Israeli aircraft attacked targets in the Gaza Strip linked to the Islamist Palestinian movement, Hamas. Some 350 people were killed; according to the UN dozens of these were civilians. Israel’s government said it intended to force Hamas, which ended a six-month ceasefire on December 19th, to stop firing rockets at nearby Israeli towns. The UN and governments across the world called for a ceasefire, many of them declaring Israel’s actions “disproportionate”. See article

Guinea’s despotic president, Lansana Conte, died on December 22nd after 24 years in power. His death prompted a coup by army officers led by a hitherto unknown captain, Moussa Camara. The African Union demanded a return to constitutional rule, but Senegal’s president supported the new government. See article ...