For today, links to reports: from Middle East Monitor and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK 2-24-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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WHO ‘deeply concerned’ about West Bank violence, impact on healthcare. From Middle East Monitor. The World Health Organisation is “deeply concerned” about the Israeli occupation army’s offensive in the West Bank and the impact of “starkly rising” attacks on healthcare, its representative in the Palestinian territories said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  West Bank Palestinians fear Gaza-style clearance as Israel squeezes Jenin camp. From Reuters. JENIN, West Bank — Israeli bulldozers have demolished large areas of the now virtually empty Jenin refugee camp and appear to be carving wide roadways through its once-crowded warren of alleyways, echoing tactics already employed in Gaza as troops prepare for a long-term stay. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK, GAZA, SYRIA, and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll up or down. IRAN 2-19-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Iran will not yield to U.S. ‘pressure and sanctions’ on nuclear dispute. From Middle East Monitor. Iran will not yield to pressure and sanctions imposed by Washington, the Islamic Republic’s top diplomat said today after meeting his Russian counterpart, days after Moscow held initial talks with the US just a month into Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, Reuters has reported. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  U.S. Treasury sanctions Iranian ‘shadow fleet’ under Trump’s maximum pressure scheme. From the Cradle. Washington imposed sanctions on Monday, targeting what it refers to as a “shadowy” fleet made up of companies, individuals, and vessels involved in transporting Iranian oil to circumvent unilateral U.S. sanctions. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye, and to two articles of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. GAZA 2-24-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Desperation grows in northern Gaza as Palestinians struggle to rebuild their homes, by Fatma Khaled and Abdel Kareem Hana | AP  BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip — Nearly 600,000 Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza under the now month-old ceasefire in Gaza, according to the United Nations. They now face . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel looks to extend phase one of Gaza truce as long-term deal proves elusive, by James Mackenzie and Andrew Mills | Reuters  JERUSALEM / DOHA — Israel is considering an extension of the 42-day truce in Gaza as it seeks to bring home the remaining 63 hostages, while putting off agreement on the future of the enclave for now, Israeli officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas accuses New York Times of distorting Marzouk interview. From Middle East Monitor. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has said that the recent remarks attributed to the head of its international relations office, Mousa Abu Marzouk, were inaccurate and taken out of context, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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Palestinians are being displaced by rhetoric and action, by Ramona Wadi | Middle East Monitor  Rejecting Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians by rhetoric does not work. However, the Palestinian Authority and world leaders seem to convolute statements into purported displays of action, when the only action being taken is by Israel in its quest for ever more colonial expansion. For example . . . READ MORE . . .

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Who will govern Gaza the day after the war? by Mahmoud Hassan | Middle East Monitor  The governance of the Gaza Strip on the day after the war remains a major concern for Tel Aviv, Washington and several Arab capitals, amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, link to five reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 2-24-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Sharaa calls for ‘state monopoly’ on weapons during Syrian dialogue conference. From the Cradle. Syria’s transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa called for the Syrian state’s “monopoly” on all weapons during a national dialogue conference today.  READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  Iraqi intel chief raises alarm about ISIS resurgence in Syria. From the Cradle. The head of Iraq’s National Intelligence Service, Hamid al-Shatri, stated on Monday that Baghdad sent direct messages to Damascus about security threats posed to Iraq by ISIS cells in the Syrian desert regions. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  Syrians protest over Netanyahu’s call for a demilitarised south, by Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  Syrians have taken to the streets in southern Syria to protest over Israel’s expansion into the country and its prime minister’s statements that Syria’s armed forces cannot move south of the capital. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  Western sanctions are holding Syria back from rebuilding, locals say. Reported by Emily Feng and Jawad Rizkallah | NPR  Western countries have imposed layers of crippling sanctions on Syria for decades. Syrians say the sanctions are impeding any hope of rebuilding a country shattered by civil war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 24  Syrians express hope and skepticism as national dialogue conference kicks off, by Ghaith Alsayed and Omar Albam | AP  DAMASCUS — A long-awaited national dialogue conference intended to help chart Syria’s political future after the fall of former President Bashar Assad kicked off Monday in Damascus. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Kyiv Post, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (IRAN, GAZA, WEST BANK and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE or HERE or scroll up. UKRAINE 2-24-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery in flames after drone strike, reports say, by Abbey Fenbert | The Kyiv Independent  A fire erupted at Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery after a drone strike overnight on Jan. 26, according to Russian media reports. The reported strike . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces pound Ukrainian military airfields in precision strike. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields by precision weapons 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. 24  U.S. refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in UN votes, by Edith M. Lederer | AP  UNITED NATIONS — In a dramatic shift in transatlantic relations under President Donald Trump, the United States split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions Monday . . .  Click HERE for article and videos, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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Top Ukrainian official says Kyiv will refuse any ‘bad’ peace deal. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR  The divide between the United States and its European allies came into sharp focus on Monday, when the U.S  joined Russia in voting against a resolution at the U.N. General Assembly urging Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Click HERE to read and, later, listen.

