For today, links to reports from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (IRAN, WEST BANK, SYRIA. GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  LEBANON 3-5-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 7  Hundreds of Israeli settlers pour into south Lebanon under army protection. From the Cradle. Hundreds of Israeli settlers crossed the border into Lebanese territory on Friday under the protection of the Israeli army in order to visit what they say is the tomb of a fourth-century rabbi. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Monitor and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this dare are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  WEST BANK 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 7  Israeli forces set fire to Nablus mosque, stop dawn prayers. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupation forces stormed several mosques in the old city of Nablus at dawn on Friday, the Palestinian Information Centre reported, setting fire to Al-Nasr Mosque. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Nablus soap gets UNESCO recognition in Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  An ancient soap-making tradition in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. NPR visits one of the oldest soap factories in the city of Nablus. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to six reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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532 Alawites killed by Syrian security forces, allies since Thursday, monitor says. From AFP. BEIRUT — A Syrian war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says security forces and allied groups killed 532 Alawite civilians over the past days, revising upwards a previous toll of 340. READ MORE . . .

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Sectarian violence sweeps Syria as western-backed security forces rampage in Alawite towns. From the Cradle. At least 147 people have been killed in Syria in the past two days, as security forces from the country’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led government carried out a series of massacres and extrajudicial executions against Alawites in the country’s coastal regions as part of . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 7  Clashes in Syria between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 200, by Bassem Mroue and Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — Fighters siding with Syria’s new government stormed several villages near the country’s coast, killing dozens of men in response to recent attacks on government security forces by loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, a war monitor said. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MARCH 7  Syria imposes curfew after its worst clashes since the Assad regime ouster, by Jane Arraf | NPR  DAMASCUS — Syria’s new government has sent in security reinforcements and imposed curfews on a key coastal area after some of the biggest clashes since the fall of the regime with fighters loyal to the deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. READ MORE . . .

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For today, link to five reports: from Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below, or scroll down. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, SYRIA, UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Hamas sees ‘positive indicators’ over talks for second stage of ceasefire. From Middle East Eye. Hamas sees “positive indicators” for launching talks over the second phase of Gaza ceasefire, the group’s spokesperson said today. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli official says Jerusalem unaware of progress on second phase Gaza ceasefire talks. From the Times of Israel.  Israel is unaware of progress in talks with Hamas on the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, an Israeli official tells Hebrew media outlets. READ MORE . . . NOTE: Visitors to Times of Israel website who are not subscribers may be “rate limited,” or denied access after a certain number of visits.

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UK, France, Germany, Italy endorse Arab reconstruction plan for Gaza. From the Cradle. The foreign ministries of the UK, Germany, France, and Italy today announced their support for an Egyptian proposal to rebuild Gaza as a substitute to Donald Trump’s “riviera” scheme that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Yemen gives Israel four-day ultimatum to stop blocking Gaza aid. From the Cradle. The leader of Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, on Friday announced a four-day grace period for Israel to resume ceasefire talks and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza, threatening to resume Sanaa’s naval operations against Israeli-linked ships. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  Aid efforts in Gaza slow as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive, agency officials say, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — The Trump administration’s cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the U.S. humanitarian agency. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN, LEBANON, WEST BANK, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-7-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv. From AP. KYIV — Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 20 people, officials said today, as heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine. The decision to withhold intelligence and . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE  for report from Reuters and Kyiv Post.

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Zelensky seeks more sanctions as Russian strikes kill 14, by Florent Vergnes for AFP  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today called for more sanctions against Russia as overnight strikes killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, days ahead of talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at securing a truce. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Kursk Oblast destroyed, they face risk of encirclement, sources say. From the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces have destroyed Ukrainian troops’ logistics in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, and Ukrainian soldiers face the risk of encirclement, a Ukrainian soldier and a medic deployed in the region said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Trump threatens sweeping sanctions against Russia over attacks on Ukraine. From the Moscow Times. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering imposing “large-scale” sanctions on Russia in response to its intensified attacks against Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces retake three villages from Ukraine in western Kursk region, Defence Ministry says. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian troops regained control from Ukraine of the village of Nikolayevo-Darino in Russia’s western Kursk region, the Defence Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Where the Ukraine war stands amid renewed Russian attacks and U.S. pressure. Scott Simon of NPR talks with Phillips O’Brien of St. Andrews University about the war in Ukraine, which side has the upper hand, and what might that mean as the U.S. pressures Ukraine for a deal. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to two reports from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down. (WEST BANK 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel seeks to ethnically cleanse West Bank by demolishing homes, Islamic Jihad says. From Middle East Monitor. The Islamic Jihad Movement has slammed the Israeli occupation army’s demolition of 50 homes in a single day in Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank, saying . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to three reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, or scroll up or down. IRAN 3-6-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Trump says he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader over country’s advancing nuclear program, by Jon Gambrell and Will Weissert | AP  DUBAI — U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, seeking a new deal with Tehran to restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the agreement he withdrew America from in his first term in office. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to nine reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, National Public Radio, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (WEST BANK, IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down. SYRIA 3-4-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Clashes in Syria’s coastal region between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 70, by Omar Albam | AP  LATAKIA, Syria — Clashes between Syrian security forces under the country’s new, Islamist authorities and gunmen loyal to ousted President Bashar Assad in Syria’s western coastal region have killed more than 70 people and left an area outside government control, a war monitor said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for two reports from Reuters.

