Al-Ahram (Egypt): Al-Ahram discovers Hamas plan to storm border – As Hamas continued its religious and political incitement against Egypt, reliable Palestinian sources revealed that Hamas militias have prepared a plan to storm the Egyptian border with Gaza. These sources told Al-Ahram that the plan includes launching mortars and machinegun fire at Egyptian positions, adding that Hamas on Sunday distributed 60-mm mortar shells and deployed its militias along the border.
Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London; Saudi Arabia): Before meeting Bush, Abu Mazen calls for calm in Gaza – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) said the Palestinian Authority is working with Egypt to arrive at calm in the Gaza Strip, hours after he urged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during a meeting to do the same. Abu Mazen's remarks came before he starts a two-week tour, during which he will meet the American and Russian presidents to discuss moving the peace process forward.
Al-Hayat al-Jadeeda (West Bank): Carter: Syria, Hamas should be parties to any future peace deal – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Monday upon arrival in Israel that it was necessary to involve Syria and Hamas in any future peace deal in the Middle East, while the White House criticized Carter's plan to meet with Hamas leaders. U.S. sources said the Israeli secret service, Shin Bet, refused to help U.S. agents in protecting Carter during his visit due to his plan to meet with Hamas officials.
Al-Khaleej (United Arab Emirates): Livni grabs more meetings and demands changes in curriculum – Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni yesterday held what Israeli officials described as "fruitful" talks with Qatari leaders and the Omani foreign minister on the sidelines of an international forum in Doha. Addressing the forum, Livni called for the Arabs to embrace normalization with Israel and to change the "negative image" of Israel portrayed in Arab school text books and in the media.
Al-Arab al-Yawm (Jordan): Three inmates die and 60 injured in prison riots – Three inmates died in a fire and 60 others were injured in Muwaqqar prison yesterday after they set fire to their beds to protest the policy separating the convicts from the detainees. Security sources said that as the fire spread, riots broke out and chaos ensued.