For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle and the Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON 2-27-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Lebanese PM visits southern villages as Israeli ceasefire violations persist. From the Cradle. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made a trip to south Lebanon on Friday with other Lebanese officials, visiting areas where Israeli occupation forces had been present. He and his energy, environment, and public works ministers . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. approves $3 billion military sales to Israel amid ceasefire talks, by Rabia Iclal Turan | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Friday approved potential foreign military sales to Israel worth $3 billion, according to the State Department. The sales include . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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FROM FEB. 27  IMF, World Bank reconstruction funds for Lebanon contingent on ‘normalization’: report. From the Cradle. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are seeking to tie reconstruction funds for Lebanon to “normalization” with Israel and Hezbollah’s “disarmament,” according to informed sources who spoke with Al-Akhbar. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, the Associated Press, and Reuters, and to commentary from the Cradle; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 2-28-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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U.S. approves $3 billion military sales to Israel amid ceasefire talks, by Rabia Iclal Turan | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Friday approved potential foreign military sales to Israel worth $3 billion, according to the State Department. The sales include . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Hamas says first phase of Gaza ceasefire will not be extended, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  Hamas said it has no intention of extending the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which was set to expire today. A spokesperson there were no ongoing talks to begin the second phase of the ceasefire, which was supposed to guarantee . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Hamas reports no progress in talks with Israel on ceasefire’s second phase, by Samy Magdy and David Rising | AP  CAIRO — The latest round of talks on the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has made no progress, and it’s unclear whether they would resume today, a senior Hamas official said. Phase one expires today, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo. From Reuters. CAIRO / JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold consultations with security chiefs and ministers on Friday after an Israeli delegation returned from Cairo with no agreement on extending the Gaza ceasefire, two Israeli officials said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  Ex-Israeli army chief met UK news editors to ‘cultivate support’ for Gaza genocide: report. From the Cradle. Declassified UK reports that former Israeli chief of staff Aviv Kohavi held private meetings with the editors of several top British news outlets a month after the war in Gaza began, during a tour of the UK aimed at “cultivating support” for Israel and its genocidal campaign against the strip. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Feb. 27 report from Declassified UK.

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FROM FEB. 28  Can Egypt rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out? From the Cradle. An immediate issue is at play — the Egyptian-Arab plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, an initiative being framed as an alternative to Trump’s “Riviera” proposal to displace Gazans. The key question is whether Trump will accept it. Egypt’s role . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 13 reports: from Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Associated Press, Antiwar.com, Agence France-Presse, Tass, Declassified UK, National Public Radio, and Common Dreams, and to two interviews from National Public Radio and an editorial from the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 2-27-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Turkey to repeat offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at London summit, source says. From Reuters. ANKARA — Turkey’s foreign minister will reiterate at Sunday’s meeting of European leaders in London an offer from Ankara to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, a Turkish diplomatic source said today. READ MORE . . .

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No more ‘blank checks’ for Ukraine without peace, White House says after Trump-Zelensky blowout, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his contentious Oval Office meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Zelensky does not acknowledge . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 28  Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway U.S. leader, by Zeke Miller | AP  WASHINGTON — Friday’s encounter between U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the future of their countries relationship, and Kyiv’s ability to defend itself in the brutal conflict with Russia, in mortal jeopardy. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for second AP report, an Antiwar.com account via ScheerPost, and March 1 report from Reuters.

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FROM FEB. 28  Top U.S. diplomat calls on Zelensky to apologize for clash with Trump. From AFP. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Friday for Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to apologize for an earlier clash with President Donald Trump. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians express shock and outrage at Trump berating Zelenskyy at the White House. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Scott Simon | NPR A look at the response in Ukraine to Friday’s shambolic press conference at the Oval Office between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Ukraine loses over 220 troops in Kursk Region in past day — Russian Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army lost over 220 troops in the Kursk Region in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a statement, adding details of materiel destroyed. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 26  Keir Starmer’s plan for UK growth — the Ukraine war, by Mark Curtis | Declassified UK  In his announcement Tuesday of increases in UK military spending, Prime Minister Keir Starmer strongly referenced Ukraine and the threat from Russia and said the new “investment” will “create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Feb. 25 UK government news release.

