JERUSALEM, Jan. 14 -- Israeli military officials said their 19-day offensive in the Gaza Strip had weakened Hamas but that a knockout blow was unlikely. The conflict showed no signs of ending Wednesday as diplomats reported little progress in negotiating a truce. Full Story »
Posted by Michael Bugeja
Part round-up story, part war correspondence, this dispatch by Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post provides more depth than typical articles being filed out of Gaza, ranging from accounts of combat to interviews with Israeli and Palestinian officials and more. The story is placed against a backdrop of a new tape by Osama Bin Laden and political posturing in the U.N. by Secretary Rice. That said, the report has a subtle theme: If Palestinians only would stop firing rockets, the conflict would end. It's more complex than that.
In Gaza, the Israeli military said it carried out 60 airstrikes overnight, destroying a police court in Gaza City and weapons caches. Israeli military officials said their strategy was to squeeze Hamas militarily as they try to pressure the Islamist movement into a truce that would include a long-term commitment to stop firing rockets into southern Israel.
Paragraphs such as this tilt ever so slightly the balance toward the Israeli viewpoint.
The history and hatreds of these warring factions need to be confronted and resolved, if not for peace in the region, then for the children and innocents.