For today, links to ten reports: from Middle East Eye, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and the Associated Press; others or just headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-3-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE, SYRIA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli strike on al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City kills journalists, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  At least four Palestinian journalists were killed today in Israeli strikes targeting a group of media workers in Gaza City’s al-Ahli Arab hospital’s courtyard, local reporters said. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. group distributing aid in Gaza reopens sites. From Reuters. A U.S. and Israeli-backed organisation distributing aid in Gaza said today it was reopening two distribution sites a day after shutting them following a series of deadly shootings close to its operations. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza doctors give their own blood to patients after scores gunned down seeking aid, by Olivia Le Poidevin | Reuters GENEVA — Doctors in the Gaza Strip are donating their own blood to save their patients after scores of Palestinians were gunned down while trying to get food aid, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said today. READ MORE . . .

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Rate of Gaza children suffering acute malnutrition nearly triples, survey shows, by Emma Farge | Reuters  GENEVA — The rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza has nearly tripled since a ceasefire earlier this year when aid flowed more freely, according to data collected by humanitarian groups and released by the U.N. today. READ MORE . . .

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Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming ‘equivalent of ISIS’ gangs in Gaza. From Middle East Eye. Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman has accused Israeli forces, under the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of arming “crime families” in Gaza. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle. 

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FROM JUNE 4  U.S. vetoes UN Security Council demand for Gaza ceasefire, by Michelle Nichols, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Crispian Balmer | Reuters  UNITED NATIONS / CAIRO / JERUSALEM — The United States on Wednesday vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza and unhindered aid access across the war-torn enclave. The other 14 countries . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and HERE for report from AP and the Cradle.

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, and Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-3-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Russian strike kills 5 in Ukraine, including a 1-year-old, hours after Trump-Putin call, by Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP PRYLUKY, Ukraine — At least five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother and grandmother, were killed today in a pre-dawn Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky, officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Damage, disruptions reported following explosion on train tracks in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, official claims, by Dmytro Basmat | The Kyiv Independent  An explosion on a rail line in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast today caused damage to the track and disrupted train travel along the line, regional Governor Alexander Gusev claimed. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russia strikes Ukrainian attack UAV workshops, launch sites over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian attack unmanned aerial vehicle assembly workshops, storage and launch sites 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 JUNE 4  Putin rejects Zelensky’s call for peace talks, accuses Ukraine of deadly bridge attack in Russia, by Olena Goncharova | The Kyiv Independent  Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday questioned the value of ongoing peace talks with Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of orchestrating deadly attacks on infrastructure in Russia that killed seven people and injured . . . READ MORE. . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  Ukraine seeks air defense systems as Western backers meet without the Pentagon chief, by Lorne Cook | AP  BRUSSELS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenshyy on Wednesday urged Western backers to speed up deliveries of air defense systems to counter Russian missile strikes and to help boost weapons production. He said emphasis should . . . READ MORE . . .

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Highlights from the Black Sea Forum 2025, by Sergii Kostezh and Bohdan Nahaylo | Kyiv Post  Hundreds of participants gathered over the weekend for the second annual Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa’s crown jewel — the National Opera House — in defiance of  Russian missile threats. Attendees included . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA 5-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.   GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 4  Israel bombards southern Syria after rocket fire at occupied Golan Heights. From the Cradle. The Israeli army carried out a wave of artillery shelling and airstrikes across southern Syria late Tuesday shortly after the launching of two projectiles at the occupied Golan Heights, which marked the first rocket fire from the country toward Israel in a year. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 3  U.S. army continues drawdown of Syria occupation bases. From the Cradle. The U.S. military has begun a significant reduction of its presence in Syria, withdrawing from two major occupation bases in the country’s northeast under plans to retain just one. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. lawmaker says Syrian president ‘open to peace with Israel.’ From the Cradle. A U.S. congressman told Israeli media on Wednesday that Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is “open to peace with Israel,” after recently meeting with him. READ MORE . . .

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Trump re-imposes sweeping travel ban, excludes Syria. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday reinstated a travel ban on multiple countries while pointing to national security concerns following the Boulder attack. To take effect on Monday . . . READ MORE . . .

