Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda (West Bank): President instructs negotiating team to suspend all contacts with Israel – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed his negotiating team to suspend all contacts with Israel on all levels until it stops its aggression on Gaza. Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said the decision came because the negotiations have no meaning with the continued aggression on Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of choosing to completely destroy the peace process and adopting, "war, blood, fire, and murdering innocents" instead.

Al-Khaleej (United Arab Emirates): 74 martyrs, including 40 children, in two days; Olmert endorses decision to execute Hamas leaders – The holocaust committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinians in Gaza has left 74 martyrs, including 40 children, and 250 wounded since Saturday and 105 martyrs since Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert endorsed a decision to liquidate Hamas leaders. All these developments come amid shy Arab reactions and an international response that equates the executioner with the victim.

Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia): Kingdom condemns crimes of the 'new Nazism in Israel' against Palestinian people – The Saudi kingdom yesterday strongly condemned the Israeli war against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip and compared it to Nazi war crimes. The government urged the international community and international peace Quartet to stop the Israeli war machine, vowing to continue supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people and to take part in rebuilding every home being destroyed by the "new Nazism in Israel."

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London): From the American Green Zone: Ahmadinejad accuses Washington of attracting terrorism – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used his historic visit to Iraq yesterday, the first by an Iranian leader since 1980, to declare opening a new page between the two countries. He entered the Green Zone, which the Americans protect, to hold talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose office is only two kilometers from the U.S. embassy; but he accused the United States of "attracting terrorists to the region."

Al-Arab al-Yawm (Jordan): American message leaked to Cairo and Damascus reveals trend for military move against Syria – Arab diplomats told al-Arab al-Yawm that an American message recently leaked to Cairo says the United States, which moved its USS COLE destroyer near the Syrian and Lebanese shores, has decided to carry out a wide-scale military campaign against Syria if Damascus maintains its position regarding the Lebanese crisis. The diplomats said the Arab party that leaked this message asked Cairo to relay it to the Syrian leadership through Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.