For now, links to six reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor and Mondoweiss; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for Aug. 18 are HERE and HERE.) — MCM
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Egypt agrees to Israeli control of Gaza border in return for Rafah reopening, by Ahmed Abdeen | Middle East Eye Egypt and Israel have reached an understanding that would allow an Israeli security presence along the Egyptian-Gaza border in exchange for the Rafah crossing reopened and operated by Palestinians, according to three senior Egyptian sources. READ MORE . . .
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Blinken, in Israel, says now is ‘maybe the last’ chance for a Gaza cease-fire deal, by Matthew Lee | AP TEL AVIV — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today the time is now to conclude a Gaza cease-fire agreement that would return hostages held by Hamas and bring relief to Palestinian suffering after 10 months of devastating fighting in Gaza. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from NPR.
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Hamas, Islamic Jihad claim responsibility for bomb blast in Tel Aviv. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility today for a bomb blast near a synagogue in Tel Aviv late Sunday that Israeli police and the Shin Bet intelligence agency described as a terrorist attack. A man who was carrying the bomb was killed . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AFP and the Anadolu Agency.
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The Palestinian resistance groups have their finger on the trigger in negotiations, by Amira Abo el-Fetouh | Middle East Monitor We hear conflicting news every day about the Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Doha that include senior U.S., Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari intelligence officials. READ MORE . . .
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FROM AUG. 16 A comparative study of the New York Times reporting in Ukraine and Gaza, by Writers Against the War in Gaza | Mondoweiss / ScheerPost “Words like ‘slaughter,’ ‘massacre’ and ‘carnage’ often convey more emotion than information,” wrote New York Times standards desk editor Susan Wessling in a November 2023 memo to the staff of the “paper of record.” READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED