Mideast press gloomy on chances for peace

Israeli papers report yesterday's bloodshed in Jerusalem in stark terms. Editorials and commentaries see gloomy prospects for peace in the aftermath.

Arab newspapers continue reflecting on the impact of the Israeli attack the previous day on Hamas political leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, which they see as sealing the fate of the roadmap.

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Hamas's crime, Sharon's sin, Bush's mistake - Yesterday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem is the by-product of Hamas's decision to wage war to the finish against Israel.

Headlines in Ha'aretz - Israel

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The course of blood... People on fire.

Headlines in Yediot Aharonot - Israel

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Back to war... 987 days, 804 dead... War to the finish.

Headlines in Ma'ariv - Israel

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Last week, in Aqaba, a new hope was born after years of horrors and shadow of death. Yesterday, in Jerusalem, the spark died.

Yediot Aharonot commentator Itan Haber - Israel

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The three-year war has now the option of becoming the 30-year war. It also has the option of ending. This requires leadership that does not look back each time to see where the citizens are heading... A leadership that leads. Where is it?

Yediot Aharonot - Israel

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The attempt to assassinate senior Hamas wicked man Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi was justified. The timing of the implementation, when Hamas was still agonising over continuing the terror and responding to Abu Mazen's appeals, was not wise. Whoever really wants honestly to help Abu Mazen start marching along the roadmap must now help Abu Mazen convince Hamas to give him a chance.

Ma'ariv - Israel

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The US president is indeed a friend of Israel but he wants Israel to take a decent dose of murders to make his roadmap a reality.

Hatzofe - Israel

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The attempt to kill Rantissi is an attempt to kill the roadmap, which Sharon seems to have accepted under US pressure, without being convinced of it.

Al-Akhbar - Egypt

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Sharon has succeeded in burying the roadmap just as he did the Oslo, Hebron and Cairo agreements.

Al-Jumhuriyah - Egypt

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Will the end of the roadmap be the opposite of what the map aimed for? And will it be cast in blood?

Al-Nahar - Lebanon

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Bush was very troubled by the Israeli attempt to kill Rantissi and said acts like these would not ensure Israel's security. He was implying that these operations would lead to a Palestinian retaliation. Therefore, the Israelis are responsible for this escalation.

Al-Watan - Saudi Arabia

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Forcing Israel at both international and US levels to accept the elements of the roadmap is the only way of achieving peace. Anything less will be a futile exercise.

Tishrin - Syria

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It is evident that Israel is not on the track of peace or committed to what it says. Instead, it is diverting international attention from reality... The international community should play its role in confronting the Israeli threat to peace and stability in the region.

Al-Thawrah - Syria

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The attempt to kill Rantissi is also a threat to the US, whose President, George Bush, expressed his concern, saying this act would not benefit Israel's security. Sharon wanted to tell Bush that he knew all about Israel's security and nobody had the right to tell him how to achieve it.

Al-Khalij - UAE

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BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.