For today, links to three reports: from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, and the Associated Press; and to two articles of commentary: from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-28-25.  Scroll up or down for WEST BANK, IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Officials say storms destroyed most tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza. From Middle East Eye. The civil defence in Gaza said today about 90 percent of the tents of displaced Palestinians were blown away or destroyed as a result of strong winds and heavy rains. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for other Middle East Eye reports, and HERE for Dec. 28 Middle East Monitor report including Dec. 27 Anadolu photo.

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Trump and Netanyahu to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire, by Will Weissert, Sam Mednick and Samy Magdy | AP  PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, as Washington looks to create fresh momentum for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that could be in danger of stalling out before a complicated second phase. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Epstein, Dershowitz and the Israel lobby, by Binoy Kampmark | Middle East Monitor  A shrouded aspect of Jeffrey E. Epstein’s sordid legacy has been neglected in most discussions. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 23  Trump’s Gaza plan: A foreign force to finish the job, by F.M. Shakil | The Cradle  As 2026 approaches, Washington is laying the groundwork for yet another intervention — once again wrapped in the familiar language of peacekeeping. Behind closed doors, U.S. officials are pushing for the deployment of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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