Entries for today have been late and slow in coming, and are somewhat shorter than usual.

In this one, links to five reports: from Anadolu Ajansi, the Cradle, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to an article of commentary; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-22-25  and for up or down MEDIA, LEBANON and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Israel ‘will never leave’ Gaza Strip, defense minister says, by Fekry Abdeen and Lina Altawell | Anadolu   ISTANBUL — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today renewed his pledge that Tel Aviv “will never leave” the Gaza Strip, vowing to create a broad security zone around the Palestinian enclave and allow settlement building in the territory’s north. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others. Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM DEC. 24  A blast in Gaza wounds a soldier and Israel accuses Hamas of ceasefire violation, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — An explosive device detonated in Gaza on Wednesday, injuring one Israeli soldier and prompting Israel to accuse Hamas of violating the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. It was the latest incident to threaten the tenuous truce that has held since Oct. 10 as each side . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM DEC. 21  An American doctor describes volunteering in Gaza. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  An American doctor journals her daily life as a volunteer in al-Shifa hospital, which was once Gaza’s largest medical facility. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Pope Leo XIV calls for a ceasefire in all conflicts in first Christmas Mass. Reported by Ruth Sherlock | NPR  Thousands of people gathered in Bethlehem’s Manger Square as Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Christmas Mass and called for a ceasefire in all conflicts this Christmas. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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What it’s like to survive in Gaza when your children are killed, by Ahmed Abu Artema | Middle East Eye  For a mother, the death of a child is a heartbreak that lasts a lifetime. In Gaza, it has reached an unprecedented and unimaginable scale. Death has not come one by one. READ MORE . . .

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