The BBC has said tonight that Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip have now passed 1,000. Sickeningly, a third are thought to be children.

Is it me or do you find the timing of Israel’s “cleaning Hamas of military capabilities” a tad hurried? There are insurmountable differences and the arguments are too complex and far-reaching for Ban Ki-moon, but I have to ask, regardless of continued provocation, what civilised government goes to war over Christmas?

If news teams are saying this then I’ve missed it, but Israel clearly wanted to ‘get the job done’ while they had such a sympathetic (make that submissive?) ally in the Oval. You gotta dance with the one that brought ya…

I really can’t see this continuing much past Obama’s inauguration next week, regardless of Israel’s aims or achievements at that point. But Prime Minister Olmert says he’ll continue the campaign for however long it takes. Let’s pray that’s more bravado than planning.