Both Israeli and Palestinian political landscapes seemed trapped in a malaise yesterday as both reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah and Israeli Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to build a coalition government failed to bear fruit. Today, Netanyahu was given two more weeks to build a credible government after discussions with Shimon Peres, Israel's president. In Cairo, where the Egyptian government has been mediating talks between Fatah and Hamas regarding the creation of a Palestinian national unity government, negotiators were told to "go home", with a comprehensive deal still not concluded. Key obstacles include the approach that should be adopted to existing agreements with Israel, as well as the exact composition of a prospective unity government.

At the same time, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories said yesterday that Israel's 22-day assault on Gaza constituted "a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law". Richard Falk went on to criticise the bombardment as having inflicted an "inhumane" form of warfare on Gaza's civilian population.

The toD verdict: When in February he told reporters that the EU expected a "rough start" if Benjamin Netanyahu became Israel's prime minister, Czech deputy prime minister Alexandr Vondra articulated a concern felt in chancelleries across the world. Netanyahu's current negotiations, which have already seen a provisional deal made between Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, the ultra-right party led by the controversial Avigdor Lieberman, will have done nothing to dispel those concerns. The fact that, as part of this deal, the two parties have sworn to topple Hamas does not augur well for continued peace talks, regardless of Netanyahu's courtship of both Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni.

From Hamas' side, it seems unlikely in view of the overwhelming popular legitimacy it enjoys within Gaza, as well as in the wider Arab and Islamic world, that it will cave to international demands to recognise Israel and agree to recognise all past agreements made between Israel and the Palestinian authority. With international donors adamant that none of the $5.2 billion dollars currently pledged for Gaza's reconstruction should pass through Hamas' hands as long as it does not renounce violence and recognise Israel, the suffering of ordinary inhabitants of the Strip will continue unabated.

In addition, these negotiations are happening against a background of steadily worsening perceptions of Israel in the wake of its assault on Gaza. Yesterday's searing criticism of Israel's human rights abuses from the UN's Richard Falk has been followed today by reports in the western press of Israeli soldiers admitting to killing civilians during the 22-day onslaught. 

With positions hardening on both sides of the Green Line, the stage seems set for a continued diplomatic impasse and, potentially, a resumption of armed conflict. The only question at this stage is whether the Obama administration, in light of revelations concerning the IDF's conduct during the Gaza conflict, might choose to reign in whatever government eventually comes to power in Jerusalem.

US reinforcements ‘too late'

Afghan president Harmid Karzai yesterday referred to the planned deployment of 17,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan as coming "seven years too late". Karzai said that he welcomed any additional efforts from the members of the US-led coalition, but that he had been requesting additional support since 2002. At this point he has yet to confirm whether he will run in Afghanistan's presidential elections in five months, elections which the UN fears may be "flawed and unfair", adding further to the instability in the country.  

Only hours after Karzai's comments, British foreign secretary David Miliband admitted that the Taliban had achieved "strategic stalemate" in certain regions of the country. He said that it was now generally understood that success in Afghanistan was inextricably linked to the situation in Pakistan and that there can be no regional solution achieved through military means alone.

In news that will be more encouraging to US military planners, thirty insurgents have been reported killed today in clashes between Afghan government troops operating alongside coalition allies, and Taliban forces. The clashes, which occurred over two days in southern Helmand, have ended in "yet another blow to the militants" according to a US military statement.

Obama issues video appeal for "constructive ties" with Iran

Today, in a video broadcast aired by several Middle Eastern television networks, US President Barack Obama called for a "new beginning" in the relationship between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In a speech addressing the people and leaders of Iran directly, broadcast tellingly on Nooruz, the Iranian new year, Obama spoke of America's desire for engagement based on "honesty and mutual respect".

It is unclear exactly what may come of this offer, and the lack of substance behind Obama's charm offensive has led to a lukewarm reaction from Tehran, with a senior adviser to Ahmedinajad, Akbar Javankir, saying that Iran could not forget the previous "hostile attitude" of the United States. However, there is speculation that any future negotiations may revisit the so-called "Grand Bargain" proposed to US policy makers by Tehran in 2003.

This proposal was made during the tenure of President Mohammad Khatami, a political moderate who today announced his withdrawal from the Iranian presidential elections due to be held on 12 June. It included suspension of support for militant Islamist parties Hamas and Hizbollah, Iran's active participation in the stabilisation of Iraq and the possible freezing of its ongoing nuclear programme. The rejection of this offer by the Bush administration is considered by many experts to have been a missed opportunity and strategic misstep.

African Union suspends Madagascar

Following the replacement of Marc Ravalomanana by Andry Rajoelina as president of Madagascar at the hands of the country's military earlier this week, the African Union has suspended the country's membership on the grounds that the transfer of power was not constitutional. Although Madagascar's Constitutional Court has approved the take over, the AU has stated that, as the correct legal process for replacing the head of state after the resignation of a sitting president was not followed, recent events could be considered a "coup". Shortly after this move, it was reported that the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) security organ, comprising Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland, will call for sanctions against Madagascar, a fellow member state of the community. The SADC security group had already stated on Thursday that they would not recognise Madagascar's new leader.

Somali pirates seize Greek container ship

Late on Thursday evening, the Greek cargo ship Titan was seized by Somali pirates according to an official of the Greek merchant marine ministry who declined to be named. The vessel, which has a crew of 24, was sailing from the Black Sea to Korea under the flag of St Vincent and Grenada and was captured in the Gulf of Aden. According to the International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates attacked more than 130 ships in 2008, which represents a 200 percent increase compared with 2007. The resulting ransoms amounted to over $150 million. Over twenty warships from various nations are currently engaged in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.

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