The frontpage of The Guardian Website has a small section dedicated to Israel vs. Palestinians, and their lead story is 'Israeli bomb kills Hamas leader', reminding us that this offensive is necessary and is reaching its well-justified aim. Just when you think you can trust a newspaper... At least they mentioned that two of Nizar Rayan's wives and four of his children were also killed in the attack. The article then quickly reports the death toll - now more than 400 (Palestinians that is), but is unable to reassure us that these two were 'wicked' people who deserved it. The prime minister, Ehud Olmert, travelled to Be'er Sheva, a city in the Negev hit by Palestinian rockets for the first time this week, but gave no hint as to whether a ground operation was imminent.
"I very much hope that we will succeed in reaching our goals as quickly as possible," he said. "We have not declared war on the residents of Gaza. I reiterate that we will treat the population with silk gloves but will apply an iron fist to Hamas."
Silk gloves?? Even the Guardian doubts this:
Despite his words, there is concern about civilian casualties, believed to number at least 60, as well as the humanitarian crisis.
60? Of 400 dead Palestinians only 60 are civilians?? Really?? They provide no source for this figure, but it can't possibly be right.
But the newspaper does reassure us that the sites bombed yesterday were worthwhile - the justice ministry and parliament building in Gaza city, more smuggling tunnels on the Egyptian border (what could they be smuggling? weapons? or maybe food? medical supplies?), the houses in Norther Gaza (just so we know they're within ranging of firing into Israel) of three more Hamas militants, and another group called the Popular Resistance Committees. At least the reporting cannot be accused of being biased, however, they do then go on to tell us that Palestinian militants fired 20 rockets into Israel (without casualties). The picture we are supposed to take away from reading this article is clear. Oddly, there is nothing in this, the main report from The Guardian this morning, about diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation. Nothing about UK and US vetoes on a UN resolution. Maybe I dreamed that I heard this...
My trawl through the day's media can only get worse from here on... The BBC News Homepage leads with a story on the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Their frontpage headline on the situation in Gaza reads 'Israel braced for Hamas response: Israel tightens security as Hamas calls a "day of wrath" in protest at Israel's bombing of Gaza, now entering a seventh day'. Again, the myth of equal opposing forces is propagated by our publicly funded news agency. I'm going in to read the article. More of the same. Applause for Israel on successfully killing Hamas leader, both sides have ignored international call for ceasefire... but my favourite line:
'Israel says its air campaign, provoked by Palestinian rocket attacks, has been going according to plan.'
Good job they put in that middle bit, just in case we forgot that the Palestinians brought this on themselves. They report four Israelis have been killed by rockets since Saturday. 400 Palestinians are dead, at least 100 of them are civilians, according to the UN. I check the UN News Centre to see if I can verify this, but find nothing. They don't mention that of 20 civilians killed last night, 11 were children and 9 were women. They briefly mention that the UK and US vetoed a draft UN resolution put forward by Egypt and Libya on the grounds that it made no mention of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel.
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