Latest post: Gaza --- The Unnecessary WarLatest Post: Gaza --- More Tasteful Video GamesEarlier updates: The Israeli Invasion of Gaza (13 January)10:50 a.m. I am afraid that this conflict has settled into a deadly pattern. Israeli forces move forward overnight, trying to take out Hamas positions by air, sea, and land bombardment and then settle in position --- as the bombardment continues --- during the day. Because there are few broadcast correspondents in Gaza, there is not-so-dramatic footage (at least from the standard narrative of war) while the best stations try to cover the humanitarian story.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic dance is a very slow waltz. Israel is clearly in a stationary position, awaiting any Egyptian pressure on Hamas to work. But Hamas, as far as I can tell, isn't ready to make concessions.
As Kurt Vonnegut would say, so it goes.... Goodnight, thank you, and peace to all.
12:20 a.m.
The Ramattan live feed from Gaza City is still running via CNN.
11:20 p.m.
Alive in Gaza has posted another despatch, from Muhammad al Ja'bawi: "I cannot find the words to describe what is going on now in Gaza."
We've reprinted in full as a separate blog.9:25 p.m. A pleasure to see Professor Avi Shlaim, one of the best historians on the Middle Eastern conflict, on Britain's Channel 4 this evening. His thoughts, on Gaza and the Israel-Palestine issue, were perceptive if provocative.
Hopefully the clip will be available later. In the meantime,
his article in last Wednesday's Guardian of London, "How Israel Brought Gaza to the Brink of Humanitarian Crisis", is well worth a read.
8:20 p.m.
Al Jazeera has just posted an article on the testimony of Secretary of State-elect Hillary Clinton at her confirmation hearings today. Clinton vowed "every effort" to advance a peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, but she ruled out any negotiations with Hamas unless it recognised Israel and renounced violence.
Consider that carefully. What Clinton has just said is that, before there can be any talks on a cease-fire in the current conflict, Hamas must unilaterally recognise Tel Aviv and declare an end to rocket attacks. Israel, on the other hand, has to make no such concessions regarding its recognition of Hamas or its use of military force.
7:40 p.m. Israel/Gaza time:
CNN and Al Jazeera still focusing on Israeli tanks around Gaza City.But what is the news out of the talks in Cairo? No smoke signals from the discussions between Egypt and Hamas. Instead,
Egyptian officials moved quickly on Tuesday to block a Qatari request for an emergency summit of Arab nations on Gaza.
6:08 p.m. Far from Gaza: at her confirmation hearings in Washington, Secretary of State-elect Hillary Clinton looks totally bored, thinks, "Why, oh why am I not President?"
6:02 p.m. Gazans fleeing Israeli bombardment around Rafah unable to find room in shelters. Gazan death toll now 971.
6 p.m. This clue, both to the qualified optimism of the Israeli leadership and to its indecision whether to press the fight into the cities,
from the Los Angeles Times:
The military power of Hamas has been weakened and its political leadership is divided over plans for a possible ceasefire, but an Israeli intelligence official said today that the radical group remains formidable, with 15,000 fighters and a sophisticated arsenal of rockets and anti-tank weapons and tunnels.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 10:17