Gaza white flag deaths probe call
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
August 13, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel must investigate the "unlawful" killing of 11 civilians carrying white flags during its Gaza operation earlier in 2009, Human Rights Watch has said. Five women and four children were among those killed in seven incidents detailed by the US-based rights group. Researchers said the soldiers at best failed to protect civilians, and at worst deliberately shot at them. Israel has launched investigations into five "white flag" incidents, but says Hamas exploited civilians with flags.

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Israel starved Gaza of power and water
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Vita Bekker - August 13, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel deliberately brought the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure to the brink of collapse before its military offensive in the enclave in December and January and has since blocked any efforts of its rehabilitation as part of a strategy to defy Hamas, a report by an Israeli rights group claimed this week.

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For how long with impunity?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
(Editorial) August 13, 2009 - 12:00am

Slowly, but surely, more and more evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza is beginning to surface. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch - which has previously censored Israel for its use of white phosphorus shells over civilian areas, as well as Hamas’ indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza - issued a new report on the killing of civilians in Gaza after they had surrendered to Israeli forces.

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Israeli Raid Strikes Tunnel Into Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
August 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli warplanes bombed a tunnel along the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt on Monday, the Israeli military, Hamas officials and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the pre-dawn raid in the Palestinian coastal territory, which is governed by the Islamist Hamas movement. The raid was launched in response to recent mortar and rocket attacks from Gaza against Israel, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

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Israeli jets strike Gaza tunnel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
August 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli planes have bombed a smuggling tunnel into Gaza after Palestinian mortars fell near the main crossing from Gaza into Israel. The Israeli military said two mortar shells landed a few hundred metres from Erez crossing as urgent Palestinian medical cases were being transferred. It was the first such airstrike since mid-June, with Palestinian rocket attacks much reduced in recent months. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents. The Israeli military said the air strike early on Monday morning was in response to "continued" rocket and mortar fire.

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Israel defends IDF action in Gaza war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
July 31, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel issued a 160-page document justifying its military offensive in Gaza. The report, published on Thursday and entitled "The Operation in Gaza - Legal and Factual Aspects," asserts that Israel had a right to undertake Operation Cast Lead last December and January following "incessant rocket and mortar attacks upon thousands of Israeli civilians and (Hamas') other acts of terrorism." Hamas violated international law, says the report, which also documents Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and the ways in which Hamas put Palestinian civilians in danger.

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UN Calls on Israel to Allow Gaza Schools to rebuild
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
July 29, 2009 - 12:00am

UN agencies called on Israel on Tuesday to allow construction materials into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip so that schools damaged in this year's war can be rebuilt in time for the new academic year. "We call on the government of Israel to urgently facilitate entry of construction materials and supplies for schools in the coming weeks, and to ensure that students, teachers and trainers can freely exit and enter Gaza to continue learning," they said in a statement.

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Right of Reply: Let's talk about Operation Cast Lead
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Mikhael Manekin - (Opinion) July 29, 2009 - 12:00am

When Breaking the Silence released a collection of soldiers' testimonies about their experiences in Gaza last week, we expected to receive criticism. Operation Cast Lead was considered a success by most Israelis, so there were some who probably found the testimonies distasteful.

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Daughter of Gaza doctor vows to return home
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Daniel Edelson - (Interview) July 28, 2009 - 12:00am

The seventeen-year-old daughter of Dr. Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish, Shadar, who was badly injured after an IDF shell hit her family home and killed her three sisters during Operation Cast Lead, recently moved to Canada with family. In an interview to Ynet she recounted the difficult moments and spoke of her family's loss. "I miss my sisters and there are moments I can't stop the tears and I suddenly start crying," she said. Al-Aish is certain she will return to Gaza, but in the meantime she enjoys the quiet life overseas.

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Israel prepares 'defense brief' ahead of UN Gaza reports
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - July 27, 2009 - 12:00am

A group of legal experts from the Foreign Ministry is writing a defense brief for the government in advance of two harsh reports on Operation Cast Lead expected to be released soon. The ministry's defense brief is expected to be finished in a week or two, ahead of two United Nations reports that are expected to be highly critical of the extent of civilian injuries in the Gaza Strip during the operation. A draft of the two reports is expected to be given to Israel around the end of August, before they are officially presented to the Human Rights Council in mid-September.

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