Intifada?

Notwithstanding any personal grief Hamas leaders may be feeling this evening, their organisation has been given a new lease of life by today's Israeli slaughter. Israel will have of course anticipated this.

The P.A. meanwhile looks like the Neville Chamberlain Society of the West Bank, and their tough rhetoric looks like so much hot air.

However, Hamas will struggle to rally Palestinians, whatever help Israel may lend. The injuries both sides inflicted on Palestinian unity during the debacle of June 2007 must surely be too recent to be forgiven.

And even if we are on the threshold of a third intifada, there is little chance that Palestinians will be able to pass on the cost of today's violence to Israel's political class. They will pay the full price of the sickest electoral stunt in democratic history.

Our governments, and particularly Mr Obama's regime in waiting, must present a clear, measurable ultimatum to Israel - rejected at the cost of it's already blood soaked aid package.

The US has sponsored this violence and more Americans will see the link today than saw it yesterday. If any good comes out of today's notable brutality, it is that Israel's PR mask must surely have slipped a bit.