For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a PAUL entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM
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NEWER Israeli strikes kill 44 Palestinians in Rafah after Netanyahu says ground invasion is coming there, by Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy | AP RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 44 Palestinians — including more than a dozen children — in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on today, hours after Israel’s prime minister said he had asked the military to plan for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people there ahead of a ground invasion. Benjamin Netanyahu . . . READ MORE . . .
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Palestinians brace for Rafah assault as Israel promises evacuation plan, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Henriette Chacar | Reuters DOHA / JERUSALEM — Israeli air strikes killed 17 people in Gaza’s Rafah overnight, medics said today, as over a million Palestinians cramming into the border city await a full-blown offensive with the rest of their enclave in ruins and nowhere left to run. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it has ordered . . . READ MORE . . .
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Israeli PM plans for ground invasion of Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. Reported by Scott Simon and Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he remains focused on eliminating Hamas and has ordered plans to be drawn up to evacuate Rafah in order to target militants there. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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FROM FEB. 9 Thousands of Palestinians try to survive Israel strikes on Rafah. Reported by Jordan-Marie Smith, Kathryn Fox and Sacha Pfeiffer | NPR Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Hisham Mhanna from the International Committee of the Red Cross about Israeli military strikes in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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FROM FEB. 9 What is ‘domicide,’ and why has war in Gaza brought new attention to the term? by Becky Sullivan | NPR One of the most staggering statistics to emerge from the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas is this: More than 650,000 residents of Gaza will have no home to return to once Israel completes its military campaign, the United Nations estimates. And “many more” . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM FEB. 9 White House downplays Biden, national security aide’s blunt comments on Israel, by Aamer Madhani | AP WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday sought to downplay sharp criticism levied against Israel by President Joe Biden and his deputy principal national security adviser, Jon Finer, over how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has conducted . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM FEB. 9 War in the Middle East goes beyond Israel-Hamas. Here are the other players influencing the roiling region, by Phil Holm | AP The war between Hamas and Israel has reverberated across the Middle East, raising fears of a broader conflict. Page through this interactive map [provided] to see the influence of Iran, the United States and others in the region. Click HERE for maps and captions.
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China’s economic influence in the Middle East could potentially help it broker peace. Scott Simon of NPR asks Prof. Dawn Murphy of the National War College about China’s economic influence in the Middle East and how the U.S. hopes to manage it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.