For today, links to three reports: from Middle East Eye, Reuters, and Middle East Monitor; others or headlines for others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. (WEST BANK 3-8-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in Jenin. From Middle East Eye. At least three Palestinians, including two young men and a 58-year-old woman have been killed today during Israel’s military raid of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, now in its 50th day. The Israeli army said . . . READ MORE . . .

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West Bank Bedouin community says Israeli settlers stole hundreds of sheep. From Reuters. EIN AL-AUJA, West Bank — Armed Israeli settlers stole hundreds of sheep from a Bedouin community in the Jordan Valley, local residents say, in one of the largest recent incidents in which Bedouins in the area have reported being attacked and harrassed. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 10  Israel to approve 1,030 new settlement units in occupied Jerusalem. Middle East Monitor. The Israeli occupation government intends to approve 1,030 new settlement units in the towns of Sur Baher and Jabal Al-Mukaber, in the occupied city of Jerusalem, the Palestinian Information Centre reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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

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Syrian Kurds celebrate deal with Damascus as coastal residents remain wary after violence, by Hogir Abdo and Abby Sewell | AP  QMISHLI, Syria — In the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria, revelers took to the streets after the announcement of a breakthrough deal between the central government in Damascus and local Kurdish-led authorities, dancing and chanting “One, one, one — the Syrian people . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 10  ‘No safe streets’: Lawlessness takes hold of Syria under HTS-led government. From the Cradle.  Syria is suffering from a wave of kidnappings, causing residents to fear leaving their homes at night, since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the New York Times reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 10  Thousands of Syrians flood into Lebanon seeking refuge from government massacres. From the Cradle. Thousands of Syrians from the Alawite minority have crossed the border into north Lebanon over the past several days after fleeing from the massacres carried out by the new government’s forces in Syria’s coastal cities and towns. READ MORE . . .

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Highlights from Reuters interview with Syria’s president, by Samia Nakhoul, Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily | Reuters  DAMASCUS — Below are highlights from a Reuters interview with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa conducted on Monday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye, and the Cradle.

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FROM MARCH 10  A weekend from hell in coastal Syria, by Massa Bashour and Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  JARAMANA, Syria / BEIRUT  Syria is reeling. Last weekend, the country witnessed . . . READ MORE . . .

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In Syria, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces reach agreement with new government.Reported by Jane Araf | NPR  In Syria, there’s been a major development as U.S.-backed Kurdish forces who have controlled part of the country for more than a decade have agreed to be incorporated into the Syrian state. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE and HERE for reports from the Cradle and AP.

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FROM MARCH 10  Syria looks to jumpstart its tech industry. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  One young man fled the Syrian war as a teenager. He returned as a Stanford graduate student and a budding entrepreneur, to a country trying to jumpstart its tech industry. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-10-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 10  New Israeli army chief approves ‘offensive’ plans to restart Gaza genocide. From the Cradle. New Israeli army Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir has approved new offensive plans for the Southern Command to resume the war against Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza, Ynet reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli fire kills 8 Palestinians in Gaza Strip, 3 in the occupied West Bank.From AP. Israeli fire has killed eight people in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials said, even as a fragile ceasefire with Hamas has largely held. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 10  Israeli ultranationalist lawmakers work on plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Ultranationalist Israeli lawmakers held a parliamentary hearing to suggest ways to get Palestinians to leave Gaza, an idea raised by President Trump that is gaining public support in Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Why did the U.S. break with tradition and hold talks with Hamas? by Yasmine El-Sabawi | Middle East Eye  Israeli negotiators were set to resume talks today on the Gaza ceasefire in of Doha, along with the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. The first phase of the deal expired on March 1. Israel has since resumed sporadic air strikes on Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press and National Public Radio, Reuters, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, and Tass, and to commentary from Substack; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-10 -25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Ukraine-U.S. talks on ending war with Russia start in Saudi Arabia as Kyiv launches huge drone attack, by Matthew Lee | AP  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — High-stakes talks between senior delegations from Ukraine and the United States on how to end Kyiv’s three-year war with Moscow opened in Saudi Arabia today, hours after Russian air defenses shot down 337 Ukrainian drones over Russia. The massive drone attack killed two people and . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from NPR, and HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for two reports from Reuters and one each from the Moscow Times and the Kyiv Independent.

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Trump envoy Witkoff plans second meeting with Putin – reports. From the Moscow Times. U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week for the second time in two months, several Western media outlets reported. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin claims big victory in Kursk sector, army chief of staff hands out medals, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Kremlin-controlled information platforms today claimed a major victory in the Kursk sector, with a media blitz profiling medals awarded for heroism and images of . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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FROM MARCH 10  Ukrainians describe their vision for a peace deal with Russia. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Ukrainians hope that officials’ meeting with U.S. diplomats in Saudi Arabia will be a chance to find a framework for a ceasefire deal with Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 10  An endgame in Ukraine? by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  In Washington, the Democratic Party leadership, having spent years ignoring the impairment of President Joe Biden, is now ignoring the increasing evidence that Russia has won the war in Ukraine. Leading Democrats in Congress have . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; other articles or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down. IRAN 3-9-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iran says it is open to talks about concerns about militarization of its nuclear program. From AP. Iran said Sunday it would consider negotiations with the United States if the talks were confined to concerns about the militarization of its nuclear program. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Iran would consider talks with U.S. about concerns over militarization of nuclear program, UN mission says. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran would consider negotiations with the U.S. if the aim of the talks was to address concerns regarding any potential militarization of its nuclear program, Iran’s U.N. mission said on Sunday. READ MORE . . .

