JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/06): GAZA -- ANOTHER EPISODE

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/06): GAZA -- ANOTHER EPISODE
IN THE STORY OF PALESTINE

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Main Stories:
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All papers provide extensive front and inside-page photo and print
coverage, under crisis red and black font headlines, of "bitter
fighting" and "roving massacres" in Gaza, where reporting highlights
that dozens of civilians, including entire Palestinian families have
been killed. The papers lead with photos of the bodies of dead
Palestinian children and families and run statistics of the current
death toll, breaking it down into number of Palestinian civilian
dead (550),children dead (50),women (29),injured (2,700) and
Israeli soldiers dead (4),Israeli injured (32).

Al Quds' front page reports on the "bitter fighting" around Gaza
City, where the Israeli ARMY suffered causalities.
Al Ayyam leads with news of "heavy fighting", as the Israeli ARMY
used air power and tanks in operations in several Gaza City
neighborhoods. Al Hayat Al Jadida's lead reports focus on several
"massacres and heavy fighting" in Gaza and add that three Israeli
soldiers were killed as Israel turned down European ceasefire
proposals. Al Quds' front page also notes that the Red Cross stated
on January 5 that injured Gazans are dying because ambulances cannot
reach medical services due to heavy fighting.

Al Quds and Al Hayat Al Jadida front page comments by
president-elect Obama, citing AFP, in which he expressed "stong
concern" about the situation in Gaza and stressed his unwillingness
to comment on the issue before assuming the presidency. The paper
also cites AFP in reporting on an op-ed published by the Washington
Post on January 5, written by former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John
Bolton, stating that the two-state solution is no longer possible
and proposing the hand-over of control for the West Bank to Jordan;
and Gaza to Egypt.

Al Quds front pages statements by Palestinian Authority President
Abbas made after a January 5 meeting in Ramallah with the EU Troika.
Abbas stated that his priority remains establishing Palestinian
national unity and that he is not interested in destroying Hamas.

State Department Spokesman McCormack is quoted on Al Quds' front
page stating that the United States is seeking a ceasefire in Gaza
that will end Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and re-open crossing
points into the Gaza Strip. He also stated that Secretary Rice has
been contacting more than 12 of her counterparts to secure their
support for the U.S. ceasefire proposal, which will also deal with
the issue of tunnel smuggling from Egypt into Gaza, according to the
report. Al Ayyam cites AFP in quoting President Bush speaking from
the White House on January 5, stating that any ceasefire must ensure
that Hamas cannot fire rockets into Israel.
Front pages highlight statements from January 5 made by several
international leaders on the situation in Gaza: Al Hayat Al Jadida
quotes French President Sarkozy revealing that Europe is working
with Egypt on a joint initiative for a humanitarian truce. Al Ayyam
highlights statements by Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair about
Quartet efforts to end the violence in Gaza. The paper notes EU
readiness to again deploy monitors to the Rafah Egypt-Gaza crossing
point, following any ceasefire agreement and runs statements from
Egyptian officials stating that the Rafah crossing remains open for
the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Al Ayyam's front
page also reports that Israel has rejected calls by visiting
European diplomats to deploy international observers to Gaza, an
immediate cease-fire, and has demanded the implementation of an
international mechanism to prevent Hamas from arming itself.


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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al Quds editorial is titled, "Will diplomacy stop genocide war?"
(01/06): "The EU Troika mission and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy arrived in the region within the framework of diplomatic
efforts to stop the war on Gaza... We believe that the European
position is positive in demanding an immediate ceasefire, but we
also believe that it should be made more clear and firm... What we
need is a cease-fire and a stop to the escalating violence, along
with an end to the humanitarian catastrophe that has caught over one
and a half million Palestinians in its storm... We also call on our
brothers in Hamas, in the delegation to Cairo, to meet their
responsibilities and recognize the full impact of the dangers
threatening us all."


2) Hani Al Masri writes in Al Ayyam under the title, "Aggression on
Gaza: A new episode in the story of ending the Palestinian state"
(01/05): "Israel, if it succeeds in its current aggression, will be
encouraged to use Gaza as a precedent for similar operations in the
West Bank; it will throw the West Bank to Jordan, after Israel has
annexed all the land it wants, especially Jerusalem, water and other
resources, including strategic and religious areas... Beware of
considering the battle in Gaza as only a battle against Hamas or a
battle for security... It is yet another battle in the continuing
story of Israel trying to impose a solution of stamping out the
Palestinian cause and forcing Palestinians to accept co-existence
and cooperation with the occupation."

WALLES