For today, link to four reports: from the Cradle, the Anadolu Agency, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA 2-22-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Syrians in Quneitra call for preserving unity, resisting Israeli occupation. From the Cradle. Participants in a dialogue session held in southern Syria’s Quneitra Governorate on Saturday have called for preserving the unity of the country, liberating the occupied Golan Heights from Israel, and resisting Israeli incursions into additional Syrian territory. READ  MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 22  U.S. airstrike kills Al-Qaeda operative in Syria’s northwest. From the Cradle. The U.S.-led coalition in Syria killed a senior leader of an Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hurras al-Din, in an airstrike in the northwest of the country, the U.S. military announced on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu says Israeli army to stay in Syria buffer zone ‘indefinitely,’ by Ahmed Asmar | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this evening that his army will stay in Syria’s buffer zone “indefinitely.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  Syria’s national dialogue conference is in flux amid pressure for a political transition, by Abby Sewell | AP  DAMASCUS — An official with the committee preparing a national dialogue conference in Syria to help chart the country’s future said Friday it has not been decided whether . . . READ  MORE . . .

For today, links to three reports: from the Anadolu Agency and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (SYRIA, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 2-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli air strikes target in Lebanon amid late Hezbollah leader Nasrallah’s funeral, by Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on several towns in eastern and southern Lebanon today amid a mass funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and despite an ongoing ceasefire. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for earlier Anadolu report, and HERE for report from the Cradle.

 

For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, Reuters, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  WEST BANK 2-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.)— MCM

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Israeli tanks enter occupied West Bank for first time since 2002. From the Cradle. Israeli tanks entered the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on 23 February for the first time since the Second Intifada in 2002, WAFA news agency reported. Israeli forces . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Israel to deny return of forcibly expelled Palestinians from West Bank camps, minister says. From Middle East Eye. The Israeli army will stay in some occupied West Bank refugee camps for the “coming year”, denying the return of some 40,000 forcibly expelled Palestinians to their homes, Defence Minister Israel Katz said today. READ MORE . . .

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Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release; moves tanks into West Bank. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  TEL AVIV —  In a significant disruption of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel is delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees and prisoners after Hamas released Israeli hostages in ceremonies Israel called humiliating. In the occupied West Bank, Israel’s military is intensifying an offensive against a Palestinian militant stronghold . . . Click HERE to read and, later, listen.

For today, links to four reports: from the Anadolu Agency, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. GAZA 2-22-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hamas halts talks with Israel until release of Palestinian prisoners under Gaza ceasefire deal, by Mohammad Majid and Ahmed Asmar | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine — A Hamas leader said today his group will not engage in negotiations with Israel until the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners who were scheduled to be released by Tel Aviv on Saturday under the first phase , , , READ MORE . . .

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Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release; moves tanks into West Bank. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  TEL AVIV — In a significant disruption of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel is delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees and prisoners after Hamas released Israeli hostages in ceremonies Israel called humiliating. In the occupied West Bank . . . Click HERE to read and, later, listen.

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FROM FEB. 22  Israel delays the release of Palestinian prisoners after Hamas frees 6 hostages, by Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammed Jahjouh and Melanie Lidman | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners without explanation Saturday after Hamas released the last six living hostages expected under the ceasefire ‘s first phase, with a week remaining in the initial stage. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 22  Saudi Arabia hosts ‘informal’ Arab summit on post-war Gaza. From the Cradle. Saudi Arabia hosted an “informal” summit of Arab states in its capital Riyadh on 21 February to discuss regional efforts to propose an alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial expulsion and reconstruction plan for Gaza. The meeting . . .READ MORE . . .

For today, links to nine reports: from Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, Tass, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or addresses below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  UKRAINE 2-22-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM   

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Russia launches largest drone attack on Ukraine, Kyiv says. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that Russia launched more than 200 drones in an overnight attack, the largest of the war, as he condemned Russia’s “aerial terror” and called for unity among Ukraine’s allies. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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U.S. aid to Ukraine provided as grants, not loans: Zelenskyy, by Esra Tekin | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — The U.S. aid to Ukraine was provided as grants, not loans, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today, rejecting claims that $500 billion in assistance should be treated as debt. READ MORE . . .

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UK PM says no talks ‘about Ukraine, without Ukraine’ on eve of DC trip, by Christopher Stewart | Kyiv Post  UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer today reiterated the UK’s “ironclad support” for Ukraine before heading to Washington with French President Macron to meet Trump. READ MORE . . .

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Russia says its Ka-52M helicopter destroyed Ukrainian troops, vehicles in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — A Ka-52M helicopter struck Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles with missiles near the border in the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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Why Ukrainians are skeptical of a ceasefire deal even after 3 years of war. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk about how Ukrainians feel about the ceasefire discussions that don’t include them — three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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FROM FEB. 22  Trump-Putin summit preparations are underway, Russia says. From AP. Preparations are underway for a face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said Saturday. The meeting would be a clear departure from Western . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin hails Putin-Trump dialogue as promising. From AFP. The Kremlin today hailed dialogue between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — two “extraordinary” presidents — as “promising”, and vowed it would “never” give up territory seized in eastern Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Putin says Russian soldiers in Ukraine ‘defending Russia’s future.’ From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin said today his soldiers in Ukraine are defending “national interests” and vowed “unchanged” determination to strengthen the country’s armed forces in a rapidly changing world. The comments . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to a report from National Public Radio, to a conversation from ScheerPost, and to a related website; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, or scroll up.  MEDIA 2-21-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 22  A Mississippi judge’s order against a local newspaper sparks censorship claims. Reported by Michael McEwen | NPR  A judge in Mississippi has ordered a small town newspaper to take down an editorial critical of city officials. The paper’s owner calls it a violation of free speech.  Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 21  Unmasking censorship: How independent journalism is challenging media control in the age of big tech. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost talks with Shealeigh Voitl and Andy Lee Roth of Project Censored about media and independent journalism, including “alarming” censorship trends, the influence of the internet, and “systemic inequalities” and “failures within our democratic structures.” Click HERE for video and transcript of conversation, and HERE for Project Censored.