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Trump’s ingenuity vis-à-vis Russia, Iran, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Both Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian are quintessential nationalists and modernisers who are open to westernism. Both Russia and Iran face U.S. sanctions. Both seek . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; other reports or headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-9-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Syrian defence ministry says operation against Assad loyalists is over, by Jana Choukeir | Reuters  DUBAI — A Syrian military operation against loyalists of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad has been completed, the defence ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Syria’s worst violence in months reopens wounds of the civil war, by Kareem Chehayeb | AP  An ambush on a Syrian security patrol by gunmen loyal to ousted leader Bashar Assad escalated into clashes that a war monitor estimates have killed more than 1,000 people over four days. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Syria’s interim leader Sharaa scrambles to contain deadliest violence in years. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Syria’s leader on Sunday vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of violent clashes pitting loyalists of deposed President Bashar al-Assad against the country’s new Islamist rulers and said . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Cradle, National Public Radio, CNN, Agence France-Presse, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, and Reuters, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other articles or headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-9-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Hamas showing ‘flexibility’ in Gaza ceasefire talks with Washington. From the Cradle.  A Hamas spokesman said today that the resistance movement is showing “flexibility” in ceasefire talks with mediators and U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Adam Boehler. READ MORE . . .

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The latest on a possible new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Steve Inskeep | NPR  A new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is likely in a matter of weeks, according to President Trump’s hostage affairs envoy, Adam Boehler. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from CNN.

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Hamas says Israel ‘continues to renege’ on Gaza truce deal. From AFP. Palestinian militant group Hamas accused Israel today of reneging on a ceasefire deal that halted the Gaza war, as Israeli negotiators were due in Qatar to discuss a potential extension. READ MORE . . .

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Israel urging UN agencies and aid groups to replace UNRWA. From Middle East Eye. Israel is attempting to encourage UN agencies and aid groups to take over the work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water, by Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory. Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Hamas says talks with U.S. focused on release of American hostage in Gaza. From Reuters. CAIRO — Meetings between Hamas leaders and U.S. hostage negotiator Adam Boehler in recent days have focused on the release of an American-Israeli dual national being held by Hamas in Gaza, a senior Hamas official said on Sunday. READ MORE . . .

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What are genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity? by Sondos Asem | Middle East Eye  Israel and Hamas have been accused of serious international crimes as a result of . . . READ MORE . . . (MEE editor’s note: This is one of four explainers about international law. The series also includes separate pieces about war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.)

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U.S. brokering Israel’s breach of the Gaza ceasefire, by Motasem A Dalloul | Middle East Monitor  By the end of stage one of the three phase ceasefire deal, which halted the unprecedented livestreamed Israeli genocide in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his reduced cabinet and decided not to . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, and Reuters, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; other articles or just headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this day are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up. UKRAINE 3-9 -25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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U.S. hasn’t stopped sharing defense-related intelligence with Ukraine, Trump’s envoy says, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  The U.S. has never stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine that is needed for defensive purposes, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said today. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russia denies reports about new talks with U.S. in Saudi Arabia. From the Moscow Times. Russian and U.S. officials do not plan to meet in Saudi Arabia this week for a new round of diplomatic talks, the Kremlin said today. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says reinforcing troops in Russia’s Kursk region. From AFP. Kyiv is reinforcing its troops involved in fighting in Russia’s region of Kursk, where Moscow’s forces have been regaining ground, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said today. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Trump advisers ‘sketching out’ how they might ease sanctions on Russia. From Kyiv Post. The advisers to US President Donald Trump are reportedly “sketching out” options to ease sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, one . . . READ MORE . . .

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MARCH 9  Russian forces take three new settlements in Kursk. From Reuters. MOSCOW: Russian forces on Sunday recaptured three more settlements in Russia’s western Kursk region, the Defence Ministry said, part of an operation to evict Ukrainian troops holding chunks of territory seven months after a cross-border incursion. READ MORE . . .

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Trump’s ingenuity vis-à-vis Russia, Iran, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Both Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian are quintessential nationalists and modernisers who are open to westernism. Both Russia and Iran face U.S. sanctions. Both seek . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a link to commentary from the Cradle; other articles are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON 3-8-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 6  The U.S. begins ‘normalization’ pressure on Syria, Lebanon, by Ghassan Jawad | The Cradle  The U.S. “Special Envoy to the Middle East” under President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, has expressed optimism about persuading Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, with suggestions that Syria and Lebanon could follow suit — both recently having . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible via their names or initials below. (LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll up or down. IRAN 3-8-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Trump revokes U.S. sanctions waiver for Iraqi energy imports from Iran. From the Cradle. President Donald Trump has revoked a US sanctions waiver allowing the Iraqi government to import electricity from Iran, a State Department spokesperson said on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 8  Iran’s Khamenei slams ‘bullying’ after Trump threats. From AFP. Tehran — Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday slammed what he described as bullying tactics a day after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Middle East Eye.

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