For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and New England Public Media; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM
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Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’ as cease-fire talks with Hamas continue, by Tia Goldenberg | AP TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged today to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering, as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas appear . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.
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Gaza ministry says 34,535 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7. From Reuters. More than 34,535 Palestinians have been killed and 77,704 wounded in the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year, the Gaza health ministry said today. Israeli military strikes across Gaza in the past 24 hours killed 47 people and wounded 61, it said. READ MORE . . .
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Nearly 7 months into the Israel-Hamas war, how do things look for a cease-fire? Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Brian Katulis of the Middle East Institute about the latest round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. Click HERE to listen and read.
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FROM APRIL 29 U.S. military’s pier in Gaza to cost $320m, by Phil Stewart and Daphne Psaledakis | Reuters WASHINGTON — The U.S. military’s cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million, a U.S. defense official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.
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Palestinians in Rafah say they’re in limbo as Israel threatens an assault. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR People in southern Gaza say they’re tired of being displaced and moved around, only to be bombed or told to move again. In Rafah, where Israel plans an assault, families weigh the risks of what to do. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Protesters at Columbia University are now occupying a campus building. Reported by A Martínez and Brian Mann | NPR Demonstrators opposed to the Israel-Hamas war continue to turn out at schools across the country despite the risk of arrest, academic suspension and police force. Click HERE to listen and read.
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As pro-Palestinian protests spread, more university leaders weigh police involvement. Reported by Meg Anderson | NPR Universities in the United States experiencing student protests over Israel’s war against Hamas are taking vastly different approaches on when to involve police – and when not to, underscoring the delicate balance between a desire to protect free speech and keep a college safe and functioning. Click HERE to read and listen.
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UMass Amherst students, protesting the war in Gaza, set up tent encampment, by Jill Kaufman | NEPM About 100 UMass Amherst students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza established a tent encampment near the school’s student union on Monday. Ruya Hazeyen, a UMass Amherst senior and the organizer of the demonstration, said they have multiple demands of the school. “We’re . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM APRIL 29 The latest on the high-stakes negotiations happening in the Middle East. Reported by Becky Sullivan | NPR The latest developments on the protracted truce talks between Israel and Hamas, with all eyes in Israel on the status of hostages held in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.
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FROM APRIL 29 State Department diplomat resigns in protest of U.S. policy in Gaza. Reported by Megan Lim, Justine Kenin and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR After 18 years of service in the State Department, Hala Rharrit discusses her resignation with Mary Louise Kelly. Click HERE to listen and read.
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FROM APRIL 29 What it means if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Reported by Rachel Faulkner White, Mallory Yu and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR Mary Louise Kelly talks with David Scheffer, former ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, about the possibility of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials due to acts in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.