Wheels Of Diplomacy Turn Toward Gaza

International Community Steps Up Efforts To Convince Israel, Hamas To Halt Violence

(CBS/AP)  International pressure mounted Monday for a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian violence that has engulfed Gaza for 10 days.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that the wheels of diplomacy have started to creak into action Monday. European diplomats and the French president were due to talk to Israeli officials about halting their nation's ground offensive and Egypt was set to try and convince Hamas to ease the rocket fire.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians are asking the U.N. Security Council to quickly adopt a resolution calling for an immediate end to Israeli attacks in Gaza and a permanent cease-fire including border monitors and an international force to protect civilians.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected in New York on Tuesday and hopes the council will adopt the Arab-backed resolution the same day, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said Monday. Abbas lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007 and has his own administration in the West Bank.

Malki said as many as nine Arab foreign ministers are also flying to New York, along with the Arab League secretary-general, "to show harmony among Arabs" and support for a speedy end to the Israeli offensive.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who unsuccessfully proposed a two-day truce before the land invasion began, was due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Abbas, who lost control of Gaza to Hamas in June 2007, on Monday.

While blaming Hamas for causing Palestinian suffering with rocket fire that led to the Israeli offensive, Sarkozy has condemned Israel's use of ground troops, reflecting general world opinion. Sarkozy and other diplomats making their way to the region are expected to press hard for a cease-fire.

U.S. President George W. Bush says he understands "Israel's desire to protect itself," offering his first public comments about the U.S. ally's massive ground invasion into Gaza.

Mr. Bush said he's still hopeful there will be a cease-fire, which he describes as a noble ambition. But the president says no peace deal will work unless it forces Hamas to stop its attacks.

After a weeklong air offensive, Israeli ground troops invaded Gaza late Saturday. CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports there is house-to-house combat as troops search for Hamas tunnels, bunkers and weapons caches, according to Israeli military sources. Israel has also seized rocket launching sites in northern Gaza. The army says dozens of Hamas fighters have been killed.

Four young siblings were killed in a missile strike on a house east of Gaza City. Three other children died in a naval shelling of a Gaza City beach camp and three adult civilians died when a missile struck near a house of mourning in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, reports Berger. Three other adult civilians died in attacks elsewhere.

At least 10 Palestinian children were killed in the attacks, raising the known death toll from a new ground invasion to more than 80. The vast majority of confirmed deaths have been civilians, which has fueled international outrage. Gaza's biggest hospital said it was overwhelmed by the number of wounded.

---

Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert has been working alongside Palestinian surgeons in Gaza's largest hospital, in Shifa. In a telephone interview Sunday, he recounted the harrowing conditions and said anyone trying to depict this as a "clean war," was simply "a liar." Click here to hear Gilbert's account.

---

As the bruising campaign continued, Islamic militant group continued to pummel southern Israel with more than two dozen rockets on Monday and promised to wait for Israeli soldiers "in every street and every alleyway."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the offensive would go on until Israel achieved "peace and tranquility" for residents of southern Israel.

A European Union delegation including foreign policy chief Javier Solana was due to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

The Czech Republic, which took over the 27-nation EU's presidency on Thursday, urged Israel to allow humanitarian relief aid into Gaza. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone Sunday with Olmert and advocated a quick cease-fire in Gaza, her government said. Merkel also called for an end to the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip.

Turkey and Egypt, which have both been involved intimately in Mideast peacemaking, have denounced the ground offensive.

[glenn_lewis]

IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT DUE TO PATHETIC BUSH, FRANCE IS NOW THE DIPLOMATIC WORLD LEADER IN THE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE NAZI OCCUPATION OF GAZA.

[sdemaggie]

The french and arabs are negotiating a cease fire? Two powerless entities. What a joke...

[brianp55]

The only plausible solution (and even this may not work) is for a neighboring Arab country to give up a chunk of land and turn it over to the Palestinians as "New Palestine". These two warring factions must be spatially separated from one another. Peaceful coexistence simply is not possible...particulalry, with expanding populations on both sides.

