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

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Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza amid stepped-up ceasefire push, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least 27 people today, Palestinian medics said, as international mediators stepped up efforts to seal a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. READ MORE . . .

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The remains of at least 1 Israeli hostage are found in Gaza, army says, by Tia Goldenberg and Melanie Lidman | AP JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers recovered the body of a 53-year-old hostage in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, the military said today, and the army was determining if another set of remains belongs to the man’s son. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Newsweek.

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Hostages in Gaza endure another winter as their families plead for a ceasefire, by Tia Goldenberg | AP  TEL AVIV — Dozens of hostages kidnapped in Israel by Hamas-led militants in October 2023 are still in captivity in Gaza, often experiencing the same dire circumstances as hundreds of thousands of of Palestinians there. “Winter makes it . . . READ MORE . . .