As the conflict in Gaza reaches its twentieth day Israeli forces continue the offensive, pushing into the border of Gaza City. The number of Palestinians killed in the conflict has now risen to over 1,000, many of which were women and children, many more have been injured and over 35,000 civilians are thought to have been displaced in the fighting. It is reported that 13 Israelis have been killed in the violence.
The toD verdict: UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon is due to meet urgently with Egyptian and Israeli officials, although it is not clear whether he will visit Gaza. Ban continues his calls for an immediate ceasefire to end the "intolerable" civilian losses in Gaza, despite such calls being rejected by both Hamas and Israel last week. Israel has said it cannot guarantee Hamas will comply with a ceasefire. Yet, it seems there is a rift at the governmental level. On one hand, Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak favours a week long ceasefire to stock up on supplies and allow longer term plans room to develop. On the other hand, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insists that the military mission continue without pause, fearing that Barack Obama (poised to become US president next week) will order an immediate Israeli ceasefire when he takes office. Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas has said any ceasefire would require Israeli forces pulling out of Gaza completely, an end to the blockade of Gaza, and an end to all Israeli attacks.
Last night Israeli forces reportedly struck 60 sites including the police station in Gaza City, while three rockets fired from Lebanon landed in Israel, causing no casualties. The UN General Assembly will meet this week to decide whether Israel will be brought before an international court amid growing claims that Israel's war in Gaza is in breach of international and humanitarian law. President of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann of Nicaragua has vehemently denounced Israel's actions as "genocidal", and claims the root of Palestinian subjugation must be addressed if progress is to be made. Bolivian president Evo Morales has announced he is cutting all ties with Israel in a stand against the war in Gaza. Morales also slammed the Security Council for not acting strongly enough to end the violence.
Pakistan denies Mumbai dossier is "evidence"
A dossier which India claims links those behind the Mumbai attacks on 26 November to factions in Pakistan has been dismissed by Pakistan as simply "information" . Since the attacks, which killed over 170 people, relations between India and Pakistan have worsened. The dossier is said to contain proof of correspondence between attackers, information on weapons and the interrogation of arrested gunmen. Last week, Pakistan confirmed that the only surviving gunman was a Pakistani citizen, but president Yousaf Raza Gilani continues to refute claims that all those behind the atrocities were members of militant groups based in Pakistan.
Sri Lankan army takes control of Jaffna for first time in eight years
The Sri Lankan military have seized major strategic sites in the past fortnight, including Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass and finally the northern Jaffna peninsula which was until recently the last remaining bastion of the Tamil Tigers rebels. Yesterday saw fighting between Sri Lankan forces and around nineteen rebels, although official casualty figures on either side are as yet unknown. The Sri Lankan army commenced their current offensive against the rebel group at the start of the week, with the objective of capturing the northern peninsula. After a series of military victories, the Tamil Tigers have been forced into the jungle in the north of the country. It is reported that over 800 people have been forced to leave their homes because of the fighting.
US official has admitted use of torture in Guantanamo
9/11 suspect Mohammed al-Qahtani was severely tortured under US instruction, it has been revealed. Susan Crawford, a senior official of the Bush Administration in charge of overseeing the Guantanamo trials, admitted that sleep deprivation, prolonged cold and isolation were used to extract information from detainees. Crawford has said these were "authorised" techniques but the way in which they were used was "overly aggressive". Vice President Dick Cheney has defended US action despite previously denying the use of torture at Guantanamo. Al-Qahtani had been branded "the twentieth hijacker" as it was suspected that he had planned to take part in the 9/11 attacks. All charges against him have been dropped but officials are calling him "very dangerous".
Sudan admits to bombing Darfur
Today, a spokesman for Sudan's army said it carried out attacks on the south of Darfur in order to protect civilians. The army have said they were targeting militant rebels who were against the ceasefire attempted in November. After six years of fighting, the International Criminal Court in The Hague are to decide by the end of the month whether to issue a warrant for the arrest of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes.
"Bin Laden" urges jihad over Gaza conflict
In an audio tape recording released on Wednesday on Islamist websites, a speaker allegedly Osama bin Laden called for a holy war to avenge Israeli actions in Gaza. The recording urged all Muslims to rise up against the Israeli aggression, and denounced the legitimacy of Arab leaders who he suggested are "allies" of the Western powers. White House officials have said they do not see the recording as a threat.
