First, links to commentary from Middle East Eye and to a report from the Cradle; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA, UKRAINE and IRAN so far, and for GAZA 5-19-26.) — MCM

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How Israel’s war has made Hajj an unreachable dream, by Sara Awad | Middle East Eye  While thousands of Muslims prepare to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, Palestinians in Gaza have been deprived yet again of the opportunity to fulfill one of the five pillars of Islam, as Israel retains control over the Rafah border. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 19  Israel expands occupation by over 1,000 square km since Oct. 7: report. From the Cradle. The Israeli military has “seized” 1,000 square kilometers of territory across the region since Oct. 7, 2023; the Financial Times wrote in an article released on Tuesday, pointing to Tel Aviv’s “new, more aggressive military doctrine” since the fateful Hamas attack. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to THREE reports: from the Cradle and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s MEDIA, UKRAINE and IRAN so far, and for LEBANON 5-19-26.) — MCM

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Hezbollah warns direct talks with Israel ‘threaten Lebanese coexistence.’ From the Cradle. Hezbollah MP and spokesperson Ibrahim al-Moussawi warned today that direct Lebanese–Israeli negotiations are a threat to Lebanon’s “internal unity,” urging the government to withdraw from them immediately. He said its unilateral decision to enter such talks without a full consensus from all Lebanese components “constitutes . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM MAY 19  Israel expands occupation by over 1,000 square km since Oct. 7: report. From the Cradle. The Israeli military has “seized” 1,000 square kilometers of territory across the region since Oct. 7, 2023; the Financial Times wrote in an article released on Tuesday, pointing to Tel Aviv’s “new, more aggressive military doctrine” since the fateful Hamas attack. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA and IRAN so far, and for UKRAINE 5-19-26.) — MCM

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UK eases sanctions on Russian oil as fuel prices surge over Iran conflict. From AP. LONDON — The U.K. government has delayed some new sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to shelter Britons from the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same report in Spanish.

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FROM MAY 19  Drones attack industrial areas in Russia’s Stavropol region, governor says, by Jekaterīna Golubkova | Reuters  Industrial areas around Nevinnomyssk in Russia’s southern Stavropol region are under drone attack, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said. In Ukraine, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to THREE reports: from National Public Radio, the Cradle, and Reuters; others or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for today’s LEBANON, MEDIA and UKRAINE so far, and down for IRAN 5-19-26.) — MCM

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Trump has threatened to restart strikes against Iran. What it could mean for the U.S. A Martínez of NPR asks Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University what a potential restart of military strikes against Iran would mean for the U.S. and its regional partners. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for link to the other report today directly related to the Iran war on NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”

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FROM MAY 19  U.S. Treasury chief demands allies intensify sanctions against Iran. From the Cradle. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Washington’s allies to intensify efforts to dismantle Iran’s banking and oil-exporting networks during the so-called “No Money for Terror” conference in Paris, held after a meeting Tuesday of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 19  Trump says U.S. may strike Iran again but Tehran wants deal. From Reuters. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States may need to strike Iran again and that he had been an hour away from ordering an attack before postponing it. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for WEST BANK, GAZA, UKRAINE and IRAN, and for LEBANON 5-16-26.) — MCM

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Hezbollah FPVs ‘restrict’ 80 percent of Israeli army operations in south Lebanon: report. From the Cradle. Hezbollah’s non-stop FPV drone operations have paralyzed Israeli occupation forces in south Lebanon – “restricting” nearly 80 percent of their planned military operations, Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, GAZA, UKRAINE and IRAN, and down for WEST BANK 5-15-26.) — MCM

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Israeli finance minister orders eviction of West Bank community over reports of ICC arrest warrant. From the Cradle. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered the forced displacement of occupied Jerusalem’s Khan al-Ahmar in response to reports that he may be targeted by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, along with other officials. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 18  Israel moves to steal Palestinian land surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque in bid to ‘Judaize Jerusalem.’ From the Cradle. Israel is moving forward with plans to steal Palestinian-owned property near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem – a move described as an escalation of Israeli attempts to “Judaize” the city. READ MORE . . .

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Links to reports from Middle East Eye and the Cradle, an essay from West Bank Alerts, and an analysis from Middle East Eye; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and IRAN, and down for GAZA 5-18-26.) — MCM

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Israel’s Bezalel Smotrich says ICC arrest warrant request is ‘declaration of war.’ From Middle East Eye. Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich on Tuesday said the arrest warrant application for him at the International Criminal Court amounts to a “declaration of war” and threatened immediate retaliation against Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

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Italian port authorities halt Israel-bound shipments of ‘military-grade steel’ from India. From the Cradle. Italian authorities are holding three shipments suspected of carrying military-grade steel from India to Israel after activists from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and No Harbour for Genocide exposed their contents, Middle East Eye reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 15  Full list of Israel’s ceasefire violations in Gaza, seven months on, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  More than seven months have passed since a U.S.-mediated ceasefire was announced with the stated aim of ending Israel‘s two-year genocide in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 12  Who knew? by Cara Marianna | West Bank Alerts  Who could have guessed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zionism was built as a bulwark against socialism, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  Since the late 19th century, the Zionist movement has sold itself to imperial sponsors as a bulwark against socialism, and western imperialist powers adopted it precisely as a tool against socialism and communism. READ MORE . . .

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Links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down down for LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN, and down for UKRAINE 5-18-26.) — MCM

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Russia attacks Ukraine’s Danube port, Ukraine launches drones toward Moscow, by Jekaterina Golubkova | Reuters   A Russian air attack damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Izmail city in the early hours of Tuesday, while Russian authorities said they had downed four ‌drones launched by Ukraine that were headed towards Moscow. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FIVE reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, and the Cradle; to an article from Consortium News, and to an analysis from Middle East Eye; other published material or at least headlines is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE.  Scroll down for IRAN 5-18-26.) — MCM

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Iran says peace proposal includes reparations for war damage, U.S. troop withdrawal. From Reuters. DUBAI — Tehran’s latest peace proposal to the United States involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of U.S. forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the U.S.-Israeli war, state media reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli cabinet discusses possible resumption of Iran war for second time in 24 hours. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of resuming the war against Iran during a meeting of the security cabinet on Monday evening, according to Hebrew media reports. READ MORE . . .

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Iran warns of swift response after Trump says he halted planned attack. From Middle East Monitor. An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader for military affairs said U.S. President Donald Trump sets a date for an attack and then cancels it himself “in the hope that our nation will surrender.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 18 IRGC foils U.S. arms shipments to ‘terror groups’ near border with Iraqi Kurdistan. From the Cradle. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement on Monday that it foiled an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of US-made weapons and ammunition into the country. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 18  History turned in Beijing, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Among the matters besides Taiwan that Presidents Xi and Trump discussed last Thursday and Friday, the most pressing was Beijing’s views on the Iran war. Click HERE for article, which includes a link to video of a CBS News report by Jessi Mitchell and Weiji Jiang. READ MORE . . .

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Zionism was built as a bulwark against socialism, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  Since the late 19th century, the Zionist movement has sold itself to imperial sponsors as a bulwark against socialism, and western imperialist powers adopted it precisely as a tool against socialism and communism. READ MORE . . .

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