First, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. Then, commentary from Common Dreams and Bloomberg Opinion. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM
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Israel’s Netanyahu vows to press ahead in war with Hamas. U.S. urges caution. Reported by Leila Fadel and Tom Bowman | NPR In remarks to the Knesset today, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting until Israel is victorious. The U.S. is urging Israel to take a more targeted approach and contain the conflict. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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NEWER Israeli forces bombard central Gaza in apparent move toward expanding ground offensive, by Najib Jobain, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces bombarded Palestinian refugee camps in central Gaza today, residents said, in apparent preparation to expand their ground offensive into a third section of the besieged territory. The opening of a potential new battle zone points . . . READ MORE . . .
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NEWER Israel launches more Gaza strikes as Netanyahu says Hamas must be destroyed, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Bassam Masoud and Emily Rose | Reuters CAIRO / GAZA / JERUSALEM — Israeli shellfire slammed into central Gaza today after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged no respite in attacks on Hamas, as residents of the coastal enclave . . . READ MORE . . .
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In Gaza, Doctors Without Borders coordinator witnesses children’s extreme suffering. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR A medical worker who recently left Gaza describes the difficulties treating children who have lost limbs and are dealing with hopelessness. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
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In solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, Bethlehem skips Christmas festivities. Asma Khalid of NPR stays in touch with the Rev. Munther Isaac in Bethlehem and Tamar Haddad in Jerusalem for updates on how Palestinian Christians are navigating the Israel-Hamas war. Click HERE to listen and read.
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The toll the war in Gaza has taken on the West Bank economy. From NPR. The war in Gaza has taken a huge toll on the West Bank economy. Businesses have closed, tens of thousands can’t work in Israel and analysts warn a continued decline could spark more violence. Click HERE to listen and read.
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NEWER Why Israel systematically humiliates Palestinians, by Ramzy Barold | Common Dreams When Zionist militias, using advanced Western arms, conquered historic Palestine in 1947-48, they expressed their victory through the deliberate humiliation of Palestinians. Much of that humiliation targeted women, in particular, knowing how the dishonor of Palestinian females represents. This strategy . . . READ MORE . . .
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What Israel overlooks in Gaza war, by Marc Champion | Bloomberg Opinion As Israel comes under growing international pressure to change its tactics and agree to a cease-fire in Gaza, its leaders have made clear they aren’t interested. Two examples from recent history — from Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan — warn that . . . READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED