Links to two reports and to an article of commentary — from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-15-25 and up or down for WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Hamas rejects foreign presence in Gaza, says ISF to ‘only monitor border.’ From the Cradle. A senior Hamas official said today Palestinians will be responsible for security in post-war Gaza, as Washington continues to struggle to assemble the International Stabilization Force envisioned in U.S. President Donald Trump’s “peace plan.” READ MORE . . . 

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FROM DEC. 15  Trump says U.S. to investigate Israel’s assassination of Hamas official as ceasefire, by Sean Mathews | Middle East Eye  The U.S. is examining whether Israel violated a Gaza ceasefire by assassinating a senior Hamas official, President Donald Trump said on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu: I am the law, and Israel is Über alles. When leaders treat accountability as optional, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  When a leader insists on operating as though the rules did not apply to him, it isn’t simply an affront to a set of abstractions. READ MORE . . . 

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