For today, links to eleven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Cradle, National Public Radio, and Middle East Eye, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON , SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Netanyahu says ‘last minute crisis’ with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal, by Tia Goldenberg, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdi | AP  TEl AVIV — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Middle East Eye and the Cradle.

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What is the role of the U.S. in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas? Leila Fadel of NPR asks longtime diplomat and former Mideast peace negotiator Aaron David Miller about the U.S. role in a phased execution of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JAN. 15  Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel, Hamas; truce to begin Sunday, by Andrew Mills, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  DOHA / CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Negotiators reached a phased deal on Wednesday to end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. and Qatar said, after 15 months of . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE to read reports from AP and the Cradle, and to listen to one from NPR.

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FROM JAN. 15  Israel-Gaza ceasefire: Full text of agreement. From Middle East Eye. Here is the full text of the agreement obtained by Middle East Eye. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 15  Israel ‘single largest perpetrator’ of killing, maiming civilians in 2024: report. From the Cradle. According to a new report from the UK-based conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Israel has been identified as “the single largest perpetrator of civilian harm in 2024,” responsible for 55 percent of “all civilian casualties from explosive weapons” worldwide. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 15  Who lost the Gaza war, Hamas or Netanyahu? by Motasem A Dalloul | Middle East Monitor  At last, after 15 months of brutal attacks and committing unprecedented crimes, Israeli Occupation state agreed on a ceasefire without achieving any of its declared goals . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to a Jan. 14 report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA , SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. LEBANON 1-15-25 and LEBANON 1-14-25 entries are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 14  After economic meltdown and war with Israel, Lebanon’s new prime minister vows to rebuild, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Nawaf Salam, vowed Tuesday to work on building a modern state in the crisis-hit country, saying his priorities will be to rebuild the destruction caused by a yearlong war with Israel and work on pulling the small nation out of its historic economic meltdown. Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun himself . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Aaron Zelin discusses the group now controlling Syria and its ‘terrorist’ designation. Leila Fadel of NPR talks with Aaron Zelin of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the group that now controls Syria and why it’s so hard to shed the label of “terrorists.” Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to five reports: from Agence France-Presse, Tass, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and the Associated Press; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and LEBANON entries  for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Ukrainian army says it captured 27 Russian soldiers in Kursk Region. From AFP. The Ukrainian military said today its forces had captured more than two dozen Russian soldiers in the southwestern Kursk region, where it has been battling Moscow’s army since launching an incursion in August. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces pound Ukrainian military airfields, UAV assembly, storage sites. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly and storage 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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Rubio: ‘Concessions’ needed from both Kyiv, Moscow. From Kyiv Post. Marco Rubio, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee as Secretary of State, on Wednesday reiterated his view that the war in Ukraine “has to end” calling for concessions to be made by Kyiv, Washington and Moscow. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine, UK sign 100-year partnership agreement, by Martin Fornusek and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a 100-year partnership agreement during their meeting in Kyiv today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

NOTE: ONLY TWO SHORT ENTRIES TODAY.

Links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from ScheerPost; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM   

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Russian missile attack forces Ukraine to shut down power grid, by Hanna Arhirova and Yehor Konovalov | AP  KYIV — Russia today launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite freezing winter weather, officials said. READ MORE . . .

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Trump advisors concede Ukraine peace deal is months away, by Gram Slattery | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump now concede that the Ukraine war will take months or even longer to resolve, a sharp reality check on his biggest foreign policy promise — to strike a peace deal on his first day in the White House. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 13  The nihilism of Antony Blinken, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost Blinken and his colleagues anticipated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine before it started in February 2022 because the Biden regime provoked it to the point Moscow had no other choice. Washington spent the autumn of 2021 arming Kiev, but . . . READ MORE . . .

NOTE: ONLY TWO SHORT ENTRIES TODAY.

Links to a Jan. 9 report from the Associated Press and to commentary from CraigMurray.org.uk via Consortium News including video and a link to a report from the Guardian; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE. LEBANON 1-14-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 9  Lebanon’s parliament elects army commander Joseph Aoun as president, ending a 2-year deadlock, by Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — Lebanon’s parliament voted on Thursday to elect army commander Joseph Aoun as head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 10  U.S. pet now president of Lebanon, by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk / Consortium News  Last week I did two short video reports from outside the Lebanese Parliament — inside a military cordon that totally sealed off downtown Beirut — on the appointment of Gen. Joseph Aoun, head of the Lebanese Armed Forces, as president of Lebanon. Click HERE for report including videos, and a linked Jan. 9 report from the Guardian.

For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 13  Israel escalates bombing of Lebanon ‘in accordance’ with ceasefire. From the Cradle. The Israeli army launched violent air raids on southern and eastern Lebanon late Sunday, marking a significant escalation of Israel’s ceasefire violations two weeks before the end of the 60-day implementation period. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, LEBANON and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Ukrainian army hits Russian military, industrial sites in overnight barrage. From AFP. Ukraine fired missiles and drones at factories and energy facilities across Russia early on Tuesday, sparking fires hundreds of kilometers from the front line, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security services said. Russia’s military accused Kyiv . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for report from Reuters and the Kyiv Independent.

For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press,, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE, LEBANON and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha, deal seen close after ‘breakthrough,‘ by Andrew Mills, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  DOHA / CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Negotiators were meeting in Qatar today hoping to finalise details of a plan to end the war in Gaza, after U.S. President Joe Biden indicated a ceasefire and hostage release deal was imminent. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from AP, NPR, Middle East Eye and the Cradle.

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Israeli minister Ben-Gvir threatens to quit Netanyahu cabinet over Gaza deal. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened today to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal being negotiated . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to commentary from ScheerPost; other articles are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and LEBANON entries  for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE. MEDIA Jan. 8 and MEDIA Jan. 9 entries are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 13  The nihilism of Antony Blinken, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  We have now the case of The New York Times’s lengthy interview with Antony Blinken, published in the Sunday Magazine dated Jan. 5. Yes, I have read it. I propose others do the same. This is one of those occasions when it is important to know . . . READ MORE . . .