First, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines at least of others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON 3-22-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Truce shaky as Israel hits Lebanon in response to rocket fire. From Reuters. Israeli artillery and air strikes hit south Lebanon on Saturday after Israel said it had intercepted rockets fired from across the border, endangering a shaky truce that ended a year-long war between Israel and Hizbollah. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines at least of others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (LEBANON entry for this date, so far, is HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-22-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 22  As Russia retakes Kursk, Ukrainians ask, ‘Was it worth it?’ by Manuel Ausloos and Olena Harmash | Reuters  Ukraine’s armed forces General Staff said the Ukrainian military’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk region was meant to put pressure on Moscow, to divert Russian forces from other fronts and to prevent Russian cross-border attacks into Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE or scroll down.  SYRIA 3-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 21  Syrian government forces kill 72 Alawites in new wave of sectarian massacres. From the Cradle. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday it had documented the killing of 72 people across Syria over the past 24 hours in a series of assassinations targeting both civilians and military personnel. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and the Cradle, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 21  Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 591, injure over 1,000 in 72 hours. From Middle East Monitor. Some 591 Palestinians were killed and 1,042 others were injured over the past 72 hours after Israel relaunched its intense bombing campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to the Government Media Office. Since early Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for March 22 report from NPR. 

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FROM MARCH 21  Hamas denies withdrawing from Gaza ceasefire talks. From the Cradle. Hamas said on Friday that it continues to communicate with mediators in an effort to implement the ceasefire in Gaza, denying reports in Hebrew media that the resistance movement has withdrawn from the talks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 21  White House: Trump ‘fully supports’ Israel’s actions in Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. The White House said on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump “fully supports” Israel’s resumption of military operations, including air strikes and ground offensives, in the besieged Gaza Strip, adding that he held Hamas responsible . . . READ MORE . . .

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Collective punishment is a war crime. Israel is doing it anyway, by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  Israel Katz made remarks this week that solidified something legal experts have long stated: Israel is collectively punishing the people of Gaza. The defence minister published a video directly addressed to “the residents of Gaza” . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, and Reuters; links to others or at least their headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Also, from Encyclopedia Britannica, a 2008 map of Lebanon. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 3-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Israel kills four in south Lebanon attacks, threatens new strikes in Beirut. From the Cradle. Israeli forces bombed several villages in southern Lebanon today, killing four people and injuring others amid continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Four people were killed and everal others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the town of Touline. READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah sources deny responsibility for rocket launches from Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Hezbollah sources denied responsibility for rocket launches from southern Lebanon towards Israel earlier today. Speaking to Arabic media, Hezbollah sources said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel fires on Lebanon in response to rockets fired at Israeli targets, by Bassem Mroue and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  BEIRUT — Israel struck Lebanon today in retaliation for rockets targeting Israel, in the heaviest exchange of fire since with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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For today, links to eleven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, Tass, Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; others or at least their headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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3 people killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia despite limited truce. From AP. KYIV — Russia launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, killing three people and wounded 12, Ukrainian officials said today, despite agreeing to a limited ceasefire. Zaporizhzhia was hit by 12 drones, police said. READ MORE . . .

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Russia warns of ‘symmetrical response’ to attacks on energy facilities. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia reserves the right to a “symmetrical response” to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said today. Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenskiy visits Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. From Reuters. KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukraine’s Donetsk region today, meeting commanders of drone units near the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian troops have . . . READ MORE . . .

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6 killed, 36 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over past day, by Natalia Yermak | The Kyiv Independent  At least 6 people were killed and 36 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, regional officials said today. Ukraine’s Air Force intercepted . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian negotiator says he’s hoping for ‘some progress’ at talks in Saudi Arabia next week. From AFP. Moscow hopes to make “some progress” at upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia, a Russian negotiator, Senator Grigory Karasin, said today, as U.S. officials prepare for separate discussions with Ukrainian and Russian officials . . . READ MORE . . .

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From March 21  Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Belgorod region kills 1. From the Moscow Times. At least one person was killed and another seriously wounded in a rare midday Ukrainian drone strike on southwestern Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, authorities said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Envoy Witkoff cites status of five Russian regions as ‘key issue’ in Ukraine conflict. From Tass. NEW YORK — U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview that the status of Crimea, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, remains ‘the key issue’ in the Ukrainian conflict. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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General Staff: Russia has lost 902,010 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, by Natalia Yermak | The Kyiv Independent  Russia has lost 902,010 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said today — including 1,210 casualties over the past day. READ MORE . . . 

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Trump’s former Russia analyst discusses Putin’s possible next moves in the war. Sarah McCammon of NPR talks with Russia expert Fiona Hill, of the Brookings Institution, about how Moscow might approach any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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First, links to reports from the Cradle and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (LEBANON, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA 3-20-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.)— MCM

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FROM MARCH 20  The battle between ‘Greater Israel’ and ‘neo-Ottomanism’ in Syria, by Mohamad Hasan Sweidan | The Cradle  In January, Israel’s Security and Force Building Budget Examination Committeeel Committee released a report highlighting the potential security threat posed by a Syrian-Turkish alliance. It warned that this emerging axis could . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 19  Inside the HTS-Israeli campaign to eliminate Syria’s military engineers and scientists. From the Cradle. As Hayat Tahrir al-Sham consolidated control last December and Israel intensified airstrikes, the targeted killing of Syrian scientists and engineers continued. On Jan. 26, HTS militants massacred 13 military engineers in Fahel, a village in Homs province. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Sept. 9, 2024, report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 3-17-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.)— MCM

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Heavy Israeli airstrikes hit southern, eastern Lebanon. From the Cradle. The Israeli army carried out heavy airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on 20 March, claiming it targeted “terrorist infrastructure” and a “military site” belonging to Hezbollah. Click HERE for report including video.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Reuters, the Cradle, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  IRAN 3-18-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.)— MCM

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Iran’s leader says Yemen’s Houthis act independently, warns against U.S. action. From Reuters. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Tehran does not need proxies in the region and that Yemen’s Houthis act on their own motivations. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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FROM MARCH 20  What warming U.S.-Russia relations could mean for Iran. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on the subject. Click HERE to listen and read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to 10 reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, IRAN, UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and  HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-20-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

FROM MARCH 20  Hamas fires first rockets since Israel broke recent ceasefire. Reported by Anas Baba, Kat Lonsdorf and Daniel Estrin | NPR  GAZA CITY / TEL AVIV — The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday, Gaza health officials said. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire and resumed heavy airstrikes on Gaza this week. Click HERE to read and listen to a separate NPR report.

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