For today, links to reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. GAZA, UKRAINE, WEST BANK and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE,  or scroll down.) — MCM

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Lebanon warns citizens to avoid communication with Israeli media, army. From Middle East Monitor. Lebanon on Saturday warned all citizens, particularly influential figures, artists and journalists, to avoid any form of “direct or indirect” communication with Israeli army spokespersons or affiliated media outlets, regardless of the reason, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  ‘No calm in Beirut, no stability in Lebanon’ until Hezbollah disarmed: Katz. From the Cradle.  Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday threatened to escalate attacks against Lebanon if Hezbollah is not disarmed, following nighttime attacks targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs. READ MORE . . .

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Links to commentary from Middle East Eye and Lionel Nation; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names below. (MEDIA 6-5-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE, WEST BANK and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 6  Trump-Musk fight creates unprecedented elite power struggle in the U.S., by Sean Mathews | Middle East Eye  The Trump-Musk feud is a decidedly American affair — partly performative, very populist, and made for social media. Musk posts on X, the social media platform he bought before the U.S. election, and Trump posts on Truth Social, owned by Trump Media & Technology Group. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  This is not about politics, by Michael William Lebron | Lionel Nation  Yes, the game is rigged. Anyone paying attention can feel it. The headlines are a distraction, the outrage cycles are choreographed, and behind the scenes . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 5  Douglas Macgregor on media, wars, economy. Lionel of Lionel Nation considers this moment with the retired U.S. Army colonel, former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, and author, most recently, of Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War.  Click HERE to watch and listen.

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For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press and Middle East Eye, and to two articles of commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-6-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel backs an anti-Hamas armed group known for looting aid in Gaza. Here’s what we know, by Julia Frankel, Sam Mednick, Samy Magdy and Lee Keath | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel is supporting armed groups of Palestinians in Gaza in what it says is a move to counter Hamas. But officials from the U.N. and aid organizations say the military is allowing them to loot food and other supplies from their trucks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  Gaza marks the start of Eid with outdoor prayers in the rubble and food growing ever scarcer, by Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians across the war-ravaged Gaza Strip marked the start of one of Islam’s most important holidays with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes early Friday, with little hope the war with Israel will end soon. READ MORE . . .

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UK and France abandon plans to recognise Palestinian state at conference, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  The UK and France will abandon previous plans to recognise a Palestinian state at an upcoming conference, according to diplomats. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  Israel has sold record amount of debt in U.S. since war on Gaza erupted: report. From Middle East Eye. Israel has sold a record amount of debt in the U.S. since its war on Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  Ex-CIA officer running Gaza aid security advised Boston Consulting Group, by Dania Akkad | Middle East Eye  Former CIA paramilitary officer Phil Reilly, who heads a private military company that is guarding Israel’s newly set up food distribution sites in Gaza, was a senior advisor at the U.S. consultancy that is the latest partner to withdraw from the controversial aid project. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  Netanyahu’s latest gamble: A ‘third-force’ headed by a criminal gang leader, by Iqbal Jassat | Middle East Monitor  The genie is now out of the bottle, despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s vain efforts to suppress news of his devious third-force created to counter the Palestinian resistance. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  Israeli lies and western complicity: How deceit became a weapon of war, by Jamal Kanj | Middle East Monitor  Throughout its long history of ethnic cleansing and occupation, Israel has remained consistent in its tactics. READ MORE . . .

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

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FROM JUNE 6  Israel vows ‘escalation’ of West Bank land theft if EU recognizes Palestine. From the Cradle. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned on Friday that Tel Aviv has prepared an “escalation plan” in the occupied West Bank if European countries move forward with a push to recognize a Palestinian state. READ MORE . . .

