For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, and a SYRIA, 12-9-24, entry, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Trump calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris. From AP. KYIV — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump today called for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine that “should have never started,” shortly after a meeting in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron and Volodomyr Zelenskyy of France and Ukraine. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Kyiv Independent and Tass.

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Kremlin, on Trump call for peacetalks, says Moscow is open to negotiations on certain terms. From Reuters.  MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today that Russia was open to talks on Ukraine after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump called for “an immediate ceasefire and negotiations”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said negotiations had to be based . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin refutes Trump’s remarks on losses in Ukrainian conflict. From Tass. MOSCOW — MOSCOW — The Ukrainian army’s losses surpass those of Russia exponentially, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists today. He also said Russia is open to talks on Ukraine but that terms for an immediate ceasefire were outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin back in June. READ MORE . . .

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Russian army has liberated Blagodatnoye settlement in Donetsk People’s Republic. From Tass. MOSCOW — The units of Russia’s Battlegroup East have liberated the settlement of Blagodatnoye (Oktyabr collective farm) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . . 

For today, links to eight reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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NEWER  Armed groups enter southern suburbs of Damascus. From Anadolu Agency. DAMASCUS — Armed groups opposed to Bashar al-Assad’s regime began entering Damascus’ southern suburbs today. They advanced toward central Damascus after capturing . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S.-backed Syrian Free Army takes control of Homs’ Palmyra district from regime forces. From Anadolu Agency. HOMS, Syria  Forces of the U.S.-backed Syrian Free Army, operates in the Al-Tanf region at the crossroads of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, have taken control of Palmyra in the eastern countryside of the Syrian province of Homs after . . . READ MORE . . .

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Syrian rebels enter suburbs of key city of Homs, sources say, by Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Timour Azhari | Reuters  AMMAN / BEIRUT — Syrian rebels entered suburbs of the key city of Homs today, sources said, pressing a lightning week-long advance as front lines collapse across the country and government forces battle to save President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule. READ MORE . . .

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Russian bases in Syria threatened by insurgent advance, say Moscow’s war bloggers, by Andrew Osborn | Reuters  — Two strategically-important Russian military facilities in Syria and Moscow’s very presence in the Middle East are under serious threat from rapidly advancing insurgents, Russian war bloggers have warned. READ MORE . . .

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Syrian troops withdraw from the south of the country as they rush to defend Homs, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria today, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment . . .READ MORE . . .

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Iron-fisted Assad under threat as Syrian rebels draw closer. From Reuters — President Bashar al-Assad used Russian and Iranian firepower to beat back rebel forces during years of civil war but never defeated them, leaving him vulnerable when his allies were distracted by wars elsewhere and his enemies went on the march. READ MORE . . .

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Syrian rebels make further inroads in major cities. Reported by Jane Arraf and Elissa Nadworny | NPR  The Assad regime is Syria is looking increasingly fragile as rebels take control of more of the country’s territory. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM DEC. 6  What does the Syrian rebel takeover mean for the Assad regime? Reported by Michael Levitt, Ruth Sherlock and Ari Shapiro | NPR  Syrian rebels have taken two major cities and are closing in on a third. What does all this mean for the Assad regime? Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM DEC. 5  Why Syria is more relevant today than before, by Kamal Alam | Middle East Eye  Amid the swift and stunning collapse of Aleppo following an assault led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is internationally sanctioned as a terrorist group, it is important to pause and recall that we have been here before. The advance by HTS and Turkish-backed . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to three reports: from Reuters, Tass, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE and SYRIA entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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At least 20 killed in Gaza as Qatar voices hope for ceasefire. From Reuters. CAIRO — Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 20 Palestinians today, local health officials said, as Qatar voiced hope of fresh momentum in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Tass.

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FROM DEC. 6  Ailing kids wait months for Israeli permission to leave Gaza for treatment. Some die in the meantime, by Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Thousands of patients in Gaza are waiting for Israeli permission for urgently needed medical evacuation from Gaza for treatment of war wounds or chronic diseases they can’t get after the destruction of much of the territory’s health care system by Israel’s 15-month military campaign. READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to four reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Reuters, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and SYRIA entries for this date and a MEDIA entry are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast injure 16, including child, governor reports, by Martina Sapio | The Kyiv Independent  Russian shelling struck residential areas and injured 16 people, including one child, in Kherson Oblast over the past day, regional authorities said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces liberate Berestki in DPR — Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian servicemen have liberated the settlement of Berestki in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 6  Scholz says a joint Ukraine approach can be found with Trump. From Reuters. FRANKFURT — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is confident he will be able to agree with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on a joint strategy for Ukraine after speaking to him on the phone, Scholz told the Funke group of newspapers. READ MORE . . .

