For today, links to just two reports, from the Associated Press, including a map; others are accessible by clicking on its Initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Middle East latest: Israeli strikes kill at least 18 in Gaza, including 3 children, officials say. From AP. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people in the Gaza Strip today, including three children and two high-ranking officers in the Hamas-run police force, according to Palestinian and hospital officials. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 1 report from AP.

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TO BE CONTINUED ON JAN. 3

For today, a link to just one report, from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and  HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 1  Syrian official makes peace overture to Israel. What’s the regional impact? Reported by Daniel Estrin, Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Leila Fadel | NPR  The governor of Damascus faced major backlash in the Arab world for his comments about making peace with Israel. But what do Israelis and Syrians want?. Click HERE to listen and read.

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TO BE CONTINUED ON JAN. 3

 

For today, links to seven reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and  HERE.) — MCM 

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FROM JAN. 1  Zelenskiy says U.S. will be alongside Ukraine’s efforts to stop Russia. From Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Tuesday that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it fights to stop Russia’s 34-month invasion. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 1  Ukraine’s capital opens 2025 under a new wave of Russian drone attacks. Reported by Brian Mann and Leila Fadel | NPR  The attack began hours after Ukraine’s president addressed his nation. He acknowledged the agony of 2024 with heavy battlefield casualties and Russia’s army advancing along much of the 600-mile front. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE and HERE for report from Reuters and AP.

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FROM DEC. 31  Europe’s Russian gas era comes to an end as Ukraine transit stops. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia’s once-dominant gas supply to Europe via Ukraine, which flowed for decades, is set to end on New Year’s Day with the collapse of a contract between . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Jan. 1 report from AP.

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FROM DEC. 30  Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. From AP. KYIV — Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates, officials said Monday. READ MORE . . .

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TO. BE CONTINUED ON JAN. 3

For today, links to eight reports: from Middle East Monitor, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE. There was no GAZA entry for Dec. 30.) — MCM

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Heavy rain floods thousands of tents in Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. Thousands of Palestinian families in displacement camps across the Gaza Strip faced devastation last night as heavy rains and strong winds battered the area. According to Wafa news agency . . . READ MORE . . .

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UN body issues damning report on Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals. From Reuters. The UN Human Rights Office report says Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have devastated the Palestinian enclave’s health system and raise serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international law. It concludes that the Israeli hostilities in Gaza have “destroyed” local healthcare. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli raid on a key hospital in northern Gaza forces the facility to shut down. Reported by Carrie Kahn and Aya Batrawy | NPR  Israeli forces raided the last hospital in northern Gaza able to treat children and intensive care cases. The raid followed months of intense attacks on the hospital and the area around it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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The WHO urges Israel to stop attacks on Gaza’s medical infrastructure. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with the director-general of the World Health Organization, about medical access in Gaza. He also narrowly escaped an Israeli airstrike on an airport in Yemen. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Amid ceasefire push, Palestinians released from Israeli jails bear mential, physical scars. From Reuters. Alleged abuses and psychological harm to Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and camps are in renewed focus amid stepped-up efforts this month by international mediators to secure a ceasefire that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Major sticking points between Israel and Hamas have made a ceasefire elusive. Reported by Emily Feng and Leila Fadel | NPR   Throughout 2024 negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were on again and off again. There were moments of great optimism and then months of no negotiations at all. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Dozens of patients and wounded evacuated from Gaza for treatment. From AP. Dozens of patients and the wounded have been evacuated for treatment outside the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where the United Nations says Israel’s attacks on and around hospitals have pushed health care to the brink. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 31  In Gaza’s crowded tent camps, women wrestle with a life stripped of privacy, by Wafaa Shurafa and Julia Frankel | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza City — For Gaza’s women, the hardships of life in the territory’s sprawling tent camps are compounded by the daily humiliation of never having privacy. READ MORE . . .

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Jimmy Carter: Battling against apartheid. From Middle East Monitor.  Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, a leader who dedicated his life to diplomacy, democracy and humanitarian causes, passed away Saturday at the age of 100. His  role in shaping the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape remains . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from Middle East Eye and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 30  Now Syria’s long-ruling Baath party is collapsing, too, by Bassem Mroue | AP  DAMASCUS — A few days after insurgents in Syria overthrew President Bashar Assad, his ruling Baath party announced it was freezing its activities, marking a stunning change in fortunes for the political group that had ruled for more than six decades. READ MORE . . .

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In Syrian military housing, former rebel leaders take the homes of Assad’s officers. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Families of military officers who served under Syria’s ousted Bashar al-Assad are being evicted from their subsidised housing at a compound outside Damascus to make way . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s attacks on Syria threaten regional stability and will ultimately backfire, by Ali Bakir | Middle East Eye  On Dec. 10, mere days after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria, Israel launched the most extensive aerial military campaign in its history against a neighbouring country. Dubbed “Bashan Arrow,” it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Regional powers jostle for influence, by Mawadda Iskandar | The Cradle  Despite efforts by Syria’s rebel-led interim leaders to seek a fresh start focused on ‘zeroing problems,’ embracing inclusivity, and delaying decisions on critical issues, the arrangement of the country’s future that is shaped by Turkish–Qatari sponsors and U.S. allies faces daunting challenges. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to seven reports: from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entry for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Biden administration to send billions more in aid to Ukraine. Reported by Jackie Northam |  NPR  The White House says it will send nearly $6 billion in military and budget aid to Ukraine. It’s likely to be the last bit of support by the Biden administration as Trump’s team is about to take over. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukrainian military says it hit Russian oil depot in Smolensk region. From Reuters. The Ukrainian military said today its forces had hit a Russian oil depot in the Smolensk region. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says naval drone destroys Russian helicopter for first time. From Reuters. Ukrainian military intelligence said one of its naval drones had destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another one in the Black Sea in a battle today near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea’s west coast. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for video from AP .

