For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 10-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE entry for today is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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With ceasefire secured, what’s next for Hamas? by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  That Hamas forces were back patrolling the streets of Gaza almost immediately after the ceasefire with Israel came into effect was both a warning to Israeli-linked gangs and collaborators and was a statement about . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Hamas aims to keep grip on Gaza security and can’t commit to disarm, senior official says. From Reuters. DOHA — Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told Reuters, adding he could not commit to the group disarming — positions that . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Gaza ceasefire one week later. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Simon | NPR  A week after the Gaza ceasefire, Israel’s new restrictions are keeping desperately needed aid out. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 17  Gulf states warn Gaza ceasefire will collapse unless Hamas disarms: report. From the Cradle. Diplomatic sources cited by Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Thursday said Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain are warning that the Gaza ceasefire is at risk . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17  Israeli soldiers reveal thousands of tons of aid ‘buried, burned’ in Gaza as famine took over strip. From the Cradle. Israeli broadcaster Kan reported on Friday that over the past two months, the Israeli army has buried or burned more than a thousand truckloads worth of humanitarian aid in Gaza, including food, medical supplies, and bottled water, amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, Tass, CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names of initials below. (UKRAINE 10-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for today is HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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‘We need ceasefire first’ but ‘most difficult question will be territory,’ Zelensky says. From Kyiv Post. After a disappointing encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on Friday, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky reminded reporters . . . READ MORE . . .

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Trump tells Zelensky to ‘make a deal’ as Tomahawk plea misfires, by Danny Kemp | AFP  Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to make a deal with Russia, pouring cold water on Kyiv’s push for Tomahawk missiles as the U.S. leader pursues a diplomatic solution to the war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Tass and CNN.

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FROM OCT. 17  Trump tells Zelenskyy he’s reluctant to sell Ukraine Tomahawk missiles after warning Russia he might, by Aamer Madhani, Seung Min Kim and Michelle Price | AP WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signaled to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday that he’s leaning against selling him long-range Tomahawk missiles, while offering optimism that the war is moving toward an end that would mitigate a need for the powerful weapon. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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3 killed in blast at Russian chemical factory – official.  From AFP. Three people were killed in an explosion at a chemical plant in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, the regional head said today without specifying what caused the blast. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17   Trump hosts Zelenskyy as plans for a Putin meeting are underway. Reported by Deepa Shivaram | NPR  President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after announcing he is scheduling another face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia keeps hitting Ukraine’s training centers — and Ukraine doesn’t have an answer, by Asami Terajima | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian missile strike this week on a Ukrainian training ground — the latest in a series of deadly strikes on training centers across the country — has heightened scrutiny and sparked criticism of the Ukrainian military command’s ability to protect recruits. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 17  Ukrainian drone kills Russian state media correspondent. From AFP. A Russian state media correspondent was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Moscow-occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, his outlet, the news agency RIA Novosti, said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 10-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire as delays in returning hostages’ bodies fray nerves, by Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  — Hamas moved today to shore up its brittle ceasefire agreement with Israel by reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the deal, including a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish.

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The long road to Gaza’s recovery begins amid rubble, ruin and security risks. Reported by Greg Myre and Steve Inskeep | NPR  With 90% of building damaged or destroyed, no funds and unexploded bombs buried beneath debris, Gaza faces immense obstacles as it begins the first steps toward reconstruction. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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What will it take to rebuild Gaza? Reported by Leila Fadel | NPR  The U.N. Development Programme is helping clear debris and rebuild infrastructure in Gaza. Jaco Cilliers helps lead the project. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 16  As the dead are returned to Israel and Gaza, relatives try to give them dignified burials. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  As laid out in the first phase of President Trump’s peace plan, Israel and Hamas are now releasing bodies of Israelis and Palestinians killed during the war. In Israel, funerals are taking place daily as families get closure, but in Gaza such burials will be much more challenging. Click HERE to listen and, later, and read.

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For today, links to two reports: from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor, and to an article of commentary from CraigMurray.org.uk via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON 10-11-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for today, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israel launches heaviest strikes on Lebanon since ceasefire. From the Cradle. Israel carried out what is being described as the largest attack on Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement was reached last year, launching dozens of heavy airstrikes on the south and the eastern Bekaa region. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Oct. 16 report from Middle East Monitor.

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FROM OCT. 9  A warning from Lebanon, by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk / Consortium News   In not quite one year since the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Israel has broken the ceasefire 4,600 times. It has killed hundreds of people, including infants, demolished tens of thousands of homes and annexed five areas of Lebanon. It was supposed to withdraw completely. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE 10-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Ahead of Zelenskyy meeting, Trump shows signs he might not be ready to send Kyiv Tomahawk missiles, by Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks at the White House today, with the U.S. leader signaling he’s not ready to agree to sell Kyiv a long-range missile system that the Ukrainians say they desperately need. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish.

