For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, and to commentary from Substack; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza overnight, Palestinians say. From AP.  Palestinian health officials say Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into today killed at least 17 people, including five children and their parents. The strikes . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas to stay out of Gaza truce talks, Iran considers Israel attack, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said today it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks slated for Thursday in Qatar, dimming hopes for a negotiated truce that Iranian sources say could hold back an Iranian attack on Israel. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 13  The retaliation that didn’t happen, by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  The new Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, is known to be eager to do more  business with the outside world, and his determination to go ahead with his inauguration, in the face of grotesque murder, has . . . READ MORE . . .