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Llink to a conversation from the Chris Hedges YouTube Channel via ScheerPost and Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names above and below. (MEDIA 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 2  The shared mythologies of Israel & the U.S. Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges YouTube Channel talks with Joan Scott, adjunct professor of history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. They explore how Amy Kaplan’s book Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance,* and other authors’ work show how dominant Western narratives about Israel took root. Click HERE for intro, video, and transcript.

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* Published in 2018 by Harvard University Press, which published it this spring in paperback.

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NOTE: This will be the only entry for this date.

A link to an essay via the Post Carbon Institute; others are accessible by clicking on its name or the author’s name below. The author of this one says it is one of  his “most depressing,” so HERE is the second most recent in his Museletter series. (HEINBERG 3-28-25 and NATURE 2-15-25 are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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A dead world, shrink-wrapped to preserve freshness, by Richard Heinberg | Post Carbon Institute  In the classic 1967 film “The Graduate,” a family friend of lead character Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman) offers him career advice . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and Mondoweiss; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK 6-2-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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U.S. warns UK and France not to recognise Palestinian state. From Middle East Eye. The U.S. has warned Britain and France against recognising a Palestinian state at a UN conference to be co-hosted later this month by France and Saudi Arabia. READ MORE . . .

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Record number of demolitions of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem in May: Israeli group. From Middle East Monitor. Left-wing Israeli organisation Ir Amim revealed yesterday that a record number of Palestinian homes were demolished by Israeli occupation forces in East Jerusalem in May. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  West Bank settler attacks reach 20-year high, over 220 Palestinians injured in 2025. From the Cradle. Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels in 2025, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Meet the Palestinian Bedouin community that no longer exists, by Qassam Muaddi | Mondoweiss  May 22, 2025, was the last day of life as they knew it for the Bedouin community of Maghayer al-Deir, which until recently used to reside east of Ramallah, in the central occupied West Bank. The 24 Palestinian families . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Mondoweiss, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Truthout via ScheerPost; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Gaza officials say Israeli forces killed 27 heading to aid site. Israel says it fired near suspects, by Mohammad Jahjouh, Samy Magdy and Fatma Khaled | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian health officials and witnesses say Israeli forces fired on people as they headed toward an aid distribution site today, killing at least 27, in the third such incident in three days. The army said . . . READ MORE . . .    Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Middle East Eye. 

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Wilful restriction on Gaza food aid may constitute war crime, says UN rights office. From Reuters. GENEVA — The United Nations human rights office said today that the wilful impediment of access to food and relief for civilians in Gaza may constitute a war crime, describing attacks on civilians trying to access food aid as unconscionable.  READ MORE . . .

