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

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Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire accord, due to take effect Sunday. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said today, a day ahead of the agreement’s scheduled start. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for report from AP and to listen to report from NPR.  

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What the ceasefire deal could mean for Netanyahu and Israeli politics. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program, about the Israeli political response to a negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.