Links to THREE reports: from the Associated Press and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 2-17-26, and up or down for MEDIA, IRAN, UKRAINE, and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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Trump wants his Board of Peace to solve world conflicts. It still has a lot of work to do in Gaza, by Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP  JERUSALEM — U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is set to meet for the first time on Thursday in Washington. Palestinians, including many civilians, are still being killed in near-daily strikes in Gaza that Israel says are aimed at militants who threaten or attack its forces. READ MORE . . .

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UN Security Council to hold high-level meeting on Gaza before Trump’s Board of Peace convenes, by Farnoush Amiri and Edith M. Lederer | AP  UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council is set to hold a high-level meeting today on the Gaza ceasefire deal and Israel’s efforts to expand control in the West Bank before world leaders head to Washington to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories at the first gathering of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. READ MORE . . .

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Candidates sound alarm on stealth AIPAC meddling in Illinois, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams  Progressive congressional candidates in Illinois sounded the alarm Tuesday over efforts by the pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC to influence congressional races in the state using methods that appear designed to conceal its role. READ MORE . . .

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