Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip continue

Despite growing calls for an immediate ceasefire agreement, Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip continue as of 9 January 2009. On 8 January the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. There were no votes against the resolution; however, the U.S. abstained, with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issuing a statement that the U.S. government wanted to see what effects Egyptian mediation would have on the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected the proposal, stating that Hamas would not abide by the terms of the agreement and that Israel's security would not be governed by external forces; Olmert further stated that Operation Cast Lead will continue. An estimated 760 Palestinians and 13 Israelis have been killed since the conflict began. Rocket attacks continue against southern Israel, and authorities stated that at least 30 rockets and mortars were launched into Israel on 9 January. At least three Grad rockets struck Ashdod, while several Qassam rockets hit Beersheba, Ashkelon and Sderot. Security concerns in Israel remain and may increase as the Gaza operations continue. As previously stated, there is a potential for small-scale, spontaneous attacks and/or planned attacks in the country; in an incident that occurred on 9 January, a Palestinian attacked several Israeli passers-by with an ax on a street in Rehovot, located approximately 14 mi/22 km south of Tel Aviv. One person was injured before police officers arrested the man, who reportedly carried out the attack to "avenge" the death of a friend killed during the Gaza operations. Meanwhile, already-tense relations between Hamas and Fatah are likely to worsen, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' term has now technically expired. While Abbas has stated that he intends to remain in power because the Palestinian Authority's Basic Law contends that he may remain in office for an additional year, Hamas has stated that it will no longer recognize Abbas as president. The issue is contentious and will probably further damage Abbas' credibility. The international community has called on Hamas and Fatah to reconcile their differences for the good of the Palestinian people, but such a development is unlikely to occur in the short-term. Although demonstrations have taken place on a near-daily basis in many locations, especially large ones have occurred in recent days. In Amman, Jordan, on 9 January, tens of thousands of people gathered for planned demonstrations against Israel; protesters marched to the Israeli Embassy, but security personnel prevented them from reaching the facility. In Doha, Qatar, peaceful demonstrations were reported. In Baghdad, Iraq, thousands of people marched against Israel and held a rally at the Muslim Youth Association building. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands of people gathered near a local mosque and marched to Manara Square in the city center; protests against Israel have occurred in the West Bank recently, but pro-Hamas demonstrations are banned. In the Egyptian city of Alexandria, more than 50,000 people protested against Israel; demonstrations were also reported in Cairo. Protests were also expected in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Lebanon and Bahrain. Several protests were reported in Asia on 9 January, including in Jakarta, Indonesia, where protesters gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy, and in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, where more than 2,000 people protested near the U.S. Embassy. Rallies also took place in Europe, including in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Greece. A demonstration was also reported in Nairobi, Kenya. On 8 January numerous demonstrations were reported in various locations worldwide, including in Iran, Syria, Bahrain, Norway, Venezuela, Sudan, Bosnia, Canada, South Africa and Brazil among other locations. In Indonesia, protesters blocked a synagogue and burned U.S. and Israeli flags in Surabaya.