For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, the Cradle, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from the Cradle; other reports or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 8  2 days of clashes and revenge killings in Syria leave more than 1,000 people dead, by Bassem Mroue and Sarah el Deeb | AP  BEIRUT — The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria’s conflict began 14 years ago. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and the Cradle, and HERE for March 9 report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM MARCH 8  Intensifying violence tests new Syrian government. Reported by Jane Arraf and Scott Detrow | NPR  In Syria, fighting is intensifying as clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad have left hundreds of people dead. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 7  UK lifts sanctions on Syria’s de facto govt as civilian massacres continue. From the Cradle. The British government has lifted sanctions on 24 entities in Syria, including the country’s central bank, coming during a severe economic crisis and an indiscriminate government crackdown on the uprising launched this week . . . READ MORE . . .

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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 Reuters, the Associated Press, and the Cradle, and to commentary from Consortium News; other articles or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, IRAN, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. GAZA 3-8-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 8  Israel, Hamas signal readiness for next ceasefire talks as mediators push for progress, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for AP report.

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FROM MARCH 7  Israel ‘sabotaging’ direct talks between Trump, Hamas officials: reports. From the Cradle. Israel has been attempting to obstruct recent talks held directly between Hamas officials and representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, according to reports in Hebrew media. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 8  Netanyahu’s refusal to end Gaza genocide killed over 40 Israeli captives: report. From the Cradle. Of the 251 Israeli soldiers and civilians taken captive by Hamas to Gaza on 7 October 2023, 41 have been killed, including many by Israeli bombing and friendly fire, according to an analysis by the New York Times published on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Israeli hostages & the ceasefire, by Jonathan Cook | Consortium News  Those of us who keep banging on about Israel’s use of the so-called Hannibal directive on Oct. 7, 2023, — in which Israel killed its own citizens to stop them being taken captive by Hamas — have been smeared as excusing Hamas crimes that day. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links seven reports from Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, and Agence France-Presse, and to commentary from Consortium News via Popular Resistance; other articles or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON, IRAN, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-8-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russian special forces attack Ukrainian forces in Kursk via gas pipeline, bloggers say, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russian special forces crept miles through a major gas pipeline near the town of Sudzha in an attempt to surprise Ukrainian forces as part of a major offensive to eject Ukrainian soldiers from the western Russian region of Kursk, pro-Russian war bloggers said. READ MORE . . .

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Musk: If I turn off Starlink, Ukraine’s frontline would collapse. From Kyiv Post. Billionaire Elon Musk says his Starlink satellite system is critically important for the Ukrainian army and that if he were to shut it down, Ukraine’s front line would collapse. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Ukrainian drone reportedly attacks oil depot in Russia’s Chuvashia for first time, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  A Ukrainian drone attacked an oil depot in Cheboksary in Russia’s Chuvashia Republic this morning, Governor Oleg Nikolaev reported. READ MORE . . .

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Air defenses eliminate 88 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian air defense systems downed 88 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, the Defense Ministry said today in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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Australia says would consider joining peacekeeping in Ukraine. From AFP. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said today his country would consider taking part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine but stressed it was too early for any deployment. READ MORE . . .

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MARCH 6  Turkey ready to send troops to Ukraine if necessary, source says. From Reuters. ANKARA — Turkey, with the second largest army in NATO after the United States, could contribute to a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Negotiating lasting peace in Ukraine, by Jeffrey Sachs | Consortium News / Popular Resistance  There should be little doubt about how a lasting peace can be established in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Cradle and the Times of Israel; others may be accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON, WEST BANK, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 7  Iran reaffirms ‘no nuclear talks’ with U.S. under maximum pressure sanctions. From the Cradle. Iran will maintain talks with other negotiators but will not engage with the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s approach of imposing new economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told AFP on Friday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Times of Israel.  NOTE: Visitors to Times of Israel website who are not subscribers may be “rate limited,” or denied access after a certain number of visits.

