Free Republic

Israel has laid out an ambitious war aim. It says it wants to create a new security environment, to protect Israelis who live within range of rocket fire from Gaza. It wants, according to one official, "to neutralise the Hamas militia men" so they can no longer fire into Israel. In the last day, the way Israel believes it can do that has become a little clearer. The air strikes have tried to kill as many Hamas fighters as possible and to destroy the infrastructure of power and governance that Hamas has been trying to build since it took over...

Israel 'to announce ceasefire' Air strikes continued in Gaza as Israel prepared to announce a truce The Israeli cabinet is set to back an end to offensive military activities in the Gaza Strip, three weeks after attacks began, the BBC understands.Israel's leaders are expected to approve a ceasefire at a meeting later on Saturday, after which PM Ehud Olmert will address the nation, sources said. The sources said the ceasefire deal did not involve Hamas. It is not clear how Hamas will respond; its officials say the group will ignore any truce unless its demands are met. Ahead of the...

Egyptian troops have opened fire on supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi marching in Cairo, killing three people and wounding dozens more. The shooting came as crowds moved on the Republican Guard headquarters, where Mr. Morsi is believed to be held. Later the Muslim Brotherhood's leader told supporters that protests would continue until Mr. Morsi was reinstated. The army, which removed Mr. Morsi on Wednesday after days of unrest, denied firing live rounds at demonstrators. However, the BBC's Jeremy Bowen at the scene says he saw soldiers fire on the protestors on Friday. About 2,000 people had marched on the...

BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen was shot in the head and leg today as demonstrations in Egypt ended in bloodshed. He was wounded as tens of thousands of people took to the streets over the ousting of president Mohammed Morsi by the military. Islamist leaders had called for a day of rage across the country after a military coup deposed Egypt’s first democratically elected leader.

The BBC’s Middle East Editor, Jeremy Bowen, has rejected allegations that he is anti-Semitic after he tweeted an offensive message against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during his speech to Congress last week. As Netanyahu was speaking, Bowen noted that he had mentioned Elie Wiesel, a survivor of Nazi concentration camps, and added, “Once again Netanyahu plays the holocaust [sic] card”. Bowen immediately faced attacks on Twitter over his comment and, on the Jewish Chronicle website, Alan Johnson wrote that Bowen’s comments were a “bloody disgrace”. …