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Massive protests in Syria show support for security forces against Assad regime loyalists, by Abdul Jabbar Aburas and Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Large-scale demonstrations took place across several Syrian provinces today, with citizens rallying in support of the Syrian security forces and military operations aimed at rooting out loyalists of the ousted Assad regime. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 6  Israel threatens intervention in Syrian capital Damascus due to unrest there. Reported by Jane Arraf and A Martínez | NPR  A suburb of Damascus is at the center of the new Syrian government’s struggle for control. Now, Israel is threatening to intervene due to unrest, turning this into a possible international incident. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 6  Syria receives currency shipment from Russia as talks between Moscow, Damascus continue. From the Cradle. Syria has received a new currency shipment from Russia, sources told Reuters on Thursday — coming as talks are continuing between Moscow and the new administration in Damascus. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and the Anadolu Agency; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, IRAN, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE,  HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.  GAZA 3-6-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Uncertainty grows surrounding the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Steve Inskeep | NPR  The first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas ended with no agreement on what comes next. President Trump is demanding that Hamas immediately free all of its remaining hostages. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel’s new army chief declares 2025 ‘Year of War.’ From Middle East Monitor. The newly appointed Israeli Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has claimed that 2025 will be a “year of war” against Gaza and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 6  Trump’s latest threats ‘complicate’ Gaza ceasefire. From the Cradle. Hamas responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threat on Thursday, accusing him of “complicating” the Gaza ceasefire deal further. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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For today, links to 14 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below.  (WEST BANK, IRAN, SYRIA and GAZA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.  UKRAINE 3-6-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  U.S., Ukrainian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia next week: Trump’s adviser, by Diyar Güldoğan | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — An American delegation including Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Saudi Arabia next week to meet Ukrainians to discuss a potential peace deal, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said today. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says he considers sanctioning Russia because it’s ‘pounding’ Ukraine, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  U.S. President Donald Trump said today he is considering imposing sweeping banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until there is a ceasefire and peace agreement. He said his statement is based . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia bombards Ukraine’s energy grid after Zelenskyy says his team will hold talks with the U.S., by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a large-scale missile and drone bombardment during the night, officials said today, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Bulk of Ukrainian forces fighting inside Russia almost cut off, open sources maps show, by Andrew Osborn and Anastasiia Malenko | Reuters  LONDON / KYIV — Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops who smashed into Russia last summer and took control of a swathe of territory there are nearly encircled by Russian forces and cut off from their main supply lines, open source maps showed on Friday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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Satellite imagery provider Maxar reportedly suspends services to Ukraine – alternatives may exist, by Leo Chiu and Katie Livingstone | Kyiv Post  Maxar Technologies, a major U.S. satellite imagery provider whose intel is often used on the battlefield, has reportedly suspended its services for users in Ukraine following . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Russia, U.S. see 2022 Istanbul draft as possible basis for Ukraine deal, by Dmitry Antonov, Mark Trevelyan and Yuliia Dysa | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russia and the U.S. both see draft accords discussed by Moscow and Kyiv in the early weeks of the war as a possible basis for a Ukraine peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday, though Ukraine’s president has previously rejected . . . READ MORE . . .

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British will have to return to Russia everything being ‘generously given away’ — Volodin. From Tass. MOSCOW — Britain’s transfer of the first funds to Ukraine, secured from frozen Russian assets, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, according to Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the Russian State Duma. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Kremlin condemns EU’s ‘confrontational rhetoric’ after pledge to boost defense spending. From AFP.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today criticized what he called the European Union’s “confrontational rhetoric” after the bloc’s leaders agreed to a huge increase in defense spending amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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EU leaders agree on defense surge, support Zelenskiy after U.S. aid freeze, by Lili Bayer, Andrew Gray and Michel Rose | Reuters  BRUSSELS — European leaders today backed plans to spend more on defense and continue to stand by Ukraine in a world upended by Donald Trump’s reversal of U.S. policies. READ MORE . . .

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European leaders downplay skepticism from Trump about NATO solidarity, by Suman Naishadham | AP  MADRID — European Union leaders today downplayed skepticism from U.S. President Donald Trump about solidarity among NATO members a day after they backed plans to spend more on defense amid wavering U.S. support. Trump had said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 6  EU leaders hold emergency meeting to scale up defense spending for Ukraine. Reported by Teri Schultz | NPR  European Union leaders from 27 countries met in an emergency session in Brussels on Thursday. They unanimously agreed to move forward on plans to dramatically scale up their defense investments. Click HERE to listen and read.

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