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FROM FEB. 28  Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House ends abruptly after Oval Office spat. Reported by Asma Khalid | NPR  Zelenskyy was at the White House to finalize a deal on minerals, which Trump has said is a step toward a broader peace deal he is trying to broker. But no deal was signed and the visit was cut short. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 28  What’s next for Ukraine after Zelenskyy and Trump’s tense Oval Office meeting. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  In an extraordinary scene, the White House meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned into a shouting match on live television. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 28  ‘We are governed by children’: Disgust as Trump and Vance bully Zelenskyy in Oval Office, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams   Observers were aghast at Trump and Vance’s conduct during Friday’s meeting, which was likened to an ambush. At one point, as Trump . . . Click HERE for report including video from Fox News and C-Span.

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How the fallout of U.S.-Ukraine relations is being perceived in Russia. Reported by Scott Simon of NPR  speaks with Johns Hopkins professor Sergey Radchenko about what Russia hopes to gain from negotiations with the United States over ending its war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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John Bolton discusses the implications of a tense Trump-Zelenskyy press conference. Scott Simon of NPR  talks with former National Security Adviser John Bolton about the foreign policy implications of Friday’s shocking press conference between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky. From the Kyiv Independent. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrated . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from the Associated Press and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK 2-26-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Tens of thousands of Palestinians seek shelter after Israeli assaults across the West Bank, by Julia Frankel, Aref Tufaha and Jalal Bwaitel | AP  JENIN, West Bank — Israel’s current invasion appears to have been faster than previous ones, and an estimated 37,000 Palestinians driven out by a month-old offensive against militant groups in the occupied West Bank are waiting to return to the place they’ve long called home — but it’s unclear if Israel will let them. READ MORE . . .

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The crucial role of the Palestinian people in resisting displacement, by Majed Al-Zeer | Middle East Monitor  For 77 years since the Nakba, the Palestinian people have played a leading role in confronting various attempts aimed at erasing their cause and resolving the conflict by bypassing their rights. These attempts . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from Reuters and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 2-27-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel lobbies U.S. to keep Russian bases in a ‘weak’ Syria, sources say. From Reuters. BEIRUT / WASHINGTON — Israel is lobbying the United States to keep Syria weak and decentralised, including by letting Russia keep its military bases there to counter Turkey’s growing influence in the country, four sources familiar with the efforts said. READ MORE . . .

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Syria must put an end to Israel’s incursions — and fast, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  For three months, the new regime in Damascus has used every opportunity to say it does not want a fight with Israel. It has done this is in private messages, through proxies and . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Cradle, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 2-27-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 27  Hundreds of Palestinians freed from Israeli jails after weeklong holdup. From the Cradle. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were let out from Israel’s prisons early on Thursday in exchange for the handover of the bodies of four Israeli captives who were held in Gaza, as part of the seventh and final round of exchanges for phase one of the ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 27  Israel’s refusal to withdraw from this narrow strip of desert could threaten the Gaza ceasefire, by Joseph Krauss | AP  Israel’s refusal to withdraw from a narrow strip of desert on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, as called for in the ceasefire with Hamas, could further threaten the fragile truce. An Israeli official said Thursday . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 27  Egyptians respond to Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  President Donald Trump’s ideas for Gaza have sparked concerns in the Middle East. He says Palestinians should all leave and move to Egypt and Jordan. Click HERE to listen and read.

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The crucial role of the Palestinian people in resisting displacement, by Majed Al-Zeer | Middle East Monitor  For 77 years since the Nakba, the Palestinian people have played a leading role in confronting various attempts aimed at erasing their cause and resolving the conflict by bypassing their rights. These attempts . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, Tass, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from the Kucinich Report; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 2-27-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

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NEWER  Zelensky, Trump get into heated argument while speaking with journalists in Oval Office, by Oleksiy Sorokin | The Kyiv Independent  President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held a 45-minute-long press briefing in the Oval Office that ended in a heated argument about American aid to Ukraine. The scuffle . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from CNN including video.

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NEWER  Trump says Ukraine must make ‘compromises’ with Russia. From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky today that Ukraine will have to make “compromises” in a truce with Moscow, while Zelensky insisted that there should be no concessions with Russia’s “killer” leader. “You can’t,” Trump said, “do any . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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NEWER  U.S. greenlights new Russian ambassador, ending months-long vacancy, by Pyotr Kozlov | The Moscow Times  The United States has approved Russia’s appointment of Alexander Darchiev as its new ambassador paving the way for him to assume the long-vacant post in Washington. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces retook 4 villages in Kursk region this week, military says. From the Moscow Times. Russian forces have retaken four villages over the past week in the southwestern Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops captured large swaths of territory last summer, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate eight communities in Ukraine operation over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated eight communities, including four settlements in the Kursk Region over the week of February 22-28 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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A good rapport but mixed signals on Ukraine: Keir Starmer’s trip to Washington, by Jill Lawless | AP  WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer landed back in Britain from Washington today with the satisfaction of a tricky mission not quite accomplished, but off to a flying start. His goals were . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet President Trump Friday. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Michel Martin | NPR  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Trump in Washington on Friday, where they are expected to sign a deal on U.S. access to some of Ukraine’s critical raw materials. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM FEB. 27  European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas discusses shifting U.S. alliances. A Martínez of NPR speaks with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about how the E.U. views shifting U.S. alliances. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM FEB. 27  The plunder of Ukraine: A story of debt, greed and betrayal, by Elizabeth Kucinich | The Kucinich Report  The systematic plundering of Ukraine by international financial institutions and governments is underway. As history has shown . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA 2-25-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM FEB. 25  Syrian Druze take to the streets of Suwayda in protest against Israeli, Turkish occupation. From the Cradle. Hundreds of residents of the Syrian city of Suwayda and its countryside joined protests against any foreign intervention or attempts to divide the country in response to recent comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to three reports: from France 24, the Cradle and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON 2-24-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli troops ‘staying indefinitely’ in Lebanon border buffer zone, defence minister says. From France 24. Defence Minister Israel Katz said today that Israeli forces would indefinitely remain in what he called a “buffer zone”, in southern Lebanon. Earlier this month he had said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 26  Deadly Israeli strikes hit eastern Lebanon as drones continue flying over capital. From the Cradle. An Israeli drone strike hit eastern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, killing one person and injuring another in the second attack on the country since the previous night. READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 26  Lebanon’s new government wins confidence vote in parliament. From Reuters. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s new government won a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, following a speech by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam promising to push for economic and financial reforms and to start negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 2-26-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Israeli official says the army won’t withdraw from a Gaza corridor in potential jolt to truce, by Mohammad Jahjouh, Wafaa Shurafa and Natalie Melzer | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel will not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip as called for by the ceasefire, an official said today. Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor and the Cradle.

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Hamas says it’s ready for more ceasefire talks after releasing hostage remains. From Reuters. JAKARTA — Militant group Hamas said today it was ready to begin talks on the second phase of a ceasefire in Gaza after several hundred Palestinians were released from Israeli jails overnight in return for the bodies of four Israeli hostages. It was the final exchange . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM FEB. 26  Hamas hands over bodies of four hostages, Israel frees Palestinian prisoners. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages while it waited for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in return, in an overnight exchange marking the final swap as part of a fragile truce in Gaza. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and HERE for Feb. 27 reports from NPR and the Cradle.

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FROM FEB. 26  Israel has shown ‘unprecedented disregard for human rights’ in Gaza, UN human rights chief says, by Olivia Le Poidevin | Reuters  GENEVA — UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Wednesday accused Israel of showing an unprecedented disregard for human rights in its military actions in Gaza and said Hamas had violated international law. “Nothing justifies . . . READ MORE . . .

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