For today, links to seven reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and Reuters, and to commentary from commentary from the Cradle and via ScheerPost, MOATS; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.)

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Israel threatens residents of south Syria as troops expand occupation. From The Cradle.  Residents of the town of Baath in the southern Syrian governorate of Quneitra — currently under occupation by Israel’s military — have been ordered by Israeli forces to surrender all weapons present in the town or face invasion. Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Israeli forces fire on Syria protesters, establish permanent positions in south. From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupation forces have established seven permanent military positions along the “disengagement line” in southern Syria, spanning Damascus, Daraa, and Quneitra, reports Al-Mayadeen citing a local source. The posts, located . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Inside the first mass protest in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad fled Syria. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Syria has a new interim government, but there is concern about how it will govern following contradictory remarks. Some groups, including women’s rights advocates, are already testing the terrain. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 20  U.S. diplomats talk ‘vision’ for Syria with ex-Al-Qaeda chief. From The Cradle. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and former commander of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, held a meeting with a senior U.S. diplomatic delegation in Damascus on Friday. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf led . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Syria’s Christians fearful of new Islamist leaders as Christmas approaches, by Amina Ismail and Firas Makdesi | Reuters  Syrian church leaders are advising Christians to scale back Christmas celebrations this year despite assurances from the Islamists who have just taken power that they are free to practice their religion. The self-imposed constraints . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

What the Israel-Hezbollah war did to Lebanon’s cultural heritage sites. Reported by Lauren Frayer | NPR  TIBNIN CASTLE, Southern Lebanon — The walls of a limestone citadel towering over olive groves near the frontiers of Lebanon, Syria and Israel tell the history of various civilizations that ruled here. Click HERE to listen or read.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Hezbollah contends with rising resentment in Lebanon. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR  After signing a sweeping ceasefire with Israel, the Lebanon-based paramilitary organization and political party is falling out of favor with some of its most ardent supporters.. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 20  Syria’s next chapter: Fragile unity or permanent fragmentation? by Mohamad Hasan Sweidan | The Cradle  For years, discussions of Syria’s Balkanization have lingered as a realistic option that could be imposed on the country one day. The ousting of president Bashar al-Assad has brought the break-up of the Syrian Arab Republic back into focus. Click HERE for article with maps.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Catastrophe for the Palestinians and the region. George Galloway of MOATS talks with journalist Chris Hedges about some of Syria’s recent history and the some of the consequences of the Assad regime’s downfall. Click HERE to listen and read.

 

For today, links to seven reports: from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

–   –   –

Ukraine says it downed 47 Russia-launched drones, 25 failed to reach targets. From Reuters. Ukraine’s air force said today it had shot down 47 out of 72 Russia-launched drones across the country, while 25 more failed to reach targets. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 22  Putin vows ‘destruction’ on Ukraine after Kazan drone attack. From AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday vowed to bring more “destruction” to Ukraine in retaliation for a drone attack on the central Russian city of Kazan a day earlier. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

North Korean soldiers suffer 1,100 casualties in Ukraine war, South Korean military says. From AFP. More than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded fighting alongside Russian troops in the Ukraine war, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on today. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian forces liberate one more settlement in Donetsk People’s Republic. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces have liberated the settlement of Storozhevoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, hitting enemy troops and equipment in 143 areas, the Russian Defense Ministry said in its bulletin today. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –  

FROM DEC. 20  Ukrainian strike on Russian town kills six: governor. From AFP. A Ukrainian strike on the Russian town of Rylsk in the Kursk region near the border with Ukraine on Friday killed six people including a child, the local governor said. “Six people were killed, including a child. Ten victims . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –  

FROM DEC. 21  ‘Dead and wounded’ in Ukrainian strike on Russian region: investigators. From AFP. A Ukrainian strike on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region on Friday has left “dead and wounded” people but the precise toll is unclear, Russia’s Investigative Committee said. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Assassinations of pro-war figures seek to demoralize Russia, punish war criminals, by Oleg Sukhov | The Kyiv Independent  Russian military officials — including Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in Moscow on Dec. 17 — as well as propagandists and those seen as collaborators by Kyiv have been assassinated in Russia or the Ukrainian territories it occupies since the beginning of . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, only two links, to reports from the Associated Press and the Anadolu Agency; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE  entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 22 as Vatican envoy visits Christians for pre-Christmas Mass, by Wafaa Shurafa and Tia Goldenberg | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into today killed at least 22 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said, while Gaza’s small Christian community celebrated a pre-Christmas Mass. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli government still far from reaching prisoner swap agreement with Hamas: report, by Said Amori and Ekrem Biceroglu | Anadolu Agency   JERUSALEM — Israeli officials said on Saturday the Israeli government is still far from reaching a prisoner swap agreement with Hamas. READ MORE . . .