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Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine hits multiple targets, including Kyiv, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia launched an aerial attack on Ukraine today, striking the capital and other regions with multiple missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air force said . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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3 significant events in Russia’s history that stand out under Putin’s rule. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Russia expert Keir Giles of Chatham House about three key moments in which Vladimir Putin has exerted power in his 25 years of leadership in Russia. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to just two reports: from Reuters and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE; there was no GAZA entry.) — MCM

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Syria eyes ‘strategic’ ties with Ukraine, Kyiv vows more food aid shipments. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Syria hopes for “strategic partnerships” with Ukraine, its new foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart today, as Kyiv moves to build ties with the new Islamist rulers in Damascus amid waning Russian influence. READ MORE . . .

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Shockwaves reverberate after Syrian official says he wants cordial ties with Israel. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Leila Fadel | NPR  The governor of Damascus faces backlash after he tells NPR that he wants the U.S. to mediate cordial relations with Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a short entry: links to two reports from Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA entry for this date is HERE; was no GAZA entry.) — MCM   

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Biden announces $2.5 billion in fresh military aid to Ukraine, by Steve Holland | Reuters  WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine today as he uses his final weeks in office to surge military aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power. READ MORE . . .

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Syria eyes ‘strategic’ ties with Ukraine, Kyiv vows more food aid shipments. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Syria hopes for “strategic partnerships” with Ukraine, its new foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart today, as Kyiv moves to build ties with the new Islamist rulers in Damascus amid waning Russian influence. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Cradle, and National Public Radio, and to a reflection from Forward Movement; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, UKRAINE and 9/11 TRUTH entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents, by Majdi Mohammed and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli forces order new evacuation of besieged northern Gaza town. From Reuters. CAIRO — Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town today. READ MORE . . .

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Eyewitnesses describe Israeli raid of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital. From the Cradle. A new report by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has revealed the shocking conduct of Israeli army forces, including executions and sexual assault, during their recent storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip’s Beit Lahia. READ MORE . . .

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A snapshot of a year spent reporting and living through war, from NPR’s producer in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Anas Baba | NPR  Anas Baba reflects on his year of reporting on the war and living through it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Two Israeli soldiers reflect on a year on the frontlines in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Two Israeli soldiers who served in the war in Gaza this year talk about how they are wrestling with what they witnessed. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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BBC staffers reveal editor’s ‘entire job’ to whitewash Israeli war crimes. From the Cradle. BBC editor Raffi Berg has almost complete control of the British broadcaster’s online coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza and is ensuring that all events are reported with a pro-Israel bias, according to a new report published on 28 December by Drop Site News. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 28  A voice was heard in Ramah, by Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  Jeremiah 31:15.  “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentations and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” DKJ: We know that voice from Ramah. We have heard the cry of Rachel . . . READ MORE . . .

In Spanish:

Jeremías: 31;15.  Voz fue oída en Ramá, por Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  “Voz fue oída en Ramá; lamento y llanto à Margo. Raquel lloraba por sus hijos, y no quería ser consolada por sus hijos, porque perecieron.”

Conocemos esa voz de Ramá. Hemos escuchado el clamor de Raquel. Hemos vista las imágenes de madres llorando por sus hijos muertos. Las guerras y la epidemia de violencia armada han resultado en familias destrozadas, vidas desgarradas y esperanzas frustradas.

Hoy la iglesia hace una pausa para recordar a los santos innocents que fueron asesinados cuando Herodes buscaba al Niño Jesús. Recordamos à quienes perdieron la vida sin culpa alguna. Acompañamos a quienes continúan el clamor de Raquel con heridas, pérdidas, penas y dolor. La iglesia está en su mejor cuando acompañamos a quienes están pasando por lo peor.

Hoy, la sangre de los Santos Inocentes clama desde la tierra. Y nuestro respuesta puede transformar al mundo, pues adoramos a un Dios que conoce la agonía de perder a un hijo. Hoy, nos lamentamos; mañana, creamos un mundo de seguridad y esperanza.

In French:

Jeremie 31:15.  On entend à Rama une voix, par Deon K. Johnson | Forward Movement  “On entend à Rama une voix qui gémit et des sanglots amers : Rachel pleure ses fils et elle ne veux pas se laisser consoler, car ses fils ne sont plus.”

Nous connaissons cette voix de Rama. Nous avons entendu le cri de Rachel. Nous avons vu les images de mères qui pleurent sur sus enfants parce qu’ils ne sont plus. De la brutalité des lieux déchirés par les guerres, à la épidémie de la violence des armes à feu à travers notre pays, nous ne connaissons que trop bien les larmes amères des familles détruites, les vies brisées en morceaux, les esperances anéanties.

Au jourd’hui l’Eglise fait une pause pour se souvenir des Saints Innocents qui étaient assassinés quand Herode cherchait l’Enfant Jésus. Nous nous souvenons de ceux qui perdirent leurs vies sans aucune culpabilité. Nous accompagnons ceux qui continuent le cri de Rachel dans les lieux de la douleur, la perte, le chegrin, la souffrance. L’Eglise est à son meilleur quand nous accompagnons ceux qui vont à travers le pire.

Au jourd’hui, le sang des Saints Innocents poussent des cris de la terre. Et notre réponse peut transformer le monde, car nous vénérons un Dieu qui connait la douleur d’avoir perdu un fils. Au jourd’hui, nous nous tenons en lamentation; demain, nous créons un monde de sécurité et d’espoir.