Links to two reports: from the Associated Press and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for LEBANON 12-17-25 and GAZA, SYRIA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israel launches intense airstrikes in Lebanon as deadline looms to disarm Hezbollah, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on southern and northeastern Lebanon on Thursday as a deadline looms to disarm the militant Hezbollah group along the countries’ tense frontier. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM DEC. 17  Lebanon likely to announce full disarmament of south ‘in coming weeks,’ by Sean Mathews | Middle East Eye Lebanon is likely to announce in the “coming weeks” that it has completed the full disarmament of Hezbollah in the country’s south, as its army prepares to tackle the group’s weapons caches in the north. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-17-25, and up or down for today’s LEBANON, SYRIA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 17  Gaza ceasefire: The next steps. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  The U.S. is pushing for the Gaza ceasefire to move into its next phase, but serious challenges lie ahead. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to an article of commentary from the Cradle and to a report from AP; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (Scroll down for SYRIA 12-15-25, and up and down for today’s LEBANON, GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 17  How the Sharaa family and a foreign-born operative built Syria’s new deep economy, by a correspondent | The Cable  Since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad‘s government, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has consolidated control over Syria’s military, security, educational, and economic sectors. A formal civilian facade masks a much narrower circle directing the levers of governance. The gap between appearance and reality is especially visible in the economic sphere. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 14  Attacker who killed U.S troops in Syria was a recent recruit to security forces, by Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — A man who carried out an attack in Syria that killed three U.S. citizens had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months earlier and was recently reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with the Islamic State group, a Syrian official told The Associated Press Sunday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Links to three reports: from the Moscow Times, National Public Radio, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for UKRAINE 12-16-25, and up or down for today’s LEBANON, GAZA, SYRIA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Ukrainian drone attacks on Rostov region kill at least 3. From the Moscow Times. Ukrainian drone strikes on the southern Rostov region killed three people, including two sailors aboard a cargo ship, regional authorities said early today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 17  EU leaders decide on whether to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s war effort. Reported by Teri Schultz | NPR  European Union leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday to decide on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s war effort. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for report from AFP.

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Links to two reports from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 12-16-25 and scroll up for today’s LEBANON, GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 17  FCC chair is grilled by Senate Democrats. Reported by David Folkenflik | NPR  Democratic lawmakers confronted Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr at a hearing Wednesday, arguing that he was attempting to intimidate reporters and networks. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM DEC. 15  From ‘The Princess Bride’ to ‘Misery,’ Rob Reiner leaves a legacy of movie magic. Reported by Bob Mondello | NPR  Hollywood’s Rob Reiner made a virtue of virtuosity, directing such diverse hits as “When Harry Met Sally,” “Stand By Me,” “A Few Good Men,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” and “Misery.” Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to three reports: from Middle East Eye, National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-16-25 and for LEBANON and WEST BANK.) — MCM

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Seventeen Palestinians, including children, die as buildings collapse in Gaza. From Middle East Eye. Seventeen Palestinians, including four children, have died after buildings collapsed in the Gaza Strip due to the extreme cold, Al Jazeera reported, citing Civil Defence in Gaza. Click HERE for photos from previous days.

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U.S. looks for countries willing to send peacekeepers to Gaza to maintain peace. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Steve Inskeep | NPR  After a ceasefire that has lasted more than two months, the U.S. is pushing for a lasting peace in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM DEC. 16  Gaza families struggle to recover from days of torrential rains that killed 12 people, by Wafaa Shurafa and Melanie Lidman | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The downpour dumped more than 150 milliliters (9 inches) of rain on some parts of Gaza over the past week, turned dirt lanes to mud and flooded tents in camps for displaced people. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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For today, links to two reports: from National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (Scroll down for LEBANON 12-14-25, and up or down for GAZA and WEST BANK.) — MCM

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UN peacekeeping mission winding down despite Israel violating ceasefire. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  UN peacekeepers in Lebanon face end of decades-old mission despite regular attacks by Israel breaking year-old ceasefire. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM DEC. 15  Western and Arab diplomats tour Lebanon-Israel border to observe Hezbollah disarmament efforts, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — Western and Arab diplomats toured an area along Lebanon’s border with Israel Monday where Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to two reports, both from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 12-16-25 and scroll up for GAZA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Israeli army arrests 40 Palestinians in West Bank raids. From Middle East Monitor. At least 40 Palestinians were rounded up by the Israeli army in military raids across the occupied West Bank, a prisoners’ rights group said today, Anadolu Agency reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 16  Palestinian shot dead by illegal settler in occupied West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. A Palestinian was killed in a new attack by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian authorities said, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports and to an article of commentary — from Middle East Monitor and Anadolu Ajansi; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 12-13-25 and for GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers burn olive trees near Ramallah. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli settlers raided Burqa village, east of Ramallah, on Monday evening and set fire to several olive trees. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli premier storms Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque to celebrate Jewish Hanukkah holiday, by Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem today to celebrate the Jewish Hanukkah holiday. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu: I am the law, and Israel is Über alles. When leaders treat accountability as optional, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  When a leader insists on operating as though the rules did not apply to him, it isn’t simply an affront to a set of abstractions. READ MORE . . . 

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Links to two reports and to an article of commentary — from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-15-25 and up or down for WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Hamas rejects foreign presence in Gaza, says ISF to ‘only monitor border.’ From the Cradle. A senior Hamas official said today Palestinians will be responsible for security in post-war Gaza, as Washington continues to struggle to assemble the International Stabilization Force envisioned in U.S. President Donald Trump’s “peace plan.” READ MORE . . . 

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FROM DEC. 15  Trump says U.S. to investigate Israel’s assassination of Hamas official as ceasefire, by Sean Mathews | Middle East Eye  The U.S. is examining whether Israel violated a Gaza ceasefire by assassinating a senior Hamas official, President Donald Trump said on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu: I am the law, and Israel is Über alles. When leaders treat accountability as optional, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  When a leader insists on operating as though the rules did not apply to him, it isn’t simply an affront to a set of abstractions. READ MORE . . . 

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