For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from Media North via AntiWar.com and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM
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Palestinians confront a landscape of destruction in Gaza’s ‘ghost towns,’ by Abdul Kareem Hana and Tia Goldenberg | AP RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians in Gaza are confronting an apocalyptic landscape of devastation after a ceasefire paused more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Across the tiny coastal enclave . . . Click HERE for report with photos.
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Gazans ready tent camps for families returning to north after ceasefire, by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mahmoud Issa and Dawoud Abu Alkas | Reuters CAIRO — Palestinians in northern Gaza prepared tent encampments for displaced families today, two days before they were expected to return to their homes in accordance with the timeline of a ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . .
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FROM JAN. 22 Israel said it wouldn’t let Hamas rule Gaza. The ceasefire is here and Hamas remains. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR Israel said repeatedly that it wouldn’t allow Hamas to run Gaza in the future. Yet Hamas remains the strongest force in Gaza and Israel has never offered a plausible alternative. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for Jan. 21 report from AP.
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FROM JAN. 22 Trump envoy says he’ll go to Gaza to monitor ceasefire. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy said on Wednesday he would travel to the region to be part of what he described as an inspection team deployed in and along the Gaza Strip to ensure ceasefire compliance. READ MORE . . .
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Vatican releases footage of Pope holding video call with Catholic parish in Gaza, by Ahmet Gencturk | Anadolu Agency ATHENS — Pope Francis made a video call Wednesday night to the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, continuing a nightly ritual to stay connected with the community amid the ongoing conflict, Vatican News reported. READ MORE . . .
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FROM JAN. 10 How U.S. media hide truths about the Gaza War, by Norman Solomon | Media North / AntiWar.com Key aspects of how the U.S. establishment has narrated the “war on terror” for more than two decades were standard in American media and politics from the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023. READ MORE . . .