For today, just one link, to commentary from Jonathan-Cook.net; other articles are accessible by clicking on the blog’s initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 19  Israel, not the ‘liberators,’ will decide Syria’s fate, by Jonathan Cook | Jonathan-Cook.net / Consortium News  There has been a flurry of “What next for Syria?” articles in the wake of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s hurried exit from Syria and the takeover of much of the country by al-Qaeda’s rebranded local forces. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to three reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

–   –   –

Fire reported at oil depot in Russia’s Oryol Oblast amid drone attack, by Dmytro Basmat | The Kyiv Independent  Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the suburbs of the Russian city of Oryol overnight, causing a fire to break out, Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov said. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukraine’s air defence downs 52 out of 103 Russian drones, air force says. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s air defences downed 52 of the 103 Russian drones launched overnight, the Ukrainian military said today. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian troops liberate two communities in Donbass area, Kharkov Region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated two communities in the Donbass area and the Kharkov Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

For today, in a short entry, links to reports from Reuters and the Cradle; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (Short SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 20  Israeli airstrikes kill at least 25 in Gaza, medics say. From Reuters. CAIRO — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 25 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Friday, medics said, including at least eight in an apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp and at least 10, including seven children, in the town of Jabalia. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 20  Gaza resistance hits Israeli troops in Netzarim corridor with heavy mortar attacks. From The Cradle. Netzarim, an Israeli military corridor that splits the Gaza Strip into two, came under fire from the Palestinian resistance on Friday, coming as Hamas’ military wing has . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, in a short entry, links to reports from National Public Radio and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Short GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.)

–   –   –

U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition faces uncertainty in Syria. Reported by Fatma Tanis | NPR  The Kurdish coalition that controls a third of Syria and helped the US fight ISIS is facing a new reality after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. NATO ally Turkey sees them as a threat and is demanding the dismantling of Kurdish militia. And . . . Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 20  Pentagon confirms ‘around 2,000’ U.S. troops deployed in Syria. From The Cradle. Pentagon Press Secretary General Pat Ryder revealed on Thursday that the U.S. has “around 2,000” troops deployed inside Syria, more than double the figure Washington has previously claimed to have inside the war-torn country. READ MORE . . .

For today, just one link, to a report from the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Short GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE.)— MCM    

–   –   –

Ukrainian drones crash into high-rise apartment buildings in Russia’s Kazan. From the Moscow Times. A wave of Ukrainian drone attacks targeted the capital of the republic of Tatarstan early today, regional authorities said, damaging several residential buildings and forcing the closure of at least two nearby airports. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 19  Israeli strike on a Gaza school kills 17 people sheltering there. From AP. Israeli airstrikes slammed into two schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City on Thursday, a Health Ministry official said, killing at least 17 people including five children in one of the schools. Israel said Hamas operated command centers inside the shelters . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Hamas: Israel soldiers’ testimonies on Gaza war ‘evidence of unprecedented war crimes.’ From Middle East Monitor. Israeli occupation soldiers’ testimonies published by Haaretz regarding the war in Gaza are “new evidence of unprecedented war crimes and complete ethnic cleansing operations, carried out in an organised manner and under the army’s leadership and its fascist government,” Hamas said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

A loverboy and a Palestinian: Saint Levant’s new album is about loss and growth. Reported by Majd Al-Waheidi | NPR  Saint Levant has been selling out U.S. and European venues with his album “Deira,” an ode to his heritage and the Gaza hotel his father built, which was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 19  Israel and Hamas appear close to a ceasefire deal. These are the sticking points, by Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg | AP  CAIRO — Israel and Hamas appear closer than they have been in months to agreeing to a ceasefire that could wind down the 14-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of people held hostage there. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

How Israel turned Gaza’s ‘safe zones’ into graveyards, by Ghada Ageel | Middle East Eye  In Gaza, the targeting of civilians is not an aberration; it has been the reality, in “safe zones” and elsewhere, both before and since 7 October 2023. Families are killed everywhere they might seek refuge. In these so-called safe zones, more than 60 members of my extended family have been killed, with four generations wiped out in one day. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to commentary from MintPress News via ScheerPost, and to reports from Reuters and National Public Radio; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

FROM DEC. 17  Privatizing Syria: U.S. plans to sell off a nation’s wealth after Assad, by Kit Klarenberg | MintPress News / ScheerPost  Syria’s economic independence and strength under Assad’s rule and the benefits reaped by average citizens as a result were never acknowledged in the mainstream before or during the decade-long proxy war. Yet countless reports from major international institutions underline this reality – which has now been brutally vanquished, never to return. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

In first in-person contact, U.S. officials met Syria’s HTS in Damascus, by Humeyra Pamuk and Amina Ismail | Reuters  WASHINGTON / DAMASCUS — U.S. diplomats visiting Damascus held Washington’s first in-person official meetings with Syria’s new de facto rulers led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham today and discussed with the former al Qaeda affiliate the future of Syria’s political transition. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Hear the latest on developments in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Steve Inskeep | NPR  Syria’s new rulers are forming a government after more than half a century of dictatorship under former leader Bashar al-Assad and his father. READ MORE . . .