For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Tass, and the World; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

NEWER  Russia launches the biggest aerial barrage of the war and kills 30 civilians, Ukraine says, by Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targetsover 18 hours, officials said today, killing at least 30 civilians across the country. At least 144 people were wounded and an unknown number buried under rubble during . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian missile attack strikes cities across Ukraine. Reported by Michel Martin and Elissa Nadworny | NPR  Russia fired more than 100 missiles at Ukraine today, hitting cities including Lviv and Odesa and killing at least 16 people. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

NEWER  Ukraine unable to down a single Kh-22 missile, Air Force spokesman admits. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian air defense forces have not been able to down a single Kh-22 supersonic cruise missile since the beginning of the Russian special military operation, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yury Ignat said. “None were downed at all,” he said. “The Kh-22 missile travels at a speed of . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Zelenskiy’s status in Ukraine at the end of 2023. Reported by Marco Werman and Daniel Ofman | The World  The Biden administration is sending another military aid package to Ukraine, this one worth $250 million. In Ukraine officials are making plans for what the war effort may look like in 2024. Host Marco Werman speaks with The World’s Daniel Ofman. Click HERE to read intro and listen.

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, BBC News, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Gaza food crisis is nothing like anything chef José Andrés had seen before. Leila Fadel of NPR speaks with chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit, about the hunger crisis in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

WHO warns illness in Gaza may ultimately kill more people than Israel’s offensive. Reported by A Martínez and Ari Daniel | NPR  The Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gaza’s health infrastructure, and overwhelmed the few remaining hospitals. Health professionals are increasingly concerned about infectious disease outbreaks. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

Lose a limb or risk death? Growing numbers among Gaza’s thousands of war-wounded face hard decisions, by Wafaa Shurafa and Jack Jeffrey | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Health officials say amputations have become commonplace in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 12th week. At the hospital here, dozens of recent amputees are in various stages of treatment and recovery. Experts believe that in some cases, limbs could have been saved with proper treatment, but only nine out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

The number of wounded Israeli soldiers is mounting, representing a hidden cost of war, by Tia Goldenberg | AP  RAMAT GAN, Israel — A swelling number of wounded Israeli fighters are yet another sizable and deeply traumatized segment of Israeli society whose struggles are emerging as a hidden cost of the war. Given the large numbers of wounded — estimated to be more than 3,000 — advocates worry the country is not prepared to address . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 27  On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Lee Keath | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Thousands of Palestinian families fled Wednesday from the brunt of Israel’s expanding ground offensive into Gaza’s few remaining, overcrowded refuges, as the military launched heavy strikes across the center and south of the territory, killing dozens, Palestinian health officials said. On foot or . . . Click HERE to read and view photos.

–   –   –

Do the U.S. and Israel see eye to eye when it comes to Gaza? Reported by Linah Mohammad, Kathryn Fox and Ari Shapiro | NPR  Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer ended a visit with the White House and State Department. Ari Shapiro talks with Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Relations about what this means for U.S.-Israel relations. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

NEWER  Israel warns Hezbollah and Lebanon over border fighting, by James Gregory | BBC News  Israel will act to remove Hezbollah from the border with Lebanon if the militia group’s attacks continue, an Israeli minister has warned. Benny Gantz said the Israeli military would intervene if militants do not stop firing on northern Israel. Time for . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  Israeli raids in West Bank target Hamas funding. From Reuters. RAMALLAH — Israeli forces raided foreign exchange and money transfer agencies in Ramallah and other cities in the occupied West Bank today, seizing millions of dollars suspected of being intended to fund the Islamist group Hamas, the military said. At least one person . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse. Tass, the Kyiv Independent, National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for today, so far, is HERE.)— MCM

–   –   –

NEWER  Ukraine says cargo ship hit mine in Black Sea, killing two. From AFP. Ukrainian authorities said today that a commercial ship arriving to collect grain hit a Russian naval mine in the Black Sea, injuring two sailors. The unnamed Panama-flagged ship was heading towards Ukraine’s Danube ports when . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  Ukrainian forces shell three settlements in Russia’s Kursk Region. From Tass. KURSK, Russia — Ukrainian forces shelled settlements of Gordeyevka, Uspenovka and Tyotkino in Russia’s Kursk Region today, Governor Roman Starovoyt said, adding that Tyotkino is experiencing a partial blackout. “No residents were harmed. Five households in . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  Russian attack on village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast kills 2, injures 5, by Elsa Court | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian artillery attack on the village of Bilenke in Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed two civilians and injured five others, the Prosecutor General’s Office said today. The two people who died were both fishermen, while two of the five injured . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukraine’s frontline children yearn for return to classroom, by Vitalii Hnidyi and Thomas Peter | Reuters  SLOVIANSK, Ukraine — The war with Russia has deprived younger students, especially, of the opportunity to start off their schooling like most of their peers elsewhere. First the coronavirus, then . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

How ‘blood gold’ from Africa helps fund Russia’s war on Ukraine. Reported by Scott Detrow, Emma Klein and Tinbete Ermyas | NPR  A new report details how the Wagner mercenary group uses gold mining in Africa to funnel money to the Kremlin. Jessica Berlin, a political analyst and co-author of the report, is interviewed. Click HERE to listen and read.

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israel launches heavy strikes across central and southern Gaza after widening its offensive, by Najib Jobain, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israel launched heavy strikes across central and southern Gaza overnight and into today after broadening its offensive against Hamas to more areas where the military had told Palestinians to seek shelter earlier in the war. Residents reported. . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Compromise U.N. resolution calls for faster aid to Gaza, but not a cease-fire. Asma Khalid of NPR asks Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the U.N., about negotiating two resolutions on Israel’s war against Hamas, and finding common ground with the U.S. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

Egypt floats plan to end Israel-Hamas war. The proposal gets a cool reception, by Samy Magdy, Najib Jobain and Josef Federman | AP  CAIRO — Israel and Hamas on Monday gave cool public receptions to an Egyptian proposal to end their bitter war. The Egyptian plan calls for a phased . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

What is Egypt’s proposal for Gaza? by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Dan Williams and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan | Reuters  Egypt has held talks between Hamas and its allied Islamic Jihad to try and broker a permanent ceasefire in Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, which has . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

An aid worker describes the ‘unbearable’ suffering of wounded children in Gaza. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  A medical worker who recently left Gaza describes the difficulties treating children who’ve lost limbs and face hopelessness. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

A Russian drone and artillery attack kills 6 in Ukraine and knocks out power in a major city, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a train station where more than 100 civilians were gathered to catch a train to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said today. The barrages killed at least five people and knocked out power in most of the southern city of Kherson. This came a day after . . .  READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian forces escalate pressure on multiple fronts in eastern Ukraine – Syrsky. From Kyiv Post. Russian troops are intensifying their efforts on four different fronts in the Eastern direction, employing a range of military tactics, according to the commander of the Eastern group of troops, Oleksander Syrsky. In the sector of Kupyansk . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukrainian forces daily shell Dnieper’s eastern bank firing over 150 shells — official. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces daily shell targets on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region, firing more than 150 shells, according to Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo, who added that . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. Then, commentary from Common Dreams and Bloomberg Opinion. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israel’s Netanyahu vows to press ahead in war with Hamas. U.S. urges caution. Reported by Leila Fadel and Tom Bowman | NPR  In remarks to the Knesset today, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting until Israel is victorious. The U.S. is urging Israel to take a more targeted approach and contain the conflict. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

NEWER  Israeli forces bombard central Gaza in apparent move toward expanding ground offensive, by Najib Jobain, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces bombarded Palestinian refugee camps in central Gaza today, residents said, in apparent preparation to expand their ground offensive into a third section of the besieged territory. The opening of a potential new battle zone points . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  Israel launches more Gaza strikes as Netanyahu says Hamas must be destroyed, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Bassam Masoud and Emily Rose | Reuters  CAIRO / GAZA / JERUSALEM — Israeli shellfire slammed into central Gaza today after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged no respite in attacks on Hamas, as residents of the coastal enclave . . . READ MORE . . . 

–   –   –

In Gaza, Doctors Without Borders coordinator witnesses children’s extreme suffering. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  A medical worker who recently left Gaza describes the difficulties treating children who have lost limbs and are dealing with hopelessness. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

In solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Bethlehem skips Christmas festivities. Asma Khalid of NPR stays in touch with the Rev. Munther Isaac in Bethlehem and Tamar Haddad in Jerusalem for updates on how Palestinian Christians are navigating the Israel-Hamas war. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

The toll the war in Gaza has taken on the West Bank economy. From NPR. The war in Gaza has taken a huge toll on the West Bank economy. Businesses have closed, tens of thousands can’t work in Israel and analysts warn a continued decline could spark more violence. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

NEWER  Why Israel systematically humiliates Palestinians, by Ramzy Barold | Common Dreams  When Zionist militias, using advanced Western arms, conquered historic Palestine in 1947-48, they expressed their victory through the deliberate humiliation of Palestinians. Much of that humiliation targeted women, in particular, knowing how the dishonor of Palestinian females represents. This strategy . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