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UK and France abandon plans to recognise Palestinian state at conference, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  The UK and France will abandon previous plans to recognise a Palestinian state at an upcoming conference, according to diplomats. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 3  Israeli soldiers bar media from visiting West Bank villages on tour organized by Oscar winners, by Julia Frankel | AP  JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers on Monday barred journalists from entering villages in the West Bank on a planned tour organized by the directors of the Oscar-winning movie “No Other Land.” 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 6-6-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 6  ‘No calm in Beirut, no stability in Lebanon’ until Hezbollah disarmed: Katz. From the Cradle.  Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday threatened to escalate attacks against Lebanon if Hezbollah is not disarmed, following nighttime attacks targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, and the Moscow Times; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-6-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian drones and missiles target Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv, killing 3, officials say, by Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurkchuk | AP  KYIV — A large Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv today, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials said. The barrage — the latest in near daily widescale attacks — included aerial glide bombs that have become . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Ukraine downs fighter jet in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Air Force says, by Daria Shulzhenko and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet in Russia’s Kursk Oblast this morning, the Air Force reported. Ukraine’s General Staff said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Moscow Times.

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France to produce drones in Ukraine, minister says, by Daria Shulzhenko and news desk | The Kyiv Independent   French automotive and defense companies will produce drones on Ukrainian soil, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Saturday, Le Monde reported. READ MORE . . .

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First, a link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 6-3-25 entry is HERE, or scroll down.  LEBANON, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers burn Palestinian homes and property in West Bank town, by Fayha Shalash | Middle East Eye  RAMALLAH, occupied Palestine  Israeli settlers set fire to several Palestinian properties and injured dozens of residents in the occupied West Bank town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, on Wednesday evening. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from the Cradle, the Associated Press and Reuters, and to an article of commentary from the Cradle; others or headlines of others accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (LEBANON 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Lebanese army may partially ‘freeze cooperation’ with U.S.-led ceasefire committee. From the Cradle. The Lebanese Armed Forced this morning released a statement warning it could potentially “freeze cooperation” with the US-led ceasefire monitoring committee regarding site inspections, due to constant Israeli violations. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 5  Israel strikes Beirut’s suburbs to target what it says is Hezbollah drone production, by Abby Sewell | AP  BEIRUT — The Israeli military on Thursday struck several sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production — marking the first time in more than a month that . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM JUNE 5  Threats of another Israeli war in Lebanon are just noise, by Qassem Qassem | The Cradle  In recent months, anxiety and anticipation have gripped the Lebanese public, stoked by some political analysts aligned with the Lebanese resistance who have publicly speculated about the possibility of a new war. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Antiwar.com and Reuters, and to commentary via Countercurrents.org; others or at least headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 6-5-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, LEBANON and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israel is arming an ‘ISIS-affiliated’ gang in southern Gaza, by Dave DeCamp | Antiwar.com / ScheerPost  Israeli opposition leader and former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arming a gang in southern Gaza that’s affiliated with ISIS, a charge that has been confirmed by Israeli officials. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for June 6 report from Middle East Eye.

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U.S.-backed Gaza aid group says all distribution sites closed after shootings, by Ahmed Elimam and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  DUBAI  — A U.S.- and Israeli-backed group handing out aid in Gaza said today all its distribution sites were closed until further notice, urging residents to stay away from these venues “for their safety” after a series of deadly shootings. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  Israel is fully integrating its Gaza ‘food aid hubs’ into the genocide, by Jonathan Cook | Countercurrents.org  Israel claimed it had not fired at starving Palestinians queueing on Sunday morning to get food from one of its highly militarised “aid distribution hubs” – a system Israel imposed on Gaza in place of a long-established and successful aid network run by the United Nations. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and Tass, and to an article of commentary from Indian Punchline; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-5-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, LEBANON and GAZA entry for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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A Russian missile and drone attack across Ukraine kills 4 in the capital Kyiv, by Hanna Arhirova and Vasilisa Stepanenko | AP  KYIV — A nighttime missile and drone attack on Ukraine killed at least four people and injured 20 others in Kyiv, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said today, as Russia targeted at least six regions across the country with 407 drones and 44 missiles in one of its largest coordinated attacks of the three-year war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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Ukraine targets Russian airbases, defense plant in overnight drone strikes. From the Moscow Times. Ukrainian drones struck two Russian airbases, a fuel depot and a missile and aviation plant overnight, Ukraine’s military claimed Friday, as both sides ramp up long-range attacks. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate seven communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated seven communities in the Sumy Region and the Donetsk People’s Republic over the week of May 31 – June 6 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Profiles in courage: Trump & Eisenhower, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  President Donald Trump had a difficult week. No, this isn’t about Elon Musk or Harvard University. On Wednesday,  his call to Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t go well. It turned . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED