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

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Israel warns Lebanese against returning to area at border. From Reuters. BEIRUT / JERUSALEM — The Israeli army today warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 24  Lebanese long to return to war-damaged homes, but Israeli troops remain — for now. Reported by Emily Feng and Jawad Rizkallah | NPR  TYRE, Lebanon — After more than a year of fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, displaced Lebanese villagers long to return to their homes. But now, there could be further delay. Click HERE to listen and read.

For now, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, SYRIA and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Zelenskiy hopes Europe, U.S. will be involved in Ukraine peace talks, by Max Hunder | Reuters  KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hopes Europe and the United States will be involved in any talks about ending his country’s war with Russia, he said today. READ MORE . . .

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Europe considers sending troops to Ukraine if there’s a ceasefire. But would Russia accept? by Samya Kullab and Emma Burrows | AP  With Russia wearing down Ukraine’s stretched forces and new U.S. President Donald Trump pressuring the two sides to end their nearly 3-year-old war, Kyiv and some of its European allies are discussing how that might be achieved in a way that would guarantee Ukraine’s future security. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israel says it will continue to occupy Lebanon beyond ceasefire deadline, by Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  BEIRUT — Israel will not completely leave Lebanese territory by the end of the 60-day truce with Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today. The agreement, signed by . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

For today, links to three reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, and Middle East Eye, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, LEBANON, IRAN and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli army escalates 4th day of offensives in occupied West Bank, by Qais Abu Samra | Anadolu Agency  RAMALLAH, Palestine  The Israeli military intensified its offensive in the city of Jenin and the adjacent refugee camp today, marking the fourth consecutive day of attacks on Palestinians in the northern occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

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West Bank violence imperils Gaza ceasefire, UN human rights office warns. From Reuters. LONDON — Israeli operations in the West Bank have killed at least 12 Palestinians since Tuesday and could threaten the newly agreed ceasefire in Gaza, United Nations Human Rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said today. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli raid forced 1,800 Palestinians out of Jenin: Haaretz. From Middle East Eye. The Israeli raid in Jenin has forced 1,800 Palestinian residents to leave the Jenin refugee camp through crossings put in place by the Israeli army since the army began its operation in the area, according to a report by Haaretz. READ MORE . . .

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In the West Bank, Trump is giving Netanyahu a free hand to blow up the region, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  Anyone who imagined that U.S. President Donald Trump would be the Stop the War president the Middle East had been waiting for, should have a look at what is currently underway in the Occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports: from Middle East Monitor, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, and the Associated Press and to commentary from Indian Puchline; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Hamas releases names of 4 captives to be released from Gaza on Saturday. From Middle East Monitor. Hamas today released the names of four Israeli captives —  Karina Ariev, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Guy Gilboa-Dalal — it is due to release on Saturday under the terms of the ceasefire deal. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM JAN. 23  Israel kills 2 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire, by Hosni Nedim | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine  Two Palestinians were killed and others injured on Thursday in Israeli attacks in the southern and central Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire agreement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 23  How the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal will unfold — and why it is so precarious, by Lee Keath, Samy Magdy and Abby Sewell | AP  CAIRO — Israeli troops have pulled back to the edges of Gaza, the first hostages have been released, and many Palestinians have returned to what remains of their homes. If the ceasefire deal goes according to plan . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 19  Trump bends the arc of history in West Asia, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Trump’s choice of Steve Witkoff, a Jew and an unknown political newcomer, as his special envoy for West Asia, went relatively unnoticed. Witkoff is a self-made billionaire (son of a maker of ladies’ coats in New York City) with no previous experience in . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Part 1, posted on Jan. 17.

For today, links to commentary from Indian Punchline; other articles are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, LEBANON, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Russia-Iran treaty signifies a ‘breakthrough’ in ties, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between Iran and Russia on Jan. 17 in Moscow is a poignant landmark signifying the mutual acceptance as partners in an equal relationship. It is also . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 17  Trump bends the arc of history in West Asia, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  In a one-week visit to Tehran to observe the presidential election last June I could sense beyond doubt that Iran was on the cusp of profound changes. The country, which I had known professionally ever since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, was heaving with high expectations of a radical change of course. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Part 2, posted on Jan. 19.

