For today, links to 10 reports: from Agence France-Presse, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, and National Public Radio; and to commentary from the Cradle; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.  LEBANON 2-13-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Lebanon official media report 3 Israeli air strikes in country’s east. From AFP. Lebanon official media said Israeli aircraft carried out three strikes today in the Bekaa Valley in the country’s east, two days ahead of a deadline in a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for later AFP report.

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Hezbollah chief says Israel must fully withdraw from Lebanon by Feb. 18. From Middle East Eye. The head of Hezbollah said today Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanese territory in full by the Feb. 18 deadline, saying it had “no pretext” to maintain a military presence in any post in southern Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli troops kill 13-year-old girl, kidnap several in south Lebanon. From the Cradle. A 13-year-old girl was killed and several others injured and kidnapped by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon today, two days ahead of the deadline by which Tel Aviv is required to withdraw its troops from the country. READ MORE . . .

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Israel receives shipment of heavy bombs cleared by Trump. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israel has received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump lifted a block imposed on the export of the munitions by the administration of predecessor Joe Biden, the defence ministry said today. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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FROM FEB. 14  Israel blows up homes in south Lebanon, refuses to withdraw by ceasefire deadline. From the Cradle. Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon rigged houses in several towns with explosives and demolished them on Friday, amid reports that the occupying army plans to maintain control of five areas inside Lebanese territory. READ MORE . . .

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Clashes break out between Lebanese army, Hezbollah supporters near Beirut airport, by Naim Berjawi and Rania Abu Shamala | Anadolu Agency  BEIRUT / ISTANBUL — Clashes broke out on Saturday between supporters of Hezbollah and the Lebanese army near the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, state news agency NNA reported. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 15  Lebanese authorities arrest 25 after attack on UN peacekeepers. From Middle East Eye. Lebanese authorities arrested more than 25 people on Saturday following an attack on a United Nations convoy that wounded two peacekeepers the day before, the interior minister said in a statement. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel for talks about post-war Gaza. Report by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Ayesha Rascoe | NPR  Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu amid questions over Gaza’s future. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 15  For Lebanon’s new government, dangers around every corner. From the Cradle. The newly formed Lebanese government, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, convened its first cabinet session this week. It emerges from a turbulent backdrop of political, military, and international shifts . . .  READ MORE . . .

For today, links to eight reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, and to articles of commentary from Common Dreams and the Canary; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.  GAZA 2-15-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Hamas says deadly Israeli strike on Gaza police ‘serious violation’ of truce. From AFP. From Hamas said an Israeli air strike that killed three of its policemen today near the southern Gaza city of Rafah constitutes “a serious violation” of the ceasefire in effect since Jan. 19 in the Palestinian territory. READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  Israel PM sends negotiators to Cairo for more talks on Gaza truce: statement. From AFP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed negotiators to head to Cairo on Monday to discuss the “continued implementation” of the first phase of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire, his office said. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli shelling kills 3 Palestinian police officers securing entry of aid in southern Gaza, by Ikrame Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Three Palestinian police officers were killed today by Israeli shelling in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire agreement, according to official Palestinian sources. READ MORE . . .

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Rubio says Hamas ‘must be eradicated,’ casting further doubt on the shaky ceasefire in Gaza, by Matthew Lee and Natalie Melzer | AP  JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio today fully endorsed Israel’s war aims in the Gaza Strip, throwing the future of the shaky ceasefire into further doubt. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from NPR.

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Israel receives shipment of heavy bombs cleared by Trump. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israel has received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump lifted a block imposed on the export of the munitions by the administration of predecessor Joe Biden, the defence ministry said today. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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Egypt says preparing ‘comprehensive’ plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians, by Ibrahim Khazen and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed today his country is preparing a “comprehensive” plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing Palestinians — this during a meeting with Ronald Lauder, the head of the World Jewish Congress. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  Trump wants peace in Ukraine, but why not in Gaza? by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine if he was re-elected as president. Last Wednesday, he started to make good on that promise by holding a 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  These seven banks have supplied Israel’s genocide in Gaza. From the Canary / Popular Resistance  Seven U.S. and European investment banks have been propping up Israel’s brutal genocide in Gaza to the tune of nearly $20bn. And a certain notorious company in particular . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, CNN, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Common Dreams via Popular Resistance; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, LEBANON and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.  UKRAINE 2-15-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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‘From now on, we will talk about peace, not war’: Kremlin says following Putin-Trump phone call, by Zehra Nur Celik | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today the recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump represents a shift toward prioritizing peace in Moscow-Washington relations, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russian drone strikes hit power plant in Mykolaiv, leaving 100,000 Ukrainians without heat. From the Kyiv Independent. Russian air strikes early today shook southern Ukraine, leaving over 100,000 residents in Mykolaiv Oblast without heat, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. READ MORE . . .

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Top Trump officials set to meet with senior Russian officials to begin Ukraine talks, by Betsy Klein, Samantha Waldenberg, Jennifer Hansler and Mariya Knight | CNN  Top Trump administration officials — National security adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkof — are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia soon with senior Russian officials to begin talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, sources say. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 15  Kellogg calls for sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, concessions from Ukraine to end war, by Dmytro Basmat and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  The U.S. should implement additional sanctions on Russia’s “shadow fleet,” while also calling for concessions from Russia and Ukraine, to secure a peace deal, President Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg said Saturday at at the Munich Security Conference. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine de-occupies Pishchane, repels Russians: AFU. From Kyiv Post. Ukrainian counterattacks in the Pokrovsk sector successfully liberated the village of Pishchane in the Donetsk region from Russian occupation forces, according to a Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesperson. READ MORE . . .

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In Ukraine, a potential arms-for-minerals deal inspires hope and skepticism, by Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KIROVOHRAD REGION, Ukraine — The mineral ilmenite is extracted from mounds of sand deep in the earth and refined using a method that summons the force of gravity, resulting in a substance that glimmers like a moonlit sky. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for second AP report.

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FROM FEB. 15  Ukraine is a big topic at Munich Security Conference. Reported by Rob Schmitz and Andrew Limbong | NPR  Top U.S. officials are in Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference, where the war in Ukraine is a major topic of discussion. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Finnish leader urges Europe to firm up Ukraine’s hand for U.S.-sought talks with Russia to end war, by Emma Burrows | AP  MUNICH — Finland’s president today urged the rearming of Ukraine and putting “maximum pressure on Russia” through sanctions and asset freezes in the run-up to possible negotiations . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  Trump Wants Peace in Ukraine, But Why Not in Gaza? by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies | Common Dreams / Consortium News / Popular Resistance  As we approach the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a monumental shift is taking place that might just lead to the end of this calamitous war, owing to a stark reversal of the U.S. position from being the major supplier of weapons and funding to prolong the war to one of peacemaker. Meanwhile . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to six reports: from Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and Middle East Eye, and to commentary from Jonathan-Cook.net via Middle East Eye, and from X via Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a NATURE entry are HERE and HERE.  GAZA 2-14-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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UN’s Arab Group: ‘We want a free Palestinian Riviera.’ From  X via Middle East Monitor. In a statement today, Arab ambassadors rejected any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling it a blatant violation of international law. “We want to see . . . Click HERE for video.

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Israel and Hamas complete their latest exchange as ceasefire’s first phase has just 2 weeks left, by Mohammad Jahjouh, Melanie Lidman and Jamal Bwaitel | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel and Hamas completed the sixth exchange of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners today with just over two weeks remaining in the initial phase of their fragile Gaza ceasefire. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Middle East Eye.

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FROM FEB. 14  Arab proposal for Gaza in works, but Jordan can’t take more Palestinians: minister. From Reuters. Arab countries are putting together a plan that would rebuild Gaza without displacing its people, guarantee security and governance, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Friday, adding that his country could not take more Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 13  Egyptian firm charges commercial trucks entering Gaza $20,000 in ‘bribes,’ by Ahmed Abdeen | Middle East Eye  Ibrahim al-Organi, a Sinai businessman, politician and Egyptian tribal leader allied with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, continues to exercise de facto control over the entry of commercial and aid trucks into Gaza . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  Trump didn’t invent the Gaza ethnic cleansing plan. It’s been U.S. policy since 2007, by Jonathan Cook | Jonathan-Cook.net / Middle East Eye  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention from day one of his “revenge” attack on Gaza, launched 16 months ago, was either ethnic cleansing or genocide in Gaza. His ally in genocide for the next 15 months was then U.S. President Joe Biden. His current U.S. ethnic cleansing ally . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘The inhumane is being perpetrated on our watch,’ by Tilda Swinton | X / Middle East Monitor  The British actor at the Berlin Film Festival condemns “state-perpetrated and internationally enabled mass murder,” and the complacency of “greed-addicted governments” — while acceptig the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. Click HERE for intro and video. 