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Ukrainian president to meet with Trump today to request long-range weapons. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Leila Fadel | NPR  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., today. He wants U.S. weapons that can reach farther inside Russia to put pressure on Moscow to end the war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia says captured 3 village in Ukraine’s east. From AFP. Russia said today it had captured three villages in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, including areas Kyiv had retaken three years ago in a surprise counteroffensive. Russia said today it had captured three villages in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, including areas Kyiv had retaken three years ago in a surprise counteroffensive. READ MORE  . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russian forces shoot down own fighter-bomber amid overnight UAV assault on Crimea, by Alisa Orlova | Kyiv Post  Russian forces accidentally shot down one of their own military aircraft overnight while attempting to intercept Ukrainian drones over Crimea, Ukrainian officials said today. READ MORE . . .

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Former ambassador to Russia talks about the future of the Russia-Ukraine war. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Michael McFaul, a former ambassador to Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia convicts 15 captured Ukrainian soldiers on terrorism charges. From AP. A court in southern Russia convicted 15 captured Ukrainian soldiers on terrorism charges Friday after a trial that Kyiv denounced as a sham and a violation of international law. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 16  Trump talks with Putin ahead of hosting Zelenskyy at the White House. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  President Trump’s views on Russia and Ukraine seem to be shifting ahead of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House. Click HERE later to listen and, still later.

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For now, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 10-14-25  is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and 9/11 TRUTH entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Trump says he will meet Putin again after making progress in Ukraine talks, by Trevor Hunnicutt |  Reuters WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed toay to another summit to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, one day before the U.S. president was due to speak with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. READ MORE . . .

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Russian barrage causes blackouts in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks Trump’s help, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia battered Ukraine’s energy facilities with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in its latest heavy bombardment of the country’s power grid, authorities said today, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to ask President Donald Trump at a White House meeting for more American-made air defenses and long-range missiles. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to read same AP report in Spanish.

For now, links to eight reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, and to an article of commentary from Informed Comment via Tom Dispatch; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 10-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  9/11 TRUTH entry for this date is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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U.S. officials say Hamas ‘honoring agreement,’ urge Israel to drop demand for return of all bodies. From the Cradle. Mediators are asking the U.S. to pressure Israel to drop the issue of the return of all bodies of deceased Israeli captives and to move on to the next stage of negotiations to end the war in Gaza, Qatari news channel Al-Arabi reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Israel receives remains of 2 more hostages as military says another body was not that of a hostage, by Sam Metz, Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel received the remains of two more hostages Wednesday, hours after the Israeli military said that one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage. The confusion added to . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.

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Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations, Rafah border reopening eyed but no date set, by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  CAIRO /TEL AVIV — Israel said today it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out, but set no date as it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel delivers Palestinian bodies shackled, showing signs of execution. From the Cradle. The bodies of dozens of Palestinians were handed over to health authorities in Gaza on Wednesday, arriving in shackles and bearing signs of execution. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 15  The fighting has stopped, but dire need remains in Gaza. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Erika Ryan and Courtney Dorning | NPR  Kelly talks with David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, about the needs of Palestinians in Gaza moving forward. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 15  What’s next for Gaza. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Gaza’s future is filled with hard questions. Consider these three: Who will govern the territory? Who will provide security? And who will be in charge of the money and reconstruction? Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 15  The stakes of genocide: What it means and why it matters in Gaza. Reported by Leah Donnella | NPR  What are the stakes of calling an armed conflict a genocide? Even as a ceasefire agreement takes hold – the term continues to come up in relation to the war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 14  Terror from the skies in the Middle East, by Juan Cole | Informed Comment / Tom Dispatch Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyahu’s nomination of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his hands already crimson with the blood of innocent Iraqis, to run post-war Gaza, brings to mind a distant era when London sent its politicians out to be viceroys in its global colonial domains. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to audio of a previously overlooked 2021 interview from Project Censored and to a related September 2021 article in ConvertAction Magazine. (9/11 TRUTH 10-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for this date is HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM SEPT. 6, 2021  U.S. complicity in the terror spectacle and the urgent need to end it, by Aaron Good, Ben Howard and Peter Dale Scott | Project Censored / CovertAction Magazine  Mickey Huff of Project Censored hosts Good, Howard and Scott. From CovertAction Magazine introduction: “This is Part 1 of a three-part re-evaluation of 9/11 in light of startling new evidence. We offer some big picture analysis building on years of scholarship.” Click HERE to read article by the authors and listen to 2021 interview.

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For now, links to 16 reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Reuters, National Public Radio, Anadolu Ajansi, Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor and, via Consortium News, Common Dreams; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 10-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Gaza faces severe clean water shortage after Israel’s destruction of wells, says official. From Middle East Eye. The spokesperson for Gaza Municipality Asim Alnabeh today said that Israeli forces have “deliberately destroyed 56 central water wells across Gaza City,” with available supplies covering less than 20 percent of residents’ daily needs. READ MORE . . .

