Ha'aretz Flash News is reporting: "Egypt tells Palestinian officials: Hamas never requested to renew truce" (no link but the details are buried in this story). I mention this only because it's apparently about to become a thing:

The Israeli government has decided to embark on an international hasbara (public diplomacy) campaign ahead of a possible major operation in the Gaza Strip following the end of a six-month-long cease-fire. In a conversation with her Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni warned that the situation was deteriorating, and noted that Israel has a responsibility and a right to defend its citizens. "We cannot stand idly by while rockets are fired at us," Livni said in the conversation, which was held as part of the public diplomacy campaign.

Isn't it nice how Israel has to launch a public relations campaign to say "hey, we've got to respond to months of rockets, mortars, and missiles" but Hamas just lets international wire services do their propaganda for them? And given that Palestinian soldiers have declared a 24-hour truce after a day when they turned Southern Israel into a rocket-battered war zone - well obviously any subsequent hostilities are Israel's fault.

Things could get very interesting electorally if a Gaza operation succeeds. Which is why the faux sophisticated media frame will be "Israeli politicians are killing innocent Gazans to get elected." That's not technically "accurate" as such - the ceasefire just expired last week and Israel is only doing what any other country would've done months ago. And it wouldn't be unseemly even if it was - democratic elections are supposed to focus politicians' minds on things they're supposed to do. But why let that get in the way of a good blood libel?

PS - Paranoia angle: are incidental electoral consequences the reason that Barak's been so testy this week? Clearly he's the last significant holdout other than Olmert. Would he stand in the way of a Gaza op just to deny Kadima the security credentials they need to beat Netanyahu? The reasonable critic in me says no. Barak is a former PM with all the responsibility and ethos that the position carries. The conspiracy monger in me says... still no. Israelis know who the Defense Minister is and Barak knows he'd get credit for any successes. Which is why the inevitable media framing is bogus.

PPS - Pessimism angle: maybe not totally bogus, albeit for opposite reasons than what journalists will list. Given that he knows he'd get credit for stopping the rocket fire - is Barak holding off because he doesn't think that the IDF can finish the job by election time?

PPPS - Related: I've been saying for years that Dalia Itzik is a cutie. The laudable content of this article aside, that's a really flattering photo.

References and previously after the jump...