For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, and to commentary from Indian Punchline; others are accessible by clicking on the sources’ names or initials below. (Today’s UKRAINE entry is HERE.) — MCM
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NEWER More and more Israelis are calling for a prisoner swap to release the hostages. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR With Israeli troops advancing through Gaza, relatives of Israelis taken hostage — and more of the public — support the idea of a prisoner swap. Click HERE, later to listen and, later, read.
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NEWER Israel says its goal is to remove Hamas from power. What comes next is unclear. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Steve Inskeep | NPR We look at Israel’s military objectives in Gaza, which is to remove Hamas from power, and what might come next in the war. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Tens of thousands rally in D.C. for Israel-Gaza cease-fire at pro-Palestinian march. Reported by Laurel Wamsley | NPR Protesters gathered at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the nation’s capital on Saturday. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Protest marches from U.S. to Berlin call for immediate halt to Israeli bombing of Gaza, by Oleg Cetinic and Fatima Hussein | AP WASHINGTON — From Washington to Milan to Paris, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Saturday, calling for a halt to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. The marches reflected growing disquiet about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering . . . READ MORE . . .
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Arab world, U.S. split on Gaza ceasefire as Israeli offensive presses on, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Simon Lewis and Suleiman Al-Khalidi | Reuters GAZA / AMMAN — The United States and its Arab allies appeared divided over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza to defeat Hamas, as Washington, alongside Israel, resisted pressure for an immediate ceasefire despite the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians. In a rare display of a public split, Arab foreign ministers . . . READ MORE . . .
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Biden says pogress on humanitarian pause in Gaza war. From AFP. U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday that progress had been made on securing a so-called “humanitarian pause” in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken worked on the same issue in the Middle East. Asked if any progress had been made on the issue, Biden replied “yes” as he left a church in Delaware and offered a thumbs up before . . . READ MORE . . .
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NEWER Biden under pressure for his stance on Israel-Gaza war. Reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Asma Khalid | NPR We talk about the White House’s view of the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza, as well as the pressures faced by President Biden on the topic. We also look at some key elections in the coming week. Click HERE to listen and read.
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How two Dartmouth professors are addressing student questions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Scott Simon of NPR talks with two Dartmouth College professors, Susannah Heschell and Tarek El-Ariss, who organized forums to educate students and the public about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Click HERE to listen and read.
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Hezbollah takes to the high ground, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline The Palestine question, which Benjamin Netanyahu had thought he had all but resolved by incrementally assimilating “all of Israel” as a Zionist entity, has roared back to the centre stage of West Asian politics and international society, thanks to Hamas, the charioteer of Palestinian resistance. If the Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah is to be believed, Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. . . READ MORE . . .