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Putin welcomes U.S. mineral investments in occupied Ukraine. From Kyiv Post. Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Monday he is open to foreign investments – including those from the US – to develop mineral resources in Russia and occupied Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 24  Trump and Macron meet in Washington as Europe pleads for continued help with Ukraine. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  At a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said their meeting on Monday was an important step toward reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM FEB. 24  World leaders are in Ukraine’s capital to mark 3 years since Russia launched its war. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  As the U.S. turns away from Ukraine, more than a dozen leaders gather in Kyiv as Ukrainians mark three years since Russia’s invasion and ongoing war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 24  UK unveils sweeping sanctions on Russia and its global backers. From AFP. The UK government on Monday announced more than 100 new sanctions targeting individuals and entities supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. Described as . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to reports from National Public Radio and Antiwar.com; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK 2-23-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release, while sending tanks to occupied West Bank. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Leila Fadel | NPR  Israel delayed a Palestinian prisoner release, accusing Hamas of “humiliating” hostages, while also sending tanks into the occupied West Bank for the first time in decades. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 20  Netanyahu orders West Bank escalation after empty buses explode in Israel, by Dave DeCamp | Antiwar.com / ScheerPost  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a massive escalation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after three empty buses exploded in the Israeli city of Bat Yam near Tel Aviv, The Times of Israel reported on Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 2-23-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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EU eases Syria sanctions in support of de facto government. From the Cradle. EU countries today suspended with immediate effect some of the sanctions the bloc imposed on Syria, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport, and reconstruction. READ MORE . . .

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Syria’s national dialogue conference set to kick off today. From AP. DAMASCUS — A long-awaited national dialogue conference intended to help chart Syria’s political future after the fall of former President Bashar Assad was set to begin today. The main session will be held on Tuesday, with . . . READ MORE . . .

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Tribes of south Syria reject Netanyahu’s ‘aggressive’ call for ‘demilitarization.’ From the Cradle. Syrian tribes in southern Syria today announced their rejection of the “aggressive statements” made by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier demanding “demilitarization” of the region. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 23  Netanyahu declares ‘no Syrian forces’ to be allowed south of Damascus. From the Cradle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded on Sunday the “complete demilitarization of southern Syria” and said Israel would not allow the new government to deploy its forces south of Damascus. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, SBS News, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 2-23-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hezbollah chief who was killed days after taking up post laid to rest in south Lebanon hometown, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — The late leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group who was killed in an Israeli airstrike days after he took the post was laid to rest in his southern hometown today, a day after his cousin and predecessor was buried in Beirut. Hashem Safieddine, who . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 23  Lebanon bids farewell to the Nasrallah era, by Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  BEIRUT — It has taken five months until Hezbollah has been able to lay Hassan Nasrallah, the charismatic leader who led the ferocious resistance movement and powerful Shia political party for three decades, to rest. READ MORE . . .

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Massive crowds mourn Hezbollah’s slain leader Nasrallah, as Israeli jets fly overhead. From SBS News. Hundreds of thousands of people bid farewell to Hezbollah’s slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah, at a mass funeral in Beirut on Sunday, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in a blow to the Iranian-backed group. Click HERE for article and brief video.