For today, links to 10 reports: from Reuters, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from Substack; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON, WEST BANK and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Russia says it repelled massive Ukrainian drone attack on 13 regions including Moscow, by Andrew Osborn and Ronald Popeski | Reuters  Russian air defences repelled a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight, intercepting and destroying 121 drones targeting 13 regions, including Moscow, Russia’s Defence Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Major Russian microchip factory halts production after Ukrainian drone strikes. From the Moscow Times. The Kremniy El microchip plant in Russia’s western Bryansk region halted production following one of the largest overnight Ukrainian drone strikes on the country since the start of the war, local authorities and media reported today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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Putin ready to talk to Trump, Kremlin ‘awaits signals’ from U.S., by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today during a press briefing. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Kremlin scoffs at Trump’s claim that a drop in oil prices will help end Ukraine conflict. From AP. MOSCOW — The Kremlin insisted today that a settlement in Ukraine couldn’t be facilitated by a drop in global oil prices as U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested. READ MORE . . .

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Putin calls Trump ‘smart,’ warns on oil price threat. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised Donald Trump as “pragmatic” and “smart”, saying he did not believe the U.S. president would force global oil prices lower in a bid to damage Moscow. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 23  Trump says Russia’s war in Ukraine ‘will end immediately’ if OPEC lowers oil prices. From the Kyiv Independent. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will ask the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to lower the price of oil, saying it would end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine “immediately.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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FROM JAN. 23  Ukraine ‘fully’ backs Trump efforts to lower oil price. From AFP. Ukraine on Thursday said that it “fully” supports Donald Trump’s efforts to lower the cost of oil, after the U.S. president suggested Russia’s war would end “immediately” if prices fell. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate nine communities in Donbass region, Kharkov area over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated nine communities in the Donbass area and the Kharkov Region over the week of Jan. 18-24 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 23  Will Trump side with the hardliners on Russia? by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  At this early point, there seem to be many competing interests among Trump’s close foreign policy advisers how and when to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. During his campaign, Trump repeatedly . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from Media North via AntiWar.com and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Palestinians confront a landscape of destruction in Gaza’s ‘ghost towns,’ by Abdul Kareem Hana and Tia Goldenberg | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians in Gaza are confronting an apocalyptic landscape of devastation after a ceasefire paused more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Across the tiny coastal enclave . . . Click HERE for report with photos.

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Gazans ready tent camps for families returning to north after ceasefire, by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mahmoud Issa and Dawoud Abu Alkas | Reuters  CAIRO — Palestinians in northern Gaza prepared tent encampments for displaced families today, two days before they were expected to return to their homes in accordance with the timeline of a ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 22  Israel said it wouldn’t let Hamas rule Gaza. The ceasefire is here and Hamas remains. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Israel said repeatedly that it wouldn’t allow Hamas to run Gaza in the future. Yet Hamas remains the strongest force in Gaza and Israel has never offered a plausible alternative. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for Jan. 21 report from AP.

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FROM JAN. 22  Trump envoy says he’ll go to Gaza to monitor ceasefire. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy said on Wednesday he would travel to the region to be part of what he described as an inspection team deployed in and along the Gaza Strip to ensure ceasefire compliance. READ MORE . . .

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Vatican releases footage of Pope holding video call with Catholic parish in Gaza, by Ahmet Gencturk | Anadolu Agency  ATHENS — Pope Francis made a video call Wednesday night to the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, continuing a nightly ritual to stay connected with the community amid the ongoing conflict, Vatican News reported. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  How U.S. media hide truths about the Gaza War, by Norman Solomon | Media North / AntiWar.com  Key aspects of how the U.S. establishment has narrated the “war on terror” for more than two decades were standard in American media and politics from the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to two reports: from Middle East Eye and the Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli forces set fire to homes in besieged Jenin: Wafa. From Middle East Eye. Israeli forces raiding Jenin in the occupied West Bank have set homes in the area ablaze, the Wafa news agency reported. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to five reports: from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Kyiv Post, AntiWar.com, and National Public Radio — the NPR one a year old; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, WEST BANK and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Moscow remains ‘ready’ for dialogue despite Trump threats, Kremlin says. From AFP. The Kremlin today dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on the Ukraine war as lacking anything new but emphasized Moscow’s readiness for “mutually respectful” dialogue with Washington. Trump on Wednesday warned . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Kyiv Post.

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FROM JAN. 22  A Ukrainian victory was never Biden’s goal: Time Magazine, by Dave DeCamp | AntiWar.com / ScheerPost President Biden spent hundreds of billions of dollars supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, but according to a report from Time Magazine, a Ukrainian victory was never his goal. READ MORE . . . Click on the link two lines above for Time article.

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FROM JAN. 22, 2024  Why the war in Ukraine is bad for climate science. Reported by Rebecca Hersher | NPR  The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the Earth as a whole. And Russia has more Arctic land than any other nation. But, since Russia invaded Ukraine, it’s . . . Click HERE to read more and listen.