[antoniof123]

The hell with the cease fire. It is way past the time to deal with these terroist bas-tards. We should not stop here though, after Gaza, take out Hezballah, on to the Taliban, and last but not least,Iran. Unleash hell on all this terrorist scum and rid the world of this disease once and for all.Bombs away!
Posted by denny1233 at 12:19 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Your mother must be proud I bet haveing rased such a loving human being. NOT.

[endurorob]

The only plausible solution (and even this may not work) is for a neighboring Arab country to give up a chunk of land and turn it over to the Palestinians as "New Palestine". These two warring factions must be spatially separated from one another. Peaceful coexistence simply is not possible...particulalry, with expanding populations on both sides.

Posted by brianp55

You mean the way the UN forced the palestinians to give up some of their land so Europe had somewhere to send the Jews?

[briannorwood]

Here''s my advice for the Palestinians: Give up your stinking religion and hatred and get some education. You are among the most uneducated and ignorant peoples of the world.

You hate everyone because you are so backwards and so easily molded into blind ideologues. You follow your mullahs without being able to read or even understand what it is you are fighting for.

Instead of blaming the world on your miserable circumstances, blame your ignorant leaders who would rather buy a pathetic WWII era rocket launcher than buy books for its children!

[endurorob]

Here''''s my advice for the Palestinians: Give up your stinking religion and hatred and get some education. You are among the most uneducated and ignorant peoples of the world.

You hate everyone because you are so backwards and so easily molded into blind ideologues. You follow your mullahs without being able to read or even understand what it is you are fighting for.

Instead of blaming the world on your miserable circumstances, blame your ignorant leaders who would rather buy a pathetic WWII era rocket launcher than buy books for its children!

Posted by briannorwood at 12:33 PM : Jan 05, 2009

That definition would aslo fit some areas of the U.S. but you would need to substitute the Muslim references for Christian.

[briannorwood]

MrNrgmizer:

To the contrary. The Palestinians have the lowest literacy rate in the Middle East. Even the other Arab nations shun them as uncivilized war-mongers.

There have been absolutely zero contributions to humanity by the Palestinian people. As an ethnic group, they are totally useless.

And I dare anyone on this blog to name one positive contribution any Palestinian has ever made in the entire history of the world.

[plutoboy]

We Americans need to stop funding Israeli aggression and occupation. Write your representative today. There is no hope for Israelis and Palestinians, and we Americans ought not get involved in their forever revolution. Like Vietnam, the Israel/Palestine war cannot be solved with US money and blood. US tax payers give billions to Israel every year. What do they give us? Bloodshed.

[endurorob]

If we are now a Nazi country, how come fcuk_isn''''t a lampshade and three cases of soap?


Posted by Hackerpc at 12:41 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Because he is 2 dozen Yarmulkes.

[endurorob]

Diplomacy with terrorist organizations, who care nothing about civilians, will never work.

Kill Hamas leaders and supporters until they cease to exist, and the remaining Palestinians will have peace.

Posted by CBSisPravda1 at 12:44 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Makes sense but when you kill a larger number of civilians you create more enemies and help swell the ranks of hte terrorists.

[zzy-izzy]

Someone said that the Palestinians were coming to Texas is there any truth to this if anyone else has heard this please post it.

[bailmeout1]

There have been absolutely zero contributions to humanity by the Palestinian people. As an ethnic group, they are totally useless.

And I dare anyone on this blog to name one positive contribution any Palestinian has ever made in the entire history of the world.
------------------------------------------------------
Posted by briannorwood at 12:43 PM : Jan 05, 2009
They can not name one because there has been none. Look, I dont mind letting them live but if they are going to continue with the terrorism, they are just not worth it. This is the first time I have ever seen people dead on TV and actually thought "Good Riddence".

[endurorob]

Someone said that the Palestinians were coming to Texas is there any truth to this if anyone else has heard this please post it.


