For today, reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 5-27-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel authorizes more settlements in the occupied West Bank. Strikes on Gaza kill 13, officials say, by Julia Frankel and Natalie Melzer | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel said today it would establish 22 Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalization of outposts already built without government authorization. Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip meanwhile killed at least 13 people overnight, local health officials said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MAY 28  Israeli forces kill Palestinian sleeping in his home, by Fayha Shalash | Middle East Eye  RAMALLAH, occupied Palestine — Israeli forces shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian man while he slept in his home in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the the Cradle and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN 4-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down. WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 28  Trump says he warned Netanyahu to hold off on an Iran strike to give U.S. more time for nuclear talks, by Jon Gambrell, Zeke Miller and Aamer Madhani | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on striking Iran to give the U.S. administration more time to push for a new nuclear deal with Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 28  White House ‘concerned’ Israel preparing attack on Iran to upend nuclear talks: report. From the Cradle. Israel is looking to “upend” Omani-mediated nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington with a military attack against Iranian nuclear facilities, and could possibly strike quickly with “little warning,” according to sources cited by the New York Times on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to six reports: from Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 5-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Israeli government ministers reject U.S. envoy’s proposal for Gaza ceasefire, by Ahmed Asmar | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Israeli government ministers have strongly opposed U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire to end Israel’s brutal onslaught on the Palestinian enclave. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strikes on kindergarten and homes in central and northern Gaza kill 44, by Mera Aladam | Middle East Eye  The Israeli military today struck residential areas in northern and central Gaza, including a kindergarten in Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 44 people. READ MORE . . .

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Israel authorizes more settlements in the occupied West Bank. Strikes on Gaza kill 13, officials say, by Julia Frankel and Natalie Melzer | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel said today it would establish 22 Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalization of outposts already built without government authorization. Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip meanwhile killed at least 13 people overnight, local health officials said.

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FROM MAY  28  U.S. and Israel are at odds with the UN over new aid program for Gaza. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  The U.N. Security Council meets on Gaza, as the U.S. backs a new aid group and dismisses concerns by the U.N. that aid is being “politicized.” Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY  28  Deadly break-in at UN warehouse as aid trickles into Gaza, by Nidal al-Mughrabi, James Mackenzie and Michelle Nichols | Reuters  CAIRO / JERUSALEM / UNITED NATIONS — A United Nations warehouse in war-torn Gaza was broken into by “hordes of hungry people” on Wednesday as aid trickles into the Palestinian enclave on the brink of famine and the United States readies new terms for a possible truce between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY  28  GHF says operating ‘without incident’ in south Gaza as Israeli army guns down aid seekers. From the Cradle. The U.S. and Israeli-led Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said on Wednesday it was continuing operations “without incident” — this amid continued violence against starving Palestinians by Israeli forces, a day after . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to nine reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle, and to an exchange via Consortium News; other published material or at least headlines is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 5-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  YEMEN, UKRAINE and  MEDIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Netanyahu says Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar has been eliminated. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammad Sinwar, one of its most wanted and the younger brother of the deceased group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been eliminated. READ MORE . . .

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One killed, 48 wounded when forces fired on crowd overrunning aid site, Gaza officials say, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others wounded when forces opened fire on a crowd overrunning a new aid distribution site in the Gaza Strip set up by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation, Gaza’s Health Ministry said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from NPR, Reuters, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle.

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UN official blasts new U.S.-backed aid distribution system in Gaza. From Middle East Eye. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, today condemned the U.S.-backed aid system in Gaza after 47 people were injured during a chaotic food distribution, calling it “a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 27  Hamas accepts U.S. ceasefire proposal, calls for ‘global rage’ against Israeli genocide. From the Cradle. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim announced on Tuesday that the Palestinian resistance movement has accepted U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s Gaza ceasefire proposal – coming one day after Witkoff publicly denied such reports. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for May 26 report from the Cradle.

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FROM MAY 27  On the ground in Gaza. Via Consortium News. Australian physician Mohammed Mustafa speaks and answers questions at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Tuesday. He returned from volunteering at Nasser and European hospitals in Khan Younis in Gaza. He is campaigning to build and sustain an Australian children’s hospital in Gaza. Independent senator David Pocock intoduces him. Click HERE for YouTube video. (Intro begins about 17 minutes in, and Mustafa begins talking about 24 minutes in.)

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (YEMEN 5-23-25 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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Israeli warplanes launch new strikes on Yemen’s main airport. From the Cradle. Israeli fighter jets carried out the airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport today, the latest in a series of attacks launched against the country by Tel Aviv. The Israeli army said it “attacked the main airport in Sanaa and aircraft belonging to the Houthi terrorist organization,” adding that . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 5-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  YEMEN, GAZA and MEDIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Zelenskyy visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia, by Stafanie Dazio | AP  BERLIN — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was to meet with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today as Ukraine seeks further military support amid a recent escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign,despite U.S.-led efforts to end the war. Germany has been the second-biggest supplier READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Putin’s demands for peace include an end to NATO enlargement, sources say, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards and lift a chunk of sanctions on Russia, according to three Russian sources with knowledge of the negotiations. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and Tass.

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U.S and Russia row in public as Moscow masses 50,000 troops near Ukrainian region. From Reuters. The United States and Russia quarrelled in public today over the intensifying Ukraine war after US President Donald Trump warned that President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire,” and Moscow massed 50,000 troops near a Ukrainian region. Swarms of drones were being launched by both sides while . . . READ MORE . . .

