CLAIM : IRAN, SYRIA AND THE HAMAS-LED GOVERNMENT OF PALESTINE HAVE MADE "CLEAR DECLARATIONS OF WAR"
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting : "Israel has warned the United Nations that a new 'axis of terror' - Iran, Syria and the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority - is sowing the seeds of a new world war.
"But the Palestinians accuse Israel of an escalating military campaign using indiscriminate force to kill civilians and entrench its occupation.
"Recent statements by the Palestinian government, Iran and Syria, including one by Hamas on Monday defending the suicide bombing (in Israel), 'are clear declarations of war, and I urge each and every one of you to listen carefully and take them at face value,' said Israel's ambassador to the UN, Dan Gillerman.
"'A dark cloud is looming above our region, and it is metastasising....'
"The Palestinian UN observer, Riyad Mansour, condemned the suicide bombing and the loss of innocent civilians on both sides, but attacked Israel for trying to portray its latest military escalation - which killed 21 Palestinians between April 7 and 9 - as a response to violence from the Palestinian territories.
"Israel, the occupying power has been relentless in its grave breaches of international law, including the wilful killing and injury of civilians and the practice of extrajudicial executions," he said."
The Jerusalem Post is reporting : "The Bush administration launched on Monday a campaign to reverse creeping assistance to the Hamas-led Palestinian government while endorsing help to the Palestinian people themselves."The campaign is directed initially at countries already primed to contribute to the Palestinian government. On Monday, oil-rich Qatar said it would contribute $50 million to help make up for a US and European cutoff.
"Russia, which had appeared to be in agreement with the United States, the European Union and Canada in denying aid to the government until Hamas renounces terrorism and accepts Israel existence, pledged unspecified, urgent aid last week.
"Iran said on Sunday it would contribute $50 million."
HAMAS CLAIMS TEL AVIV BOMBING WAS "AN ACT OF SELF DEFENCE"
