Hamas in Russia: On Monday, Hamas’s Khaled Meshal was in Moscow, a guest of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov despite protests by Israel. Meshal said there was “no prospect of peace because the Israeli leadership is a leadership of war” and added, “It’s enough that Moscow tells the world that Hamas is a movement of freedom fighters, not a terrorist group.”

Iran FM on Israel “Crazy Nation, Crazy People”: Following Ayatollah Khamenei ’s statement, “Today Palestine is the symbol of life, determination, faithfulness, diligence, and dignity,” Foreign Minister Manchour Mottaki jumped in: “Israel is a crazy nation run by crazy people. Therefore, we must prepare for the chance that Israel will do something crazy against everyone in the region: the Syrians, the Lebanese and the Palestinians.”

Israel, Hamas, and Russia: Who is in Bed with the Bear?

Palestinian Authority on Peace Talks: With the leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas agreeing in principle to the U.S. proposal to hold talks with Israel, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Monday that renewed talks with Israel under US mediation must focus first and foremost on the issue of borders.

The talks are expected to begin on February 20, a senior Palestinian official told AFP on Monday. “These contacts will be aimed at creating a better climate and reaching an understanding on the borders of the Palestinian state, and they will begin on February 20. They will last three months, with the Americans negotiating directly with the two sides after determining a timetable and agreed-upon mechanisms for implementation,” the official said.

Tags: AFP, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hamas, Israel, Khaled Meshal, Mahmoud Abbas, Manoucher Mottaki, Palestinian Authority, Riad al-Maliki, Russia, Sergei Lavrov

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Headline Analysis: The United Nations “Cease-fire” Vote

1:35 a.m. We’re going to get some downtime. Not a happy end to the day, I fear. The issue of whether a cease-fire will be observed, less than 24 hours after the passage of the UN resolution, is already long-gone. Instead, the overnight question will be how far Israel expands military operations. The United States, not only with its abstention in the UN but with subsequent statements (more on that in the morning), has thrown its weight behind the Israeli course of action. Conversely, with the failure of the resolution to go anywhere, the Arab states — including the Palestinian Authority — and the European Union seem to be in disarray.

There may be some developments in Cairo, where talks on the Mubarak-Sarkozy proposal resume. And one can only hope that there is something positive to report, such as a resumption of UN aid and a true “respite” in the bombing, on the humanitarian front.

Peace to all.

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Tags: Al Jazeera, Al Qassam Brigades, Alive in Gaza, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, CNN, Dan Gillerman, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Gaza, Ghazi Hamid, Hamas, Israel, Israeli Defense Forces, Jabaliya, Jabalya, Jabilya, Jerusalem Post, Jim Clancy, Mark Regev, Omar Ali Abumghaiseeb, Palestine, Riad al-Maliki, Sameh Habeeb, Theodore Karasik, Tzipi Livni, United Nations, Warsaw Ghetto, West Bank, Zaytun, Zeitoun