For today, links to commentary from Middle East Eye, and to reports from National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 11  Gaza is being wiped out. We need a permanent ceasefire now, by Eman Alhaj Al | Middle East Eye  Each time I hear about new negotiations for a ceasefire, I feel increasingly pessimistic, as these discussions never seem to lead anywhere. The reality is that the people of Gaza do not want a temporary truce; they long for a permanent ceasefire, which would . . . READ MORE . . .

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There’s renewed hope for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Michele Kelemen and Leila Fadel | NPR  A possible ceasefire in the 14-month long war between Israel and Hamas is gaining momentum. There are signs that the two sides are closer to making a deal, but many sticking points remain. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israeli forces kill ‘soul of my soul’ grandad Khaled Nabhan in air strike on Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. Khaled Nathan, a Palestinian grandfather who grieved for his three-year-old granddaughter after she was killed in an Israeli air strike last year, was himself killed in another Israeli attack on central Gaza today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.