Israel: 'Road for Peace Goes Over Hamas'

Israel's US ambassador today drove a another nail in the notion of peace talks involving Hamas, Politico reports. "What’s the point?" said ambassador Ron Dermer on Meet the Press. "The road for peace goes over Hamas. It doesn’t include Hamas." His remarks came minutes after Riyad Mansour, permanent Palestinian observer to the UN, supported proposed peace talks in Egypt. He urged Israel to meet with Palestine's unity government, including Hamas, but said that "Israel is trying to destroy" that government. Dermer called it "very telling" that Mansour hadn't condemned Hamas.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon didn't mince words in response to this morning's attack on a UN-run school in Gaza, blasting it as a "moral outrage and a criminal act." Ban said the attack "is yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly requires protection by both parties of Palestinian civilians, UN staff, and UN premises, among other civilian facilities." The UN chief said the attack "must be swiftly investigated and those responsible held accountable. It is a moral outrage and a criminal act." Meanwhile, Israel has ruled that the missing soldier it accused Hamas of kidnapping was really killed in action. (More Ban Ki-moon stories.)