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down. GAZA 2-21-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Hamas frees the sixth and final hostage in the latest exchange, by Wafaa Shurafa, Mohammed and Jahjouh and Melanie Lidman | AP  TEL AVIV — The Israeli military says the sixth and final hostage has been released by Hamas in the latest exchange today and has arrived back in Israel. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas frees five hostages in Gaza after body of Shiri Bibas returned. From Reuters. Hamas freed five hostages and was set to release one more from Gaza today in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, after Israel confirmed that a body handed over hours earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas. READ MORE . . .

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Arab leaders meet in Saudi Arabia to hash out Gaza plan to counter Trump. From AFP. RIYADH — Arab leaders met in Riyadh on Friday to craft a plan for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to take over the territory without its Palestinian inhabitants. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to three reports: from Reuters, the Cradle and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 2-20-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Dancing in Damascus, Syrians clink to culture under Islamists’ rule. From Reuters. Despite concerns that Islamist rule would restrict artistic freedoms, Anas Zeidan, an official currently responsible for museums and antiquities, emphasized the administration’s support for the arts. “The government is not against art,” he said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Reuters video.

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FROM FEB. 21  Western-backed Syrian govt imposes strict fasting rules on non-Muslims for Rama. From the Cradle. Syria’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued a circular requesting the revival of an old law stating it is forbidden to break the fast in public during the month of Ramadan out of respect for the feelings of those fasting. If approved . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 20  The new head of Syria has governed before. Here’s what his leadership looked like. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  The head of a rebel group is now the head of Syria. How will he lead a country destroyed by civil war and sectarianism? NPR found clues in a region in northern Syria, where he governed for years. Click HERE to listen and read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to 14 reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, Kyiv Post, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on thei names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up. UKRAINE 2-21-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM   

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After years of firm support, 10 days upended the U.S. approach to Ukraine, by Justin Spike | AP  KYIV — Kyiv had benefited from years of staunch support by its allies in the United States and Europe which had provided crucial military and financial support to help defend against Moscow’s grinding incursions. But . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia, U.S. representatives to meet again within two weeks, senior Russian diplomat says. From Reuters. A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported today, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says Zelensky and Putin must ‘get together.’ From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will have to “get together” to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  As Trump works more closely with Russia, Ukraine is left in a bind. Reported by Franco Ordoñez and Greg Myre | NPR  President Trump is diverging from decades of U.S. foreign policy when it comes to Russia. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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‘Trump recruited as Moscow asset,’ says ex-KGB spy chief, by Stash Luczkiw | Kyiv Post  U.S. President Donald Trump was groomed 37 years ago as a potential Soviet asset, according to Alnur Mussayev, the former head of Kazakhstan’s security services, who had been a KGB officer in Moscow at the time. In a Facebook . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  U.S. proposes rival UN action on Ukraine, pitting it against Europe, by Michelle Nichols, Steve Holland and Nandita Bose | Reuters   UNITED NATIONS — The United States on Friday proposed a draft United Nations resolution to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a move . . . READ MORE . . .    Click HERE for Feb. 22 report from AFP.

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U.S. demands that Ukraine withdraw UNGA resolution condemning Russia, Kiev refuses — WP. From Tass. WASHINGTON — The U.S. administration has demanded that Kiev withdraw its draft resolution to the UN General Assembly condemning Russia for its special military operation and the Ukrainian side refused, the Washington Post reported. READ MORE . . .

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No Russia’s fault in Ukraine crisis, says Trump. From Tass.. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump does not see Russia’s fault in the Ukrainian conflict and says that Vladimir Zelensky and ex-U.S. President Joe Biden are the ones to blame. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  In reversal, Trump says Russia attacked Ukraine, by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland | Reuters  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump reversed course on Friday and said Russia did in fact invade Ukraine, and that Kyiv would soon sign a minerals agreement with the United States as part of efforts to end the Ukraine war. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s work on finalizing minerals deal to start on Feb. 24, parliament speaker says, by Daria Shulzhenko and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine will start working to conclude an agreement with the U.S. for its natural resources on Monday, Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, told Japanese media outlet NHK.  The U.S. is . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces hit Ukrainian attack drone warehouses, drone operator sites — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian military struck Ukrainian military infrastructure over the past day, the Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  U.S. envoy praises Zelenskyy after Trump’s censure of the Ukrainian leader, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia said on Friday that he had held “extensive and positive discussions” with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the three-year war with Russia and praised the Ukrainian leader as . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 21  U.S. could cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink internet services over minerals, say sources, by Andrea Shalal and Joey Roulette | Reuters  WASHINGTON — U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine‘s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, according to three sources . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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 scoll or down.  LEBANON 2-20-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Lebanese PM tells U.S. delegation ‘no justification’ for Israeli occupation. From the Cradle. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met a delegation from the U.S. Congress today in Beirut, urging Washington to pressure Israel to fully withdraw its forces from the country. READ MORE . . .

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