What Israel overlooks in Gaza war, by Marc Champion | Bloomberg Opinion  As Israel comes under growing international pressure to change its tactics and agree to a cease-fire in Gaza, its leaders have made clear they aren’t interested. Two examples from recent history — from Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan — warn that . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Sky News, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Then, commentary from the Los Angeles Times. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

NEWER  Russian naval ship in Crimea damaged in airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russian Defense Ministry says. From AP. KYIV — A Russian naval ship in Crimea was damaged in an airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. It said the landing ship Novocherkassk was hit at a base in the city of Feodosia by plane-launched guided missiles, adding that two Ukrainian fighter jets were destroyed by anti-aircraft fire during the attack. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukrainian air force damages Russian ship in attack, as explosions seen in Crimean port town. From Sky News. Ukraine says it has carried out an air strike on the port town of Feodosia in Crimea. Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine‘s air force said that the attack destroyed a Russian Navy vessel known as the landing Novocherkask ship. Writing . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  One killed, two wounded, buildings damaged in Ukrainian strike on Crimea — regional head. From Tass. SIMFEROPOL — One person has been killed and another two have been wounded in an attack by Ukrainian forces on Feodosia, Crimea, while six buildings incurred damage, Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov said. “Unfortunately, as . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

To get Ukraine funding, Biden may have to compromise on U.S. border security. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  President Biden says he’s willing to compromise on border security as he tries to secure a Ukraine funding deal. We look at what that could mean for the 2024 election. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

For the first time in more than a century, Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on Dec 25. From NPR. For the first time in more than a century, Ukrainians are celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25. Ukraine used to observe the holiday next month like Russia. Now, they believe their future lies in the west. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

Congress leaves Ukraine twisting in the wind, by Doyle McManus | Los Angeles Times  Ukraine’s war to repel Russia’s invasion suffered two major setbacks this year. The first . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, a link to a message from the Center for Action and Contemplation; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. — MCM

–   –   –

The prophetic holy family, by Father Richard Rohr | CAC  How can we really think that Mary — if she thought like any good Jewish girl of her time was trained to think — could possibly be fully ready to hear, to speak, or to live out God’s message? She had to let God lead her outside of her box of expectations, her . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to a report from National Public Radio; then, links to commentary and a link to an interview, both from ScheerPost; other postings are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. — MCM

–   –   –

Christmas in Bethlehem is somber due to the Israel-Hamas war. Reported by Asma Khalid and Jason DeRose | NPR  There are about 200,000 Palestinian Christians who live in and around Bethlehem, the Galilee region and Gaza. Usually crowds pack into Manger Square for celebrations but this year the mood is subdued. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

The cost of bearing witness, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost  The Palestinian novelist and playwright Atef Abu Saif and his 15-year-old son Yasser live in the occupied West Bank. They were visiting family in Gaza — where he was born — when Israel began its scorched earth campaign. Atef is no stranger to the violence of the Israeli occupiers. He was two months old during the 1973 war and . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Invoking the Genocide Convention, Israel and the Kennedys. An interview from ScheerPost. Introduction: “Journalists for Sale co-hosts Max Jones and Diego Ramos speak with Sam Husseini about invoking the Genocide Convention against Israel, and the superiority of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) compared to the International Criminal Court (ICC). They also discuss the potential role of Israel in the Kennedy assassinations, and analyze why Israel is almost never mentioned in conspiracy theories about Kennedy’s death.” Click HERE to watch and listen.

 

NOTE: ENTRIES MAY BE SHORTER TODAY AND TOMORROW.

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters and, via Consortium News, Common Dreams; other articles are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below.. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

NEWER  U.S. declines to vote on UN resolution to send aid to Gaza. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with Matt Duss, vice president at the Center for International Policy, about the latest UN resolution on aid to Gaza. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

–   –   –

NEWER  A weekend of combat in Gaza kills 14 Israeli soldiers in a sign of Hamas’ entrenchment, by Tina Goldberg, Wadaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — Fourteen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, the Israeli military said today, in some of the bloodiest days of battle since the start of the ground offensive and a sign that Hamas is still putting up a fight despite weeks of brutal war. The mounting . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 24  Fighting rages in northern Gaza; Biden speaks with Netanyahu, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose | Reuters  CAIRO /JERUSALEM — Israel battled Hamas militants Saturday in pursuit of its elusive goal of full control of northern Gaza after the U.N. Security Council appealed for more aid for the Palestinian enclave but stopped shory of demanding a ceasefire. Thick . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

NEWER  Israeli commanders reported to ICC, by Brett Wilkins | Common Dreams / Consortium News  A U.S.-based advocacy group last week published a list of 40 Israeli military commanders it says are “prime suspects” for international war crimes investigation. Democracy for the Arab World Now, founded by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi before his 2018 assassination, said it submitted . . . READ MORE . . .