[Summary]

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation to bring to justice the Israeli forces behind the deadly bombings of UN schools in Gaza.

Presenter, Female #1
Since the beginning of its war on Gaza, Israel has used propaganda and psychological warfare in order to achieve its military objectives. This news comes amidst talks that Hamas lacks the system to counter this Israel propaganda campaign.

Reporter, Male #1
This large pile of statements and leaflets dropped by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip is part of an Israeli psychological warfare to go along with its military campaign on the ground. Through these statements, the thousands of phone calls made to the residents of the Gaza Strip and through media leaks and rumors, Israel wants to break the spirit of Gaza residents and stir fear among them. With this, Israel will be able to force the Palestinians into surrendering and abandoning the resistance. Meanwhile, Hamas is trying to counter Israeli tanks on the ground as well as counter its psychological warfare. Hamas tried to lift the spirit of its fighters through chanting and playing religious songs. It is also trying to focus public attention on religious and national issues while keeping ground and military information secret. Both Israel and Hamas are using media outlets to promote their psychological warfare against one another. Hamas launched a satellite channel and opened dozens of websites. Israel also started dozens of websites to promote its war on Gaza. However, both sides have failed so far to build credibility, which is the main ingredient for a successful psychological warfare. There have been no confirmed reports coming out from the battlefield. Israel has imposed an unprecedented media blackout in Gaza learning from the lesson it has received during the war on Lebanon in 2006. The psychological campaign is not any less dangerous that military operations on the ground. The psychological war usually leaves a massive destruction in the brains of those experiencing it. With the spread of advanced media outlets, including those covering the events of Gaza, the truth, even if it’s partial, has become the main ingredient for successful psychological warfare. Abed-Hafith Ja’awan, al-Arabiya, the Palestinian Territories.

[Summary]

While the ongoing war in Gaza is sparking outrage among many here at the United Nations and certainly across the world, the reaction of the United States has been quite different. The political establishment has expressed its virtual unconditional support for Israel and much of the media seems to have followed suit as well.

Presenter, Female #1
On the diplomatic front with regard to the crisis in Gaza, the U.S. has welcomed the French-Egyptian initiative aimed at ending the violence in the coastal enclave. Meanwhile, Israel described the Egyptian initiative as “positive” but said it has yet to study it. Hamas said it’s still studying the proposed ceasefire plan. On the other hand, the Palestinian authority has openly accepted the Egyptian sponsored initiative. The Palestinian President, Mahmud Abbas, will head to Cairo next Saturday to discuss with the Egyptian President the mechanism for its implementation. The Egyptian-French initiative, which was the outcome of diplomatic efforts, includes the following: Israel and the Palestinian factions must accept an immediate ceasefire.
Both sides must halt hostile fire for a specific period of time to allow the flow of aid to the residents of Gaza. This will also allow Egypt to move forward with its initiative and help it broker a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire agreement. The most important point in the initiative has to do with a key demand, calling for the deployment of European forces along the Gaza-Egypt borders. The international forces will help destroy tunnels and make sure no new ones are constructed. They will also monitor the borders and stop the smuggling of weapons to Hamas and other factions in the Gaza Strip. In return, Israel will agree to a ceasefire. However, a border issue is still pending, as Hamas wants to take part, along the Palestinian authority, in the administration of the Rafah border crossing. According to the Egyptian initiative, Israel must unconditionally agree to supply Gaza with its need of humanitarian relief, regardless to the political or security situation on the ground.

Guest, Male #1, Mubarak
I’m proposing today a specific initiative to help contain the situation in Gaza.

Reporter, Female #2
The chances of success for the Egyptian sponsored initiative, aimed at ending the violence in Gaza, are promising. The initiative was announced by the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, during a joint press conference with the French President, Nicholas Sarkozi. With the exception of the Palestinian authority, which has embraced the Egyptian initiative, neither side of the conflict has openly accepted or rejected the proposed ceasefire plan. The Palestinian President, Mahmud Abbas, will head to Cairo next Saturday to discuss with the Egyptian President the mechanism for the implementation of the proposed ceasefire plan. Meanwhile, Hamas said that it will study the Egyptian initiative, which was presented yesterday to a Hamas delegation during its visit to Cairo. However, Hamas said it has reservations on some of the proposed issues.

Guest, Male #2, Hamas Representative
We will study the Egyptian sponsored initiative and examine all issues proposed to the Hamas Movement over the past few days. We will take a clear and unified position but we need to point out that the Hamas delegation is expressing reservations on some of the proposed issues in the initiative.

Reporter, Female #2
Israel announced that it will send tomorrow Olmert’s Political Advisor, Shalom Turjman, and the Head of the Security-Political Agency in the Israeli army, Amos Gilaat, to Cairo to discuss the Egyptian proposed plan.

Guest, Male #3
Israel welcomes the initiative of the French President and the Egyptian President in order to restore calm in the South. This depends on two issues: First, the launching of rockets on Israel must stop. Second, Hamas must not be allowed to acquire weapons.

Reporter, Female #2
At the international level, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has welcomed the Egyptian-French initiative. Ban Ki-Moon said he will head to the region next week for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council continues to discuss the Arab Project to help end the conflict in the Gaza strip. Zain al-Fayez, al-Arabia.

