For today, links to 12 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM
– – –
Harris rules out Israel arms embargo: ‘Israel has a right to defend itself,‘ by Michael Hernandez | Anadolu Agency WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday staunchly ruled out the possibility that she would institute an American arms embargo on Israel as it continues to wage a devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .
– – –
Israeli delegation leaves Doha with no progress in Gaza cease-fire talks. From Anadolu Agency. ANKARA — The Israeli delegation that arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday for high-stakes negotiations on the Gaza cease-fire has left without reaching any agreements, Israeli media claimed today. According to Haaretz . . . READ MORE . . .
– – –
Israeli forces kill local Hamas commander in West Bank, by Ali Sawafta | Reuters ZABABDEH, West Bank — Israeli forces killed a local commander of the Islamist movement Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin today as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.
– – –
Aid workers killed in Israeli strike on humanitarian convoy. From Middle East Eye. An Israeli air strike has hit a humanitarian aid convoy laden with medical supplies and fuel for an Emirati-run hospital in Rafah, killing several workers. Israeli forces claimed . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Anadolu Agency.
– – –
UN condemns Israel minister’s call to displace Palestinians from West Bank. From Middle East Monitor. The UN human rights office today condemned an Israeli minister’s call to displace people from the West Bank, saying these statements only serve to escalate an already “very dire situation.” READ MORE . . .
– – –
Inspector general examines the U.S. aid pier meant to get food into Gaza. Reported by Steve Inskeep | NPR In March, President Biden proposed a workaround to aid not getting into Gaza. The U.S. military would build a floating pier on the Gaza coast. Was the project a success? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.
– – –
FROM AUG. 29 The U.S. urges major changes to Israel’s evacuations in Gaza, a leaked memo says. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf, Daniel Estrin and Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR TEL AVIV — The Biden administration is urging Israel’s military to make major changes to its “drastically increased” pace of mass evacuation orders that is driving repeated displacement of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, according to a U.S. Embassy memo obtained by NPR. Click HERE to listen and read.
– – –
FROM AUG. 29 UN chief demands ‘immediate cessation’ of Israel’s assault on West Bank, by Edward Carver | Common Dreams United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres late on Wednesday called for an immediate stop to Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, which continued into a second day on Thursday, leaving at least 18 Palestinians dead after two days of escalated attacks. READ MORE . . .
– – –
FROM AUG. 29 Israeli minister’s call to displace people from West Bank ‘completely unacceptable’: EU foreign policy chief, by Nur Asena Ertürk | Anadolu Agency ANKARA — The Israeli foreign minister’s call to displace people from the West Bank is “completely unacceptable,” the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said Thursday. READ MORE . . .