News stories by Adam Morrow, page 13

Since the outset of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, calls have been renewed for an 'international force' to protect the civilian population. But Palestinian resistance factions, chief among them Hamas, reject the idea outright.

A week after the unveiling of a Franco-Egyptian ceasefire proposal aimed at stopping the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance faction Hamas and on the face of it Israel, are still discussing the fine print of an agreement.

Egypt's official press has recently alleged an 'organisational relationship' between the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) opposition movement and Palestinian resistance group Hamas, currently facing the brunt of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip. MB spokesmen, however, say their relationship with Hamas is purely ideological.

Egyptian authorities have almost fully sealed the border with Gaza, preventing delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid.

With the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip now in its second week -- and as the Palestinian death toll approaches 600 -- U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has continued to remain silent. Obama's reticence, say Egyptian commentators, indicates that he will be no more even-handed on the issue of Palestine than preceding U.S. administrations.

As the Palestinian death toll approaches 400, much of popular anger throughout the Arab world has been directed at Egypt -- seen by many as complicit in the Israeli campaign.