[Summary]

President Shimon Peres warned today that Israel must not give up control of border crossings into Gaza. Peres told Sky news that to do so would be to play into the hands of Iran.

Presenter, Male #1
Osama Hamdan, the representative of Hamas in Lebanon has said that Hamas is still studying the French- Egyptian initiative, along with other ideas that were proposed which include some Turkish ideas. Hmadan has refused the presence of international observers in Gaza.

Guest, Male # 2
When our delegation was in Cairo, they made it clear to the Egyptians. That any initiative that does not consist of a group of essential ideas will be rejected by Hamas. These essentials require the immediate stop of Israeli violence. This also includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops. The second thing is to end the siege on the Gaza strip. The third thing is to open all crossings, which includes the Rafah border crossing. If these essentials are not part of any initiative, then no one should get exhausted while trying to propose any initiatives. There was a detailed debate revolving many ideas that were proposed by the Egyptians. And I think that Egypt has heard our position and they now know if we will accept this initiative or not. We have a clear position regarding all the proposed ideas, and we also reassure that the presence of international forces in not acceptable. And we will treat any kind of international forces that are trying to protect Israel as our enemy.

Presenter, Male #1
Shimon Paris said that most of the weapons that come to Gaza are from Iran. He also added that Israel does not want Gaza to become a satellite for Iran.

Guest, Male #3
Now Iran is trying to ship over long ranged missiles, which means that all Israelis will go hide in shelters.
Hamas says that their first circumstance is to open the crossings. The crossings will open and they will get supplies, we will send those supplies ourselves. But, they want one open crossing that does not have any observers, which mean to have an open crossing for Iran.

Presenter, Male # 1
Now I have Mr. Ahmad Yousif the head advisor of the ousted Palestinian government of Ismail Haniya.

Presenter, Male # 1
What are your objections regarding the ceasefire agreement Mr. Ahmad Yousif?
Guest, Male #4
As long as we are occupied by Israel and we do not have a free independent Palestine then we still have the right to defend ourselves. Israel has left us with no options, either we die slowly under this siege or we die immediately while fighting. Our people have decided that they won’t surrender, either we win or we die. This is the equation that we are using now.

Presenter, Male # 1
You have rejected the deployment of international forces; does this ceasefire initiative call for this?

Guest, Male #4
Regarding international observers, we do not want to extend the occupation, or replace one occupation by the other.

Presenter, Male # 1
Mr. Ahmad Yousif, there is a difference between international forces and international observers……

Guest, Male #4
The presence of observers extends the occupation. We need a political solution that ends all of this chaos. A solution that gives Palestinians an independent state. If the international perspective observed the situation this way, then we will be very cooperative and positive. But as long as the international perspective is bias towards Israel. And provides Israel with emotional, financial and militarily support. Then it is the right of our people to continue to fight until this occupation is over.

Presenter, MALE #1:
After leaving Damascus, the French President from Beirut reiterated the importance of Syria’s role in the region.

Presenter, FEMALE #1:
A number of Lebanese reconfirm that the results on the ground in Gaza convinced Sarkozy that the military operation will not produce any results.

Reporter, FEMALE #2:
After he visited Syria and acknowledged that dialogue with Syria stems from its importance and that it works towards peace, French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Lebanon, one of his destinations. He was satisfied with what he heard about Gaza from the Syrian leadership, which confirmed its wisdom in dealing with all the events in the region despite the lack of a unified Arab position, especially amidst what the Palestinian people in Gaza are being subject to today.



Guest, MALE #2:
His mediation is a positive in his attempt to broker a ceasefire. Of course, his visit to Damascus is an essential part of his trip because Damascus is directly affected by the conflict in the region.
Thus, Syria’s opinion must be taken about the possible solutions out there. If there was a unified Arab position about this situation, then there could have been a response to this aggression or a prevention of it from the beginning. Because the Arabs have many weapons it could have used.

Guest, MALE #3:
What President Sarkozy heard from President Assad in Syria is different from what heard in Cairo or from Ramallah. He heard a decisive position. Syria represented the real embrace of the resistance in Lebanon and which made a major contribution to the victory in July against the Israeli aggression. The situation is different in Gaza. Egypt has closed all the crossings to the resistance in Gaza. It prevented the providing of food and medical aid.

Reporter, FEMALE #2:
Amidst silence about the French initiative that Sarkozy is carrying with him regarding Gaza and which he will reveal later, many confirm that the results on the ground in Gaza continue to favor the Palestinian resistance. Amidst Israeli media silence about the number of its killed and wounded, Sarkozy was convinced that it is impossible for Israel to achieve victory over the Islamic resistance Hamas.

Guest, MALE #2:
What is demanded by the Europeans is to try to stop the aggression at any cost.
To stop the massacre. Because there is actually massacre. We have not seen anywhere else the savage acts that we are seeing on the television.

Guest, MALE #3:
Syria and President Assad are on the frontline of real confrontation with Israel. Thus, any solution in the region, in Gaza or outside of Gaza, must go through Syria.

Reporter, FEMALE #2:
For Syrian Arab Television. Sanaa Alawiya. Beirut.