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Germany to help finance Ukrainian-made long-range systems, by Martin Fornusek, Chris York and Tim Zadorozhnyy | The Kyiv Independent  Germany and Ukraine will sign a memorandum on the joint purchase of “long-range fires” made by Ukrainian producers, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced today. Berlin will also help finance  . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to a report from Politico; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (MEDIA 5-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  YEMEN, UKRAINE and GAZA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 27  NPR sues Trump over funding cuts amid ongoing battle between administration and press, by Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing | Politico  NPR and three Colorado member stations sued the Trump administration today over the president’s executive order seeking to halt federal funding for public media. The lawsuit argues that . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to eight reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and Reuters, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 5-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Girl, uncle describe family’s deaths in Israeli strike, by Maha Hussaini | Middle East Eye  GAZA CITY, occupied Palestine — Ward Jalal al-Sheikh Khalil, 5, who has spent nearly half her life surviving Israel’s war on Gaza, was fleeing the bombed classroom at the Fahmi al-Jerjawi school after witnessing her mother and four siblings burn to death. Click HERE for report including video, and HERE for related report.

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No respite for Palestinians as Israel crushes Khan Younis, by Ahmed Abu Artema | Middle East Eye  The Israeli army last week posted on social media an announcement, in Arabic, ordering residents to leave Gaza’s Khan Younis area ahead of an “unprecedented attack.” Moments after it was posted . . .  READ MORE . . .

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How is the new Gaza aid plan supposed to work — and why are so many aid groups against it? By Sam Mednick | AP  TEL AVIV — A U.S.-backed group approved by Israel to take over aid distribution in Gaza says it has started operations, despite opposition from the U.N. and most humanitarian groups and the unexpected resignation of its executive director. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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FROM MAY 26  Mass displacement in Gaza as Israel increases airstrikes. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Palestinians have been massively displaced from areas of Gaza under a new Israeli military effort. Many have ended up in Gaza City where families are pitching tents near a once-picturesque seaport. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 26  A new aid system in Gaza has started operations, a U.S.-backed group says, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A new aid system in Gaza opened its first distribution hubs Monday, according to a U.S.-backed group that said it began delivering food to Palestinians who face growing hunger after Israel’s nearly three-month blockade to pressure Hamas. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Do you support Palestine when it fights, or only when it bleeds? by Adnan Hmidan | Middle East Monitor  Since the onset of the genocide, ethnic cleansing, and collective punishment in Gaza, the popular movement across Europe has evolved . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 5-25-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Palestinians forced to flee their village in occupied West Bank following erection of settlers’ building: Haaretz. From Middle East Eye. The Israeli media outlet Haartez reported that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank fled the Bedouon village of Mughayyir al-Dir, following settlers’ harassment and the erection of an outpost within metres from their houses. READ MORE . . .

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Israel to annex parts of West Bank if Europe moves to recognize Palestine: report. From the Cradle. Israel has issued a threat to France and the UK that any moves to recognize a Palestinian state will see Tel Aviv annex parts of the occupied West Bank in response, according to a 26 May report by Haaretz. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for May 26 report from Middle East Monitor.

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FROM MAY 26 Thousands of Israeli nationalists chant ‘death to Arabs’ during annual procession through Jerusalem, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — Chanting “Death to Arabs” and singing “May your village burn,” groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday during an annual march marking Israel’s conquest of the eastern part of the city. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Monitor.

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Do you support Palestine when it fights, or only when it bleeds? by Adnan Hmidan | Middle East Monitor  Since the onset of the genocide, ethnic cleansing, and collective punishment in Gaza, the popular movement across Europe has evolved . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For now, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 5-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russia seizes Ukrainian border villages as its bombing campaign slows, by Hanna Arhirova and Katie Marie Davies | AP  KYIV — Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, a local official said today, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had issued an order to establish a buffer zone along the border. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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As Ukrainian POWs die in Russian prisons, autopsies point to a system of brutality, by Hanna Arhirov, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Illia Novikov | AP  More than 200 Ukrainian POWs have died while imprisoned since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago. Abuse inside Russian prisons was likely a contributing factor in many of these deaths, say officials from human rights groups, the U.N., the Ukrainian government and a Ukrainian medical examiner who has performed dozens of POW autopsies. READ MORE . . .

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Russia strikes Ukrainian military sites in retaliation to Kiev’s massive UAV attacks. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian Armed Forces delivered a series of strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial sites over the past few days in retaliation to Kiev’s massive UAV attacks on Russia’s civilian facilities, the Defense Ministry of Russia said today. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. blocks G7 push to tighten Russian oil price cap, Financial Times reports, by Tim Zadorozhnyy | The Kyiv Independent  The United States opposed a joint G7 effort to lower the $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil exports during last week’s meeting of finance ministers, the Financial Times reported today, citing three unnamed officials familiar with the talks. READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims it downed more than 2,300 drones launched by Ukraine over past week, by Burc Eruygur | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Russia claimed today that it downed more than 2,300 drones launched by Ukraine over the past week, as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of large-scale airstrikes for three consecutive nights. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Moscow Times and Kyiv Post.

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Top Russian diplomat says Istanbul possible venue for 2nd round of Ukraine peace talks, by Burc Eruygur and Efe Ozkan | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the Turkish metropolis Istanbul could host the second round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv to find a settlement for the ongoing Ukraine war. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 26  Trump criticizes Putin after Russia launches massive attack on Ukraine. Reported by Mary Louise Kelly and Charles Maynes | NPR  President Trump rebuked Vladimir Putin after Russia launched some of the biggest air attacks against Ukraine since its invasion more than three years ago. Then the Kremlin replied. Click HERE to listen and read.  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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MAY BE CONTINUED