baseless" and said she never made the remark to the press. She called the Haaretz report a "malicious" fabrication. » Read more

Medics: Israeli airstrike injures 42 in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli warplanes targeted the home of a senior Hamas military leader in the central Gaza Strip early Monday leaving 42 civilians injured, medics said. Al-Qassam Brigades leader Alla Ad-Danaf's home in Deir Al-Balah was destroyed along with five others by a missile from an Israeli F16 fighter jet, military medical services coordinator Adham Abu Salmiyya told Ma'an. At least 42 civilians were injured as a result, he added, with wounds ranging from slight to moderate. » Read more

Rocket attacks on Israel: Why Hamas has an interest in keeping Gaza quiet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - August 2, 2010 - 12:00am The most significant volley of Gaza attacks and Israeli reprisals since last year's Operation Cast Lead raised concern over the weekend that tensions could escalate between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, additional rocket attacks on Monday apparently aimed toward the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat raised speculation of Hamas involvement there as well. » Read more

Hamas attacks: A bid to scuttle direct talks? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Liam Stack - August 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israel and forces loyal to the militant Hamas government that controls Gaza exchanged fire this weekend, with Palestinian rockets hitting southern Israel and Israel responding with multiple airstrikes across the territory. On Friday, Palestinian rockets damaged a building in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Israel retaliated with airstrikes against densely populated areas of Gaza City and Rafah, injuring scores and killing Hamas military commander Eissa al Batran. » Read more

The Palestinians, Alone ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Efraim Karsh - (Opinion) August 2, 2010 - 12:00am It has long been conventional wisdom that the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a prerequisite to peace and stability in the Middle East. Since Arabs and Muslims are so passionate about the Palestine problem, this argument runs, the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate feeds regional anger and despair, gives a larger rationale to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and to the insurgency in Iraq and obstructs the formation of a regional coalition that will help block Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. » Read more

Rocket, Probably Aimed at Israel, Hits Jordan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Stephen Farrell, Isabel Kershner - August 2, 2010 - 12:00am A rocket that was probably aimed at the southern Israeli resort of Eilat slammed into the neighboring Jordanian resort of Aqaba on Monday, Jordanian and Israeli officials said. Israeli police inspected the site where a rocket landed on the outskirts of the Red Sea resort Eilat. Jordan’s information minister, Ali Ayed, said one rocket struck a main street in Aqaba, killing one person and injuring four, all of whom were Jordanian. » Read more