Press condemn Israel's Gaza siege

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Palestinian children protest against the economic blockade of Gaza

<I>Press review from BBC Monitoring 21 January</I>

The Middle East press deplores Israel's fourth day of blockades in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, amid warnings of an imminent humanitarian crisis.

Both Arabic and Palestinian press commentators note the absence of international reactions to the siege, while others criticise Hamas and the lack of Palestinian unity.

Meanwhile, one Israeli commentator urges the Palestinians to "stop firing".

<H5><center>ARABIC PRESS</center></H5>

<center><I>International community</I></center>

AHMAD DAWA IN SYRIA'S AL-THAWRAH

The almost absent international reactions to what is going on in the occupied Palestinian territories is not a normal or ordinary case, rather a dangerous situation that threatens international peace and security and reflects the state of paralysis that afflicts international institutions, which should be the first to rise to deter Israel and prevent it from committing massacres against Palestinians.

EDITORIAL IN EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH

Perhaps the UN Security Council, which the Arab states did not even summon, needs a gesture of approval from the White House to convene. This will not happen as long as the US Administration views killing Palestinians as self-defence as it regards its killing of thousands of Iraqis as spreading democracy.

SALAMAH AKUR IN JORDAN'S AL-RA'Y

What is striking is that these hideous massacres and terrible crimes committed by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government in the Gaza Strip with the encouragement of US President George Bush continue to escalate constantly before the international community, the International Quartet and the EU - and all of them are in collusion with Israel and its barbaric attacks against the unarmed Palestinian people.

<center><I>Hamas</I></center>

EDITORIAL IN EGYPT'S AL-AHRAM

It would be better if our Palestinian brothers helped us by stopping chaotic actions like shelling settlements with primitive ineffective bombs, which Israel uses as an excuse for its aggression.

KHAYR-ALLAH IN LEBANON'S AL-MUSTAQBAL

No-one will break the siege of Gaza unless it returns to the Palestinian National Authority ... The only service that Hamas is still capable of providing to Gaza is to retract the coup they launched last June.

EDITORIAL IN SAUDI AL-WATAN

Israel's most dangerous goal in this aggression is to widen the gap between the Palestinian National Authority and the resistance factions on one side and between these factions and Gaza's inhabitants on the other.

EDITORIAL IN UAE'S AL-KHALIJ

The international community will not be serious in dealing with the situation in Gaza unless the Arabs are serious ... The Palestinian division has become a danger to the Arabs just as it is to the Palestinians. The Palestinian division needs a strict Arab position to end it in order to dedicate ourselves to confronting the continuous Israeli aggression.

MAHMUD AL-MUBARAK IN PAN-ARAB AL-HAYAT

The siege laid by Israel on Gaza, with the support and cooperation of the Western World, with silence and disregard from the weak Arab governments, and with approval and consent from the temporary unelected Palestinian government, is indeed an international first-degree crime.

KHALID AL-SHAMI IN PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI

The Palestinian president, who contented himself with denunciation, condemnation and reprobation, is now facing a new test which will determine whether he is truly a leader of all the Palestinian people or just a puppet in Ehud Olmert's hand.

<H5><center>PALESTINIAN PRESS</center></H5>

<center><I>International community</I></center>

EDITORIAL IN PALESTINIAN AL-QUDS

Where are the donor countries when they see this siege, killing and destruction? Where is US President George Bush who vowed to support the peace process and reach a peace agreement before the end of the year when Israel throws to hell all the talk about peace and returns to its agenda of settlement expansion, siege, killing and destruction ... The time has come especially for the leaders who talked about peace at the Annapolis and Paris conferences to save the peace efforts and Gaza from the continued killing and destruction.

<center><I>Hamas</I></center>

HAFITH AL-BARGHUTHI IN PALESTINIAN AL-HAYAT AL-JADIDAH

The one-party rule of Hamas has proven to be a total failure and has not presented any services to Gaza but rather thrives on its suffering. The only aspects of Islam that it has implemented are only punitive measures based on Sharia law. What is meant here is that Hamas is yet to lift its internal siege on Gaza.

<H5><center>ISRAELI PRESS</center></H5>

BEN KASPIT IN ISRAEL'S MA'ARIV

The only alternative to stopping electricity to Gaza is an IDF invasion or alternatively blind bombardment. Because this is what George Bush, Nicolas Sarkozy, Gordon Brown or Vladimir Putin would have done in our place... If the Gazans want regular supplies of food and medicines, if they want electricity, water, fuel and calm they need not recognise Israel, and they do not have to make peace with it ... They need to stop firing.

<I><A href="http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk">BBC Monitoring</A> selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.</I>