Major Israeli cities prepare shelters as Hamas extends rocket attacks

The UK and international media today marks the sixth day of IDF operations in Gaza and Hamas's rocket attacks against Israeli cities. In the latest news, the papers note that Israel targeted a senior Hamas leader, Nizar Rayyan, who worked closely with the organisation's military wing and was responsible for planning a number of terror attacks against Israel. The Independent and BBC Online run profiles of Rayyan. The Guardian notes that the newly formed Israeli National Information Directorate is satisfied with its PR strategy and is being able to win international support in the media for operations against Hamas in Gaza. Middle East editor of the Guardian, Ian Black, looks at Israel's military and political options six days after the launching of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. The Daily Telegraph publishes an opinion piece by Israeli Ambassador to the UK Ron Prosor, who accuses Hamas of being an obstacle of peace in the Middle East. The Daily Telegraph's, Con Coughlin, agrees with Prosor's assessment saying that Israel is right to seek the destruction of Hamas as the best hope for peace in the region. Meanwhile, the Times notes that there is growing concern in Israel over the range of Hamas missiles, which could threaten Israel's nuclear facility in the southern town of Dimona. The paper also analyses that US President-elect Barack Obama will not toughen his stance with Israel and has other priorities to deal with. The Economist also looks at Obama's strategy towards the Middle East conflict. The Jewish Chronicle, meanwhile, reports that pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the Israeli embassy in London throughout the week.

In the Israeli press today, Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post note that Israeli Air Forces late last night struck at a mosque in the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza which was being used as storage for Hamas's weapons including Grad and Qassam missiles. Israel continued to launch attacks against Hamas targets in Gaza yesterday, while Hamas responded by firing more than 40 rockets into southern Israel which reached the major Israeli cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beer Sheva. The papers also note that Israel is expecting a strong response by Hamas after it targeted and killed one of the organisation's senior leaders, Nizan Rayyan. In other news, the papers note that a person, suspected to be of Palestinian descent, was arrested yesterday after he opened fired on two Israelis working in a shopping mall in Denmark. Meanwhile, the papers note that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit criticised Hamas and said that it gave Israel the excuse to carry out military operations against it. The papers also report that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni rejected a French proposed ceasefire initiative yesterday in Paris and said that Israel could not give Hamas any legitimacy within a renewed truce. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post notes that Israel's operation against Hamas has slightly boosted the Likud and Labour party according to the latest poll ahead of the February general elections.

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