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‘Disarm or be disarmed by force’: Trump issues new threat to Hamas. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new threat against Hamas on Tuesday, affirming that they will either surrender their weapons or be disarmed by force. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and NPR.

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Aid trucks roll into Gaza as dispute over hostage bodies is paused, by Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Aid trucks rolled into Gaza today and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing after a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages that had threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza aid trickles in as Israel limits deliveries over alleged ceasefire violation. Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with Jonathan Fowler of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Gaza’s Health Ministry receives remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel via Red Cross, by Mohmed Majed, Mohammad Sio | Anadolu Ajansi  GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL  — Gaza’s Health Ministry said today it received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bringing the total number of bodies returned since Tuesday to 90. READ MORE . . .

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Britain pushes Northern Ireland as model for disarming Gaza. From Reuters. LONDON — Britain could take a leading role in helping to disarm Hamas in Gaza, based on its experience of encouraging militant groups in Northern Ireland to lay down their arms, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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Top U.S. military commander in Mideast calls on Hamas to stop shooting civilians. From AFP. U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper today demanded that Hamas stop shooting Palestinian civilians after the militant group held public executions of alleged collaborators. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli military says one of the bodies handed over by Hamas is not that of a hostage, by Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — The Israeli military said today that one of the bodies handed over by Hamas the previous day as part of the ceasefire deal is not that of a hostage who was held in Gaza, adding to tensions over the fragile truce in . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for the same AP report in Spanish.

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Body of captive disputed by Israel belongs to soldier killed in May 2024, says Hamas. From Middle East Eye. A senior Hamas source today rejected Israel’s statement that the body of a slain person returned as part of the ceasefire deal did not belong to an Israeli captive. READ MORE . . .

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UN: Israel informed us it will cut Gaza aid trucks by half. From Middle East Monitor. The United Nations has confirmed that it has received a message from Israel stating that the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza will be reduced by half. This reduction . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 14  Israel violates ceasefire with deadly attacks on Palestinians in Gaza: reports. From the Cradle. The Israeli army killed several Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday despite the new ceasefire agreement which has taken effect across the strip. Palestinian media sources said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Common Dreams via Consortium News.

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FROM OCT. 14  Over 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli captivity following exchange deal: sources. From the Cradle. Palestinian prisoners’ organizations say more than 9,000 remain in captivity under what one official described as “unimaginable conditions” in an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday, despite the recent release . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 13  Israel’s new EU envoy ‘optimistic’ bloc will roll back sanctions following Gaza ceasefire. From the Cradle. On Monday, Israel’s new ambassador to the EU, Avi Nir-Feldklein, called for the bloc to lift the penalties it imposed on his country over its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, now that a ceasefire backed by US President Donald Trump has taken effect. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; other articles are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 10-13-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH entries for today are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hamas fighters tighten grip in Gaza, clouding future of ceasefire, by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Hamas fighters tightened their grip in Gaza today after carrying out public executions, defying Israel’s assertion that war cannot end under U.S. President Donald Trump‘s plan until the militants are disarmed. Fighters executed men they accused of collaborating with Israeli forces. READ MORE . . .

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Turkiye, Iraq ‘pressured’ Egypt to block Netanyahu from Trump summit: report. From the Cradle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled plans to attend the Gaza peace summit in Egypt’s city of Sharm el-Sheikh after the the leaders of Iraq and Turkiye contacted Cairo to voice opposition to his participation, AFP reported today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 13  After hostages and prisoners are freed, complex issues remain for Israel-Hamas ceasefire, by Melanie Lidman, Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory. But thornier issues . . . READ MORE . . ..  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for live AP updates in English.

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FROM OCT. 13  Trump declares end of Gaza war as last Israeli hostages swapped for Palestinian detainees, by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees. Hours later, Trump convened Muslim and European leaders in Egypt. Hamas and Israel were both absent. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 13  Trump wants to push for Middle East peace. Netanyahu is still talking up Israel’s military might, by Will Weissert | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is declaring Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip over and has already barreled ahead toward far larger goals — arguing that the fragile ceasefire his administration helped broker is a chance to bring a lasting peace to the greater Middle East. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 14  What the freed Israeli hostages’ first few days of freedom will look like. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  All 20 surviving Israeli hostages have been freed by Hamas after spending more than two years in captivity in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 13  Crowds cheer in Gaza, Ramallah as Israel releases Palestinian prisoners. Reported by Carrie Kahn and Andrew Limbong | NPR  As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners on Monday. The majority were detainees and prisoners arrested in Gaza and returned there to a huge celebratory crowd. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 13  Trump in Israel, Egypt to mark end of Gaza war as hostages freed. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Andrew Limbong | NPR  Twenty hostages are released by Hamas and more than 1,900 Palestinian detainees and prisoners are released by Israel as President Trump visits Israel and Egypt to mark an end to the Gaza war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED