For today, links to seven reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Tass, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Indian Punchline, the Washington Post, and the Philadelphia Inquirer; other articles or headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up. UKRAINE 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM 

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U.S. halts intelligence sharing with Ukraine, CIA director confirms, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  The U.S. has halted intelligence sharing with Kyiv, threatening Ukraine’s ability to strike Russian targets amid the full-scale war, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said to Fox Business today. The Financial Times reported earlier today . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says a 2022 Ukrainian law bans Zelenskyy from talks with Putin. From AP. A Ukrainian decree from 2022 that ruled out negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin raises the question of who could sit at the table in potential peace talks aimed at ending their three-year war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin welcomes possible Ukraine peace talks, but says ‘nuances’ remain. From the Moscow Times. The Kremlin said today it welcomes the prospect of U.S.-mediated peace talks with Ukraine but claimed that legal obstacles introduced by Kyiv still prevent negotiations from taking place. READ MORE . . . 

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U.S. to resume arms supplies to Kiev if rare-earths deal is signed — Medvedev. From Tass. MOSCOW — Washington will resume arms shipments to Kiev if the rare-earths deal is signed with Ukraine, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said, referring to U..S. President Trump’s address To Congress Tuesday night. READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky says peace in Ukraine is ‘entirely achievable’ under U.S. leadership. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today a lasting settlement to the war with Russia was “entirely achievable” if Europe and the United States worked together. READ MORE . . .

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Trump signals possible restoration of Ukraine aid, sets conditions, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  U.S. President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine, with the possibility of restoring support if peace talks are arranged and confidence-building measures are implemented, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz confirmed today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 4  Ukrainians react to U.S. military aid pause. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  Ukrainians are reeling over the U.S. suspending military aid, but Kyiv says it can manage for six months as the European Union and UK amp up support. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 3  U.S. puts firewall to protect Ukraine deal with Russia, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The verbal shootout at the Oval Office last Friday brought out President Vladimir Zelensky’s fury that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are very close to a deal on Ukraine, while the conclave in Lancashire House in London on Sunday involving 18 European leaders . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 26  Trump just dealt Russia a devastating blow, by Marc Theissen | The Washington Post  The minerals deal negotiated between the United States and Ukraine is a devastating development for Russia. Indeed . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  After three years of war in Ukraine, a Trump-backed ‘Russian peace’ would spell disaster, by Trudy Rubin | The Philadelphia Inquirer  Three years after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, it is clear who should win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA 3-3-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Syria’s industrial sector faces widespread closures under Al-Qaeda-linked government: report. From the Cradle. During the past three months, hundreds of Syrian factories, plants, and workshops have been closed in several governorates as a result of many factors that accompanied the departure of the government of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Sputnik Arabic reported on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio, and to a film review from NPR; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. (WEST BANK 3-3-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Palestinian man shot and killed by Israeli forces in Jenin. From Middle East Eye. A Palestinian man has been shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Earlier today, another man was identified . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH  3  Palestinian-Israeli film on displacement of Palestinians wins an Oscar. From Middle East Monitor. Palestinian-Israeli film “No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscar ceremony Sunday night. Produced by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, it follows . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 3  ‘No Other Land’: Palestinian-Israeli film’s Oscar win sparks outrage in Israel, by Nadav Rapaport | Middle East Eye  Israeli government officials, actors and the media industry have lashed out at Hollywood and the directors of the Israeli-Palestinian film “No Other Land” after it won the best documentary film award . . . Click HERE to read the rest, and HERE for report from NPR.

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FROM JAN. 31  Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers team up to create ‘No Other Land.’ Review by Justin Chang | NPR  This isn’t just the most powerful nonfiction film I saw in 2024; it also had one of the year’s more remarkable off-screen narratives. The movie brings us into Masafer Yatta, a community of Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied southern West Bank . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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For now, links to reports from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Reuters; other reports or headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-3-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Netanyahu: We are ‘preparing for the next stages of the war.’ From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Tel Aviv is “preparing for the next stages of the war,” vowing not to stop until “we achieve all our victory goals.” READ MORE . . .

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Arab leaders gather to endorse counterproposal to Trump’s Gaza plan, with ceasefire’s fate uncertain, by Samy Magdy and Mohammad Jahjouh | AP  CAIRO — Arab leaders meeting in Cairo today are set to endorse a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the Gaza Strip to be . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Israel says it needs deal on freeing hostages to extend Gaza  ceasefire deal. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said today Israel was ready to proceed to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, as long as Hamas . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, and Tass, and to commentary from Responsible Statecraft via Truthdig; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. UKRAINE 3-3-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Trump’s pause on military aid alarms Ukrainians but Kyiv digs in on peace terms, by Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukrainians expressed alarm and apprehension today at a U.S. decision to pause military aid that is critical to their fighting Russia’s invasion, as a rift deepens between Kyiv and Washington. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Kyiv Post.

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President Trump pauses Ukraine military aid after disastrous meeting with Zelenskyy. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Michel Martin | NPR  A White House official says the Trump administration is pausing U.S. aid to Ukraine, just days after a disastrous meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 3  Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says end of war with Russia is ‘very, very far away,’ by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “is still very, very far away,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Sunday, adding . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pause in U.S. military shipments to Ukraine ‘best step’ toward peace, Kremlin says. From AFP. The Kremlin said today that the sudden suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine following a public clash between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky marked a major step toward ending the war. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, ammo depots in past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields and ammunition depots over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  Some hard truths about the Trump-Zelenskyy-Vance blow-up, by Anatol Lieven and George Beebe | Responsible Statecraft / Truthdig  The sort of clash that occurred between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is common enough between leaders in private. As a public spectacle, however . . . READ MORE . . .

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Links to three reports: from Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio, and to a film review from NPR, followed by a note from a reporter on the mend and a link to his latest report from Substack; other published material is accessible by clicking on their highlighted names or initials. (SYRIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  MEDIA 2-26-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH  3  Palestinian-Israeli film on displacement of Palestinians wins an Oscar. From Middle East Monitor. Palestinian-Israeli film “No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscar ceremony Sunday night. Produced by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, it follows . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 3  ‘No Other Land’: Palestinian-Israeli film’s Oscar win sparks outrage in Israel, by Nadav Rapaport | Middle East Eye  Israeli government officials, actors and the media industry have lashed out at Hollywood and the directors of the Israeli-Palestinian film “No Other Land” after it won the best documentary film award . . . Click HERE to read the rest, and HERE for report from NPR.

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FROM JAN. 31  Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers team up to create ‘No Other Land.’ Review by Justin Chang | NPR  This isn’t just the most powerful nonfiction film I saw in 2024; it also had one of the year’s more remarkable off-screen narratives. The movie brings us into Masafer Yatta, a community of Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied southern West Bank . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Reporter takes week off. A Feb. 28 “Note to Readers” from Seymour Hersh reads: “There is a lot going on, and I have a lot to say, but not this week. I had the first of two knee replacements on Tuesday—the price of playing a lot of sports all my life—and the game now is to stay ahead of pain, which is acute. So I am chugging more pills than ever before, and if I sat down at the desk I would write gibberish and think I was Harold Pinter.” Nevertheless, “Trump Downgrades the U.S. Military” came in from him dated March 3.

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For today, a link to commentary from the Cradle, followed by a 2008 map from Encyclopedia Britannica; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (SYRIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON 3-1-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 25  The funeral that sealed Hezbollah’s unbreakable covenant, by Pepe Escobar | The Cradle  BEIRUT — It’s about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23. Inside Beirut’s vast Sports City Stadium, at least 100,000 people clad in black and draped in yellow resistance flags pay their respects as the caskets of the late Hezbollah secretary-generals Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine begin . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary via Consortium News and ScheerPost; a map from Alamy follows. Other published material is accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 2-28-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli army ordered to prepare to ‘defend’ Druze city in southern Syria, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  The order concerns the city of Jaramana, on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus, after violence broke out between locals and security services. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Saturday that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Syrian government forces deploy south of Damascus to ‘end chaos’ in Druze villages. From the Cradle. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led Syrian security forces deployed to the city of Jaramana on the outskirts of Damascus late on Sunday to “end the state of chaos” in the area, according to state media. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2  Lebanese Druze leader warns of ‘Israeli plot’ to ‘sabotage, divide Syria’ on sectarian lines. From the Cradle. A prominent Druze leader in Lebanon, Walid Jumblatt, warned on Sunday of an Israeli plot to divide Syria along sectarian lines and create chaos amid clashes between . . . READ MORE . . .

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1st National Syria Gathering Conference: New era for reconstruction, development, by Omer Asur Cuhadar | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — After seven years of operating discreetly in exile, the National Syria Gathering held its first conference in Damascus under government auspices and in the presence of over 100 Syrian businessmen from inside and outside the country. Opened by Finance Minister Mohamed Abazid, it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Sharaa forms committee to ‘regulate transitional phase’ in Syria. From the Cradle. Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa has appointed a committee to draft a constitutional declaration aimed at organizing the transitional phase in the country, coming more than two months after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad’s government. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 19  The geopolitics of peace, by Jeffrey Sachs | Columbia University / ScheerPost / Consortium News  On the Middle East the U.S. completely handed over foreign policy to Netanyahu 30 years ago. The Israel lobby dominates American politics. Please, have no doubt about it. I could explain for hours how it works. Click HERE for video and a transcript.

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For today, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. (WEST BANK 3-2-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel clears another refugee camp as squeeze on West Bank tightens. From Reuters. RAMALLAH — Israeli troops demolished houses and cleared a wide roadway through the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the latest camp to be virtually emptied of its inhabitants in a weeks-long operation against militant groups that has forced tens of thousands . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to six reports: from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, SYRIA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-2-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel stops aid delivery to Gaza until Hamas accepts U.S. ceasefire extension. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Leila Fadel | NPR  Israel and Hamas are at loggerheads over the next phase of the six-week-old ceasefire. Israel stopped the delivery of aid to Gaza until Hamas accepts a U.S. ceasefire extension proposal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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With the Gaza ceasefire in limbo, Israel tries to impose an alternative plan on Hamas, by Joseph Krauss | AP  Israel this week introduced what it said was a new U.S. ceasefire plan — different from the one it agreed to in January — and is trying to force Hamas to accept it by imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to it as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Egypt: Gaza ceasefire agreement includes full access to aid. From Middle East Monitor. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in a statement that the Gaza ceasefire agreement guarantees full access to humanitarian aid and cannot be halted or used as a weapon against innocent civilians, especially . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2  Egypt plays a key role amid ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Scott Detrow | NPR  Egypt leads Arab plans to push back at Trump’s idea to clear Gaza of Palestinians. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel violated ceasefire more than 900 times since 19 January, says Gaza govt. media office. From Middle East Monitor. The government media office in Gaza said on Sunday the Israeli army has committed more than 900 violations of the ceasefire agreement since it came into effect on Jan. 19, Anadolu has reported, killing and wounding hundreds . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 2  Gaza marks Ramadan with traditional qatayef, by Mohammed Asad | Middle East Monitor  Just as Palestinians were starting to get into the spirit of Ramadan, offering traditional qatayef desserts in the evening, Israel blocked the delivery of food aid into the enclave. Click HERE for photos.

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