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FROM FEB. 23  Huge crowds gather in Lebanon for funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah buried its founder Hassan Nasrallah in a huge state-like funeral on Sunday, marking the end of an era for the militant Shiite group. Hezbollah held the event amid vows that followers would continue his legacy of resistance against Israel and the United States. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for Feb. 23 report from AP.

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For today, links to five reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, National Public Radio, and Reuters, and to a book review and brief video from Middle East Monitor; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 2-23-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel imposes new conditions on release of seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners. From Middle East Eye. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing an unnamed source, reported that Israel is willing to free Palestinian prisoners whose release was previously delayed. However, . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas says ‘no new talks’ until Israel respects Gaza ceasefire terms. From the Cradle. Hamas has said that it will not hold any further ceasefire talks until Israel commits to the agreement and releases the Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be let out over the weekend. READ MORE . . .

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Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release, while sending tanks to occupied West Bank. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Leila Fadel | NPR  Israel delayed a Palestinian prisoner release, accusing Hamas of “humiliating” hostages, while also sending tanks into the occupied West Bank for the first time in decades. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 23  Trump envoy will push for Gaza truce extension in the region this week, he says. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to the Middle East this week, he said on Sunday, to push for the extension of a fragile Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The three-stage ceasefire . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 22  Seventh round of Gaza prisoner exchange underway as hundreds of Palestinians set for release. From the Cradle. The Palestinian resistance handed over three Israeli soldier captives to the Red Cross on Saturday afternoon, hours after the release of two others that morning as part of the seventh round of ceasefire exchanges. Click HERE for article and brief video.

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FROM FEB. 23  Witnessing annihilation, a book review by Anjuman Rahman | Middle East Monitor  In Eyes on Gaza (Street Noise Books, 2025), Khaled Beydoun, an Arab-American law professor, crafts a haunting and deeply personal account of the genocide unfolding in Gaza, balancing . . .  Click HERE for review and a video of author speaking.

 

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For today, links to eleven reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, and the Moscow Times, and to commentary from the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA, LEBANON and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up. UKRAINE 2-23-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russia will end Ukraine war only on its terms, Lavrov says. From AFP. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that Moscow was open to negotiations on ending the war against Ukraine but would only halt fighting when a peace settlement “suits” its interests. Speaking in Turkey . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Western leaders visit Kyiv and pledge military support against Russia on the war’s 3rd anniversary, by Justin Spike | AP  KYIV — More than a dozen Western leaders attended events in Ukraine today marking the third anniversary of the country’s war with Russia, many pledging more military aid in a conspicuous show of support for Kyiv as uncertainty . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Kyiv Post.

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What are the prospects for peace in Ukraine 3 years after Russia launched its war? Reported by Joanna Kakissis, Charles Maynes and Leila Fadel | NPR  Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what has been the impact of the largest conflict in Europe since World War II? How does the U.S. pivot toward Russia affect peace prospects? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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In photos: Ukrainian cities before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion. From the Moscow Times. The scars of the war can be seen in cities big and small, east and west, on historical landmarks and industrial facilities, on . . . Click HERE for intro and photographs.

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Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russian refinery in Ryazan Oblast for 3rd time in 2025, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Drones operated by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Feb. 24. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate Topoli community in Kharkov Region over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Topoli in the Kharkov Region 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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Invasion of Ukraine was ‘God’s will,’ Putin says. From the Moscow Times. The Russian president made the statement Sunday to soldiers after a Kremlin ceremony where he awarded them state decorations. READ MORE . . .

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Historian Anne Applebaum on what Trump’s alignment with Russia means. Reported by Leila Fadel, Arezou Rezvani and Obed Manuel | NPR  President Trump’s cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin marks a significant departure from decades of U.S. foreign policy. For years . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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After 3 years of war, Ukraine is in an absurd position, by Elena Davlikanova | The Moscow Times  For over a decade, Ukraine has stood as the barrier to Russia’s bid to reclaim dominance in Europe. Now . . . READ MORE . . .

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