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For today, links to reports from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, SYRIA. GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 3-5-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 7  Hundreds of Israeli settlers pour into south Lebanon under army protection. From the Cradle. Hundreds of Israeli settlers crossed the border into Lebanese territory on Friday under the protection of the Israeli army in order to visit what they say is the tomb of a fourth-century rabbi. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Monitor and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this dare are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  WEST BANK 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 7  Israeli forces set fire to Nablus mosque, stop dawn prayers. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupation forces stormed several mosques in the old city of Nablus at dawn on Friday, the Palestinian Information Centre reported, setting fire to Al-Nasr Mosque. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Nablus soap gets UNESCO recognition in Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  An ancient soap-making tradition in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. NPR visits one of the oldest soap factories in the city of Nablus. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to six reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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532 Alawites killed by Syrian security forces, allies since Thursday, monitor says. From AFP. BEIRUT — A Syrian war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says security forces and allied groups killed 532 Alawite civilians over the past days, revising upwards a previous toll of 340. READ MORE . . .

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Sectarian violence sweeps Syria as western-backed security forces rampage in Alawite towns. From the Cradle. At least 147 people have been killed in Syria in the past two days, as security forces from the country’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led government carried out a series of massacres and extrajudicial executions against Alawites in the country’s coastal regions as part of . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 7  Clashes in Syria between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 200, by Bassem Mroue and Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — Fighters siding with Syria’s new government stormed several villages near the country’s coast, killing dozens of men in response to recent attacks on government security forces by loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, a war monitor said. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 7  Syria imposes curfew after its worst clashes since the Assad regime ouster, by Jane Arraf | NPR  DAMASCUS — Syria’s new government has sent in security reinforcements and imposed curfews on a key coastal area after some of the biggest clashes since the fall of the regime with fighters loyal to the deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. READ MORE . . .

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For today, link to five reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below, or scroll down. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, SYRIA, UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Hamas sees ‘positive indicators’ over talks for second stage of ceasefire. From Middle East Eye. Hamas sees “positive indicators” for launching talks over the second phase of Gaza ceasefire, the group’s spokesperson said today. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli official says Jerusalem unaware of progress on second phase Gaza ceasefire talks. From the Times of Israel.  Israel is unaware of progress in talks with Hamas on the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, an Israeli official tells Hebrew media outlets. READ MORE . . . NOTE: Visitors to Times of Israel website who are not subscribers may be “rate limited,” or denied access after a certain number of visits.

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UK, France, Germany, Italy endorse Arab reconstruction plan for Gaza. From the Cradle. The foreign ministries of the UK, Germany, France, and Italy today announced their support for an Egyptian proposal to rebuild Gaza as a substitute to Donald Trump’s “riviera” scheme that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Yemen gives Israel four-day ultimatum to stop blocking Gaza aid. From the Cradle. The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, on Friday announced a four-day grace period for Israel to resume ceasefire talks and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza, threatening to resume Sanaa’s naval operations against Israeli-linked ships. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Aid efforts in Gaza slow as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive, agency officials say, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — The Trump administration’s cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the U.S. humanitarian agency. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv. From AP. KYIV — Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 20 people, officials said today, as heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine. The decision to withhold intelligence and . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE  for report from Reuters and Kyiv Post.

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Zelensky seeks more sanctions as Russian strikes kill 14, by Florent Vergnes for AFP  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today called for more sanctions against Russia as overnight strikes killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, days ahead of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at securing a truce. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Kursk Oblast destroyed, they face risk of encirclement, sources say. From the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces have destroyed Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, and Ukrainian soldiers face the risk of encirclement, a Ukrainian soldier and a medic deployed in the region said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Trump threatens sweeping sanctions against Russia over attacks on Ukraine. From the Moscow Times. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering imposing “large-scale” sanctions on Russia in response to its intensified attacks against Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces retake three villages from Ukraine in western Kursk region, Defence Ministry says. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian troops regained control from Ukraine of the village of Nikolayevo-Darino in Russia’s western Kursk region, the Defence Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Where the Ukraine war stands amid renewed Russian attacks and U.S. pressure. Scott Simon of NPR talks with Phillips O’Brien of St. Andrews University about the war in Ukraine, which side has the upper hand, and what might that mean as the U.S. pressures Ukraine for a deal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to two reports from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. (WEST BANK 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel seeks to ethnically cleanse West Bank by demolishing homes, Islamic Jihad says. From Middle East Monitor. The Islamic Jihad Movement has slammed the Israeli occupation army’s demolition of 50 homes in a single day in Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank, saying . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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