For today, links to eight reports: from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, National Public Radio, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a NATURE entry are HERE and HERE. UKRAINE 2-14-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM   

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‘No decisions’ on Ukraine without Kyiv and Europe, says Zelensky. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today insisted that no decisions should be made on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine without Kyiv and Europe, as the United States pushes to open talks with Moscow.  READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Zelenskiy calls for European army to deter Russia, earn U.S. respect, by Andrew Gray, Lili Bayer and Tom Balmforth | Reuters  MUNICH — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called today for the creation of a European army, arguing the continent could no longer be sure of protection from the United States and would only get respect from Washington with a strong military. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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Ukrainian EOD operator killed by another Russian proxy bombing in Mykolaiv, by Steve Brown | Kyiv Post  An explosion in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv today killed two people, including an explosive ordnance disposal operator, and injured eight others, police said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  Trump administration presses Ukraine for a rare metals deal in exchange for aid. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  As President Trump presses Ukraine to quickly end a war started by Russia, the Ukrainian government readies an agreement to sell rare-earth metals to the U.S. in exchange for continued aid. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 14  Vance threatens sanctions, U.S. troops in Ukraine if Putin rejects peace deal. From the Moscow Times. Washington could impose tougher sanctions on Moscow and send U.S. troops to Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to negotiate a Ukraine peace deal in good faith, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance toldthe Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 14  Europe quietly works on a plan to send troops to Ukraine for post-war security, by Lorne Cook | AP  BRUSSELS — Increasingly alarmed that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, a group of European countries has been quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian army controls 20% of Chasov Yar in DPR — expert. From Tass. LUGANSK — Only 20% of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic is controlled by units of the Ukrainian armed forces, according to military expert Andrey Marochko. READ MORE . . .

Links to an essay from Resilience and reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 5  Putting nature at the center, by Richard Heinberg | Resilience / Post Carbon Institute  Stopping humanity’s war on nature will require . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 13  The truth behind your Valentine’s Day flowers. Reported by Ruth Sherlock | NPR  CUNDINAMARCA, Colombia — Buying flowers on Valentine’s Day is a classic gesture of love. But the beauty of these bouquets comes at a cost. High in the Andes Mountains . . .  Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 13  The Panama Canal needs more water. The proposed solution would displace thousands. Reported by Ari Shapiro, Alejandra Marquez Janse, Courtney Dorning, Karen Zamora and Rolando Arrieta | NPR  Every time a ship passes through the Panama Canal, more than 50 million gallons of fresh water from Lake Gatun pour out into the ocean.  Click HERE to listen and read.

 

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, COVID ETC. and UKRAINE entries for this date and a POETRY entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. IRAN 2-10-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel ready to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities ‘with or without’ U.S. backing: report. From the Cradle. “Israel wants to seize the moment,” Israeli officials told the Washington Post, the newspaper reported today. “If Iran won’t agree to a Libya-style abandonment of its nuclear facilities . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to a report from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN, GAZA, COVID ETC. and UKRAINE entries for this date and a POETRY entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. WEST BANK 2-13-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel to confiscate a thousand hectares of Palestinian land in West Bank, by Fayha Shalash | Middle East Monitor  RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank  — The Israeli army issued two edicts on Feb. 10 to confiscate more than 10,000 dunums (1,000 hectares) of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Referred to as . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, UKRAINE and COVID ETC. entries for this date and a POETRY entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. GAZA 2-13-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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The Hind Rajab Foundation: Pursuing Israeli soldiers worldwide for Gaza war crimes, by Sondos Asem | Middle East Eye  For over 15 months, Israeli soldiers have taken to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms to show off their handiwork in Gaza. Now . . . READ MORE . . .

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3 Israeli men named as latest to be freed in hostage release. From AP. The families of Israeli hostages still held by the Hamas militant group today welcomed the “joyous news” that three men, all taken from the same kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023, are expected to be freed on Saturday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Saudi Arabia spearheads Arab scramble for alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan. From Reuters. Draft ideas will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month of countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Proposals may involve . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 10 and 13  Palestinian refugees in Syria have a message for Gazans: Don’t leave your land. Reported by Greg Myre and Jawad Rizkallah | NPR  DAMASCUS — Khadija al-Ali was just 3 years old when her family fled their home in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and came to this Palestinian refugee camp in Syria.  Click HERE to listen and read.

For now, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (IRAN, GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date and a POETRY entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. COVID ETC. 1-31-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 13  RFK Jr. confirmed as Trump’s health secretary, over Democrats’ loud objections, by Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR  Despite millions of dollars spent by groups opposed to his nomination, the Senate voted to install Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services. READ MORE . . .