Posted by zzy-izzy at 12:47 PM : Jan 05, 2009

They said Palestine looks like Texas.

[bailmeout1]

The Palestinians have been there since the beginning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by FloydZeppd at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009
Well that explains that piece of chit grass-cant-grow Holy Land then. BTW, it goes by who is there now, not who was there 30,000 years ago. You gunna give England back to the Vikings?

[endurorob]

Israel is self-sustainable. They dont need you fvckin money. ****.

Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 12:52 PM : Jan 05, 2009

So why do they receive aid from the U.S.?

[trapbreaker]

Jews always living off somebody else....like they''''''''ve been on the US tax payer Welfare Dole since 1948. - Posted by FloydZeppd at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009

1. Israel $2.4 billion Virtually all of this money is used to buy weapons (up to 75% made in the U.S.). Beginning in 2009, the U.S. plans to give $30 billion over 10 years.

2. Egypt $1.7 billion $1.3 billion to buy weapons; $103 million for education; $74 million for health care; $45 million to promote civic participation and human rights.

3. Pakistan $798 million $330 million for security efforts, including military-equipment upgrades and border security; $20 million for infrastructure.

4. Jordan $688 million $326 million to fight terrorism and promote regional stability through equipment upgrades and training; $163 million cash payment to the Jordanian government.

[matrixrx2003]

Since 2006 Hamas has fired over 2000 rockets into Israel. The Israeli people supply the west back with fuel, electricty, food, water and pretty much everything else.

YOU DONT BIT THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU !

ISRAEL is sick of the rocket attacks and has warned them countless times to stop and they continue. I dont blame them at all, MARCH ON ISRAEL and wipe them out !

[samael2014]

Jews always living off somebody else....like they''''''''ve been on the US tax payer Welfare Dole since 1948.

Posted by FloydZeppd at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009
**********************************
******************

Israel is self-sustainable. They dont need you fvckin money. ****.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 12:52 PM : Jan 05, 2009


Apparently, that is VASTLY EASIER SAID than DONE.

How about until Israel stops taking money from the United States, we just call you a pathological liar and Israel a welfare state until something better comes along, like TRUE U.S. taxpayer liberation from Israel?

[bailmeout1]

The actual INVENTORS of killing civilians as a means of war are crying the blues? The breakers of all treaties are now begging for a treaty? Arabs only understand ONE thing - frig with us or our allies in any way and you are going to die. Your children will die, your dogs will die. You made the rules.....

[endurorob]

Because they fight terrorists for us.


Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 12:57 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Israelis fight only for themselves.

[lovegetpeace]

Something tells me that if the Hama-Gaza-Stines had stopped launching all those bombs on Israel in the first place, we wouldn`t need diplomacy.
What`s so hard about ''''don`t launch missles against another Country unless you want to get invaded and rubbed out''''?

Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:01 PM : Jan 05, 2009

What is so hard about Stop the Blockage of Food, Water, Power, Medicine, etc to Gaza?

[lovegetpeace]

Israel is self-sustainable. They dont need you fvckin money. ****.

Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 12:52 PM : Jan 05, 2009

The State of Israel is Nothing without the USA UnConditional Support since 1948.

[antoniof123]

While I don''t agree with this if Iseral is to continue they must strike with full and maximum force. They must treat it like a war and destroy everything including the innocent. War is to be avoided at all cost when you make it clean leaders don''t want to avoid it they keep it going to try to stay in power.

Sometimes this is what happens.

[trapbreaker]

Jews always living off somebody else....like they''''''''''''''''ve been on the US tax payer Welfare Dole since 1948. - Posted by FloydZeppd at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009

2.4 billion to Israel, 75% of it comes back to the u.s. in arms purcheses

Egypt and Jordan, combined get the same.

[bailmeout1]

Show me where an Israel whack-job flew a plane into a building. Show me where an Israel group cut off the head of a reporter and showed it on you-tube. You want to compare that to any aid that we send to Isreal? Man we send aid to everybody.

[lovegetpeace]

Because they fight terrorists for us.


Posted by BagdadsHere9 at 12:57 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Which is Smarter? Having 1 Jewish Friend and 23 Moslem Enemies in the Middle-East OR having 23 Moslem Friends and 1 Jewish Friend?

[torva-2009]

"Wheels of Diplomacy Turn Toward Gaza..."

The real question is WHY BOTHER?

How many cease fires, peace deals, blah, blah, blah have there been only to break down and the fighting starts all over again.

I said let the Israelis and Palestinians go for it, winner take all!

If the Palestinians want to live in Peace then they may want to consider who the elect as their government!

[plutoboy]

USA-No1, the USA supports Israel because of flawed logic in our foreign policy -- the same flawed logic that drove the US into disasterous conflicts in Vietnam, Korea, and Iraq. We should not support Israeli occupation and aggression, for problems it causes trump any benfits. If we give any country money, we ought to demand something in return or some kind of accountability. As is stands now, our support of Israel generates more and more terrorism around the world -- the exact opposite of our national interests.

[displeased]

B.)Don`t live anywhere where you are not wanted.
Posted by DaVicar3

I think that, given the location in the middle east, its the Israelis that are not wanted.

[lovegetpeace]

Jews always living off somebody else....like they''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''ve been on the US tax payer Welfare Dole since 1948. - Posted by FloydZeppd at 12:50 PM : Jan 05, 2009

2.4 billion to Israel, 75% of it comes back to the u.s. in arms purcheses

Egypt and Jordan, combined get the same.


Posted by Trapbreaker at 01:06 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Then, let send some Aid to Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Gaza, PLO.....some of it will come back to USA for some good needed military jobs here in the USA.

The benefits, which is tiny to the USA, should never be a reason to the USA to bleed Blood and Treasury for Israel.

[bailmeout1]

While I don''''t agree with this if Iseral is to continue they must strike with full and maximum force. They must treat it like a war and destroy everything including the innocent. War is to be avoided at all cost when you make it clean leaders don''''t want to avoid it they keep it going to try to stay in power.

Sometimes this is what happens.
------------------------------------------------------Posted by antoniof123 at 01:06 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Thats right. Of course we all want peace. If peace can be had then who can argue with that. But if peace simply can not be done, then one side has to go. Arabs have stated that they have the goal of eliminating Isreal - how can peace ever come from that? So the weaker side has to go. Bye-Bye

[lovegetpeace]

If the Palestinians want to live in Peace then they may want to consider who the elect as their government!

Posted by torva at 01:08 PM : Jan 05, 2009

When will only the USA and Israel RESPECT the Free and Clean Democratic election of Hamas Party in Palestine?

[ramos937]

Israel will not agree to a cease fire unless there is an enforceable mechanism in place to stop the rockets Hamas is firing from Gaza. These rockets are killing Israel innocents. The choice for Israel - Israel innocents or Gaza innocents die.

Alexander The Great may have the answer. When presented with the Giordian Knot that no one could solve, he took a sword and cut the knot in half. Israel will need to isolate Hamas and eliminate it once and for all. Easier said than done.

[exact11]

B.)Don`t live anywhere where you are not wanted.



Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:08 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Good thing the JEWS don''t take your advice

[bailmeout1]

Which is Smarter? Having 1 Jewish Friend and 23 Moslem Enemies in the Middle-East OR having 23 Moslem Friends and 1 Jewish Friend?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by lovegetpeace at 01:07 PM : Jan 05, 2009
Dude your estimation... of our estimation of muslums is truly out of whack. The answer? Have no muslim friends because that is not possible anyway.

[lovegetpeace]

The part the Gazoogians never understood was:
A.)Don`t live anywhere where you can`t get Food, Water, Power, or Medicine.
and
B.)Don`t live anywhere where you are not wanted.

Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:08 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Please inform the Jewish State of Israel that they are Not Wanted in the Heart of the Moslem Middle-East since May 15, 1948.

[bailmeout1]

When will only the USA and Israel RESPECT the Free and Clean Democratic election of Hamas Party in Palestine?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by lovegetpeace at 01:12 PM : Jan 05, 2009

here we go, what bs. As if that was a fair election. Get real and land your spaceship on some other planet.

[lovegetpeace]

Dude your estimation... of our estimation of muslums is truly out of whack. The answer? Have no muslim friends because that is not possible anyway.

Posted by bailmeout1 at 01:13 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Tell the State of Israel that the USA will nolonger provide UnConditional Support and the Moslem world will Celebrate to Kiss your Feets and give us Free Oil.

[lovegetpeace]

here we go, what bs. As if that was a fair election. Get real and land your spaceship on some other planet.

Posted by bailmeout1 at 01:16 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Sorry that you are out of a Rational Rebuttal.

[lovegetpeace]

In the End, the State of Israel will lose because Palestine got the High Moral Ground in the World in this conflict since 1948.

[bailmeout1]

Tell the State of Israel that the USA will nolonger provide UnConditional Support and the Moslem world will Celebrate to Kiss your Feets and give us Free Oil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by lovegetpeace at 01:16 PM : Jan 05, 2009
I dont require anyone to kiss my feet and I am just fine with paying for anything that I use with money that I work for and through freedoms my country stands for. I am an American, your worst friggin nightmare muslum lover.

[lovegetpeace]

Actually, the simple fact that Israel is there, causing problems for all those Camel Jockey Shoe-Bobmbers, is much more of a benefit than you realize.

Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:14 PM : Jan 05, 2009

If you are the War Profiteer, then we need to Eliminate you in the Name of Peace.

[lovegetpeace]

Free, clean, and democratic elections don`t make the outcome correct.
Just as in Korea, Viet Nam, El Salvador, etc., the U.S. has the right to decide if who or what you elected is in the best intrest of all concerned.

Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:16 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Finally, here is our Selfish problem. The world does not think like this.

[jsd330]

Time for the USA to sit this one out. Let the other nations of the world deal with it. Let israel and hamas battle it out on their own, let the chips fall where they may. Neither one wants peace with each other, so until one wipes the other out there will never be peace.

[lovegetpeace]

When will only the USA and Israel RESPECT the Free and Clean Democratic election of Hamas Party in Palestine? ------------------ Posted by lovegetpeace


Respect ?

Never.

HAMAS is a terror organization.


Posted by Moderator672 at 01:20 PM : Jan 05, 2009

If you take my home and land away, then I will be honored to be your number 1 Terrorist until I get my home and land back.

[lovegetpeace]

Time for the USA to sit this one out. Let the other nations of the world deal with it. Let israel and hamas battle it out on their own, let the chips fall where they may. Neither one wants peace with each other, so until one wipes the other out there will never be peace.

Posted by jsd330 at 01:22 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Oh Man, Is the USA that Weak as to be Intimidated by the State of Israel?

[lovegetpeace]

They earned every penny of it by eliminating those who have rejected Christ.

Posted by lady_organs at 01:24 PM : Jan 05, 2009

We need a POLITICAL and Not a Religious solution between Israel & Palestine. Otherwise, we are back to square zero.

[samael2014]

Then I guess you don''''''''t want to talk about those freeloading Jewraelis that have been on the US Tax Payer Welfare Dole since 1948.


----------------------------------
----------------------------------------
------

Posted by FloydZeppd
=========================
They earned every penny of it by eliminating those who have rejected Christ.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by lady_organs at 01:24 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Please let that be oblique sarcasm and not complete utter ignorance of who it is that has rejected Christ.

[exact11]

They earned every penny of it by eliminating those who have rejected Christ.


Posted by lady_organs at 01:24 PM : Jan 05, 2009

Actually most JEWS have rejected Christ so you''re saying they''re killing them