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GHF denies involvement after Israel commits new massacre near Gaza aid site. From the Cradle. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied any involvement or responsibility for the new massacre near its distribution site in the southern city of Rafah, which saw Israeli army troops gun down dozens of Palestinian aid seekers today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Aid massacre: Israeli forces kill 75 Palestinians at U.S.-run aid distribution center, by Tareq S. Hajjaj | Mondoweiss / ScheerPost  On Sunday morning at dawn, Palestinians from southern Gaza headed to the aid distribution point in Rafah run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), the U.S. contractor tasked with delivering aid to Palestinians instead of the UN. Once thousands of arrived . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  A new Gaza food distribution site erupted into chaos and violence this weekend. Reported by Carrie Kahn and Daniel Estrin | NPR  Reports of deadly shootings by the Israeli military close to a new food distribution site in Gaza are coming under heavy criticism from the U.S.-backed group distributing the food. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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U.S. warns UK and France not to recognise Palestinian state. From Middle East Eye. The U.S. has warned Britain and France against recognising a Palestinian state at a UN conference to be co-hosted later this month by France and Saudi Arabia. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  The genocide in Gaza isn’t just attacking our bodies, it’s erasing our memories, by Abdallah Aljazzar | Truthout / ScheerPost   Maybe forgetting is a shield. In Diving for Seahorses: The Science and Secrets of Memory, Hilde and Ylva Østby explain how trauma can fragment or erase memory entirely. When the brain is overwhelmed by fear, it cannot . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down. WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 2  Iran poised to dismiss U.S. nuclear proposal, says Iranian diplomat. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-long nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, slamming it as a “non-starter” that fails to address Tehran’s interests and leaves Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment unchanged. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 14 reports: from Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Ukraine’s SBU attacks Crimean bridge with underwater bomb, by Alisa Orlova | Kyiv Post  Ukraine’s Security Service said today it carried out a new special operation that damaged the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time using underwater explosives — in a mission that took months to plan. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian rockets kill 3 in a Ukrainian city as Kyiv claims it damaged a key bridge deep in Russia, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A Russian attack targeted the Ukrainian city of Sumy today, killing at least three people and leaving many injured, officials said. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the assault, saying it underscored that Moscow has no intentions of halting the three-year war. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Ukraine peace efforts are complex, no quick decisions should be expected, by Dmitry Antonov | Reuters   MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today that work on trying to reach a settlement to end the war in Ukraine was extraordinarily complex and that it would be wrong to expect any imminent decisions but that it was waiting for Ukrainian reaction to its proposals presented at Monday’s talks in Istanbul. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russia-Ukraine talks end without ceasefire, but countries agree to exchange prisoners. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Steve Inskeep | NPR  A second round of ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia ended quickly on Monday and with no ceasefire, though the two countries agreed to exchange more prisoners of war. Some updates. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine’s neutrality, recognition of Donbass, Novorossiya: key ideas of Russian memorandum. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian memorandum on a future settlement, handed over to the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul, implies Ukraine’s neutrality and a ban on any military activity by third countries on its territory. Russia’s proposals set out in the document envisage elections in Ukraine, followed by the signing of a peace treaty. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine and Russia agree to swap dead and wounded troops but report no progress toward ending war, by Mehmet Guzel | AP  ISTANBUL — Representatives of Russia and Ukraine met Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks and agreed to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops but made no progress toward ending the 3-year-old war, officials said — this a day after . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Russia and Ukraine hold talks after Ukrainian attacks on Russian bomber fleet. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  Officials from Russia and Ukraine met for a second round of peace negotiations in Istanbul. The discussions come after a surprise Ukrainian drone attack on remote Russian air bases Sunday. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from AP.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin’s strategic arsenal. From AP.  Sunday’s surprise attack targeting several Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication. Ukraine said over 40 bombers were damaged or destroyed, but Moscow said only . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas, officials say. From Reuters. Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in the south of Ukraine, Russia-installed officials said early on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  How Ukraine pulled off its drone attack on valuable Russian warplanes. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Ukraine has carried many highly creative drone attacks against Russia. Now, they’ve destroyed some of Russia’s most valuable warplanes, parked at military bases deep inside Russia. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to seven reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Cradle and to commentary from Middle East Monitor via Informed Comment; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (GAZA 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE, IRAN, WEST BANK and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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32 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since dawn. From Middle East Eye. Israeli forces have killed at least 32 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing medical sources. The news site said at least 51 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours. Wafa news agency reported that . . . READ MORE . . .

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An Israeli strike on Gaza kills 14 Palestinians, mostly women and children, hospitals say. From AP. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a residential building in the Gaza Strip on Monday killed 14 people, mostly women and children, according to health officials. READ MORE . . .

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Three people killed and dozens wounded near aid site in Gaza, medics say, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians and wounded dozens of others near an aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, local health authorities said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM JUNE  1  Hamas accepts Witkoff truce outline with amendments aimed at ending war, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  Hamas has agreed to the outline of a ceasefire deal drafted by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, with amendments that include guarantees it would lead to negotiations aimed at permanently ending the Israeli war on Gaza, Middle East Eye has learnt. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Arab ministers call for end to Gaza genocide, recognition of Palestine at Amman conference. From the Cradle. Arab foreign ministers gathered in the Jordanian capital on Sunday for a meeting of the ministerial committee of the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, stressing the need to end Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and to establish a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  The Madeleine ship: A message of solidarity with Gaza and resolve to break the blockade, by Zaher Birawi | Middle East Monitor / Informed Comment – On Sunday, June 1, a small ship from the International Freedom Flotilla Coalition will set sail from the port of Catania in Sicily (Italy). They named the ship “Madeleine” in honour of Palestinian fisherwoman Madeleine Kullab, the youngest . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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