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How Russia’s weakening economy could impact the war with Ukraine. Elissa Nadworny of NPR talks with Alexandra Prokopenko, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, about weakness in the Russian economy and what that might mean for the country’s war in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

Links to commentary from Consortium News and Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA,  UKRAINE, and SYRIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 6  The Biden family of liars, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Peter Baker, that inimitable (thank goodness) clerk The New York Times posts as its chief White House correspondent, tells us in Wednesday’s editions, “We don’t really know how history will remember Joe Biden. It’s too early to say, obviously.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 5  For the New York Times, antisemitism has a name but genocide does not, by Hamid Dabashi | Middle East Eye  I read the New York Times daily as a barometer — as a farmer would heed a bellwether, or an old-fashioned European anthropologist would stare at the behaviour of a faraway tribe — to see which way the liberal Zionist wind is blowing. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 4  The war on Consortium News, by Joe Lauria | Consortiun News  In an age of growing censorship and suppression of news, Consortium News is not exaggerating when it says it has abundant evidence of efforts to marginalize or silence us. November 2016: At Thanksgiving eight years ago, a . . . READ MORE . . .

Links to five reports, one including a map: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Reuters, and to commentary from Consortium News and Middle East Eye; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Thousands flee as Syrian insurgents advance to the doorstep of the country’s 3rd largest city, Homs, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — Thousands of people fled the central Syrian city of Homs, the country’s third largest, as insurgents seized two towns on the outskirts Friday, positioning themselves for an assault on a potentially major prize in their march against President Bashar Assad. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report and map from Middle East Eye.

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Turkey’s Erdogan backs rebel offensive in Syria, by Ragip Soylu | Middle East Eye  ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to back a rebel offensive in Syria that has captured several major cities within a week, as indicated by a statement he made today. READ MORE . . . 

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War-weary Iraq eyes Syria intervention as rebels advance, by Timour Azhari | Reuters  BEIRUT — Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim ruling parties and armed groups are weighing the pros and cons of armed intervention in Syria, viewing as a grave threat the advance of Sunni Islamist rebels who have taken two Syrian cities and now bear down on a third. READ MORE . . .

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Inside the Ravi factions’ decision to keep out of Syria, by Suadad al-Salhy | Middle East Eye  Iraq’s Shia forces, including major Iranian-affiliated armed factions, have unanimously decided not to send fighters to Syria to defend Bashar al-Assad from the rebel advance, according to some officials and commanders. Last week . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 2  Neocons try again in Syria, by Ray McGovern | Special to Consortium News  On the neocon list of ways to make the world safer for Israel, Iran originally occupied pride of place. “Real men go to Tehran!” was the muscular brag. But . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 4  How the Syria crisis could reshape the Middle East, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  It is generally a mistake to read one conflict through the prism of another, even though they might share the same actors. The Syrian rebel offensive took almost everyone by surprise. Rebel groups that had for years been bitter rivals . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters, Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a SYRIA entry are HERE and HERE,) — MCM

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Israeli forces storm into Gaza hospital, expel some staff, displaced people, its director says. From Reuters. CAIRO – Israeli forces stormed into Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in north Gaza last night, expelled some staff and displaced people before withdrawing, said the hospital’s director, adding that bodies of people killed by airstrikes littered the streets outside. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas official says Gaza ceasefire talks have resumed after weekslong hiatus, by Abby Sewell | AP  ISTANBUL — A Hamas official said Thursday that international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach. READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 5  U.S. rejects Amnesty report saying Israel commits genocide in Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. The U.S. has rejected Amnesty International’s Dec. 5 report that said there is “conclusive evidence” of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports. READ MORE . . .

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Amnesty chief calls on Starmer and Lammy to revise Gaza stance, by Sondos Asem | Middle East Monitor  The secretary general of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, has urged British politicians to revise their denial that genocide is being committed in Gaza, following its major report by the group concluding that Israel is guilty of genocide. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, and Tass, and to commentary from Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a SYRIA entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine shows off new ‘rocket-drone’ in bid to boost long-range strikes. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine showed off a new locally-produced “rocket-drone” today which it said could fly 700 km (430 miles) – more than twice the longest range attributed to missiles supplied by Western allies. The unmanned craft, called “Peklo” — which means . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Foreign minister says in interview that Russia will use ‘all means’ to defend its interests. From AP. MOSCOW —  “It is obvious,” Russian Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov said in an interview released today, “that the Ukrainians would not be able to do what they’re doing with long-range modern weapons without direct participation of the American servicemen.” READ MORE . . . Click HERE for commentary from Kyiv Post.

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Ukraine launches air, sea drones near Crimea bridge – reports. From the Moscow Times. Ukraine launched aerial and seaborne drones on the Russian-controlled Crimean port city of Kerch, media reported and the Russian military confirmed early today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate six communities in Donbass area, Zaporozhye Region over week. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated six communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Zaporozhye Region over the week of November 30 – December 6 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Anadolu Agency, and Tass.; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Amnesty report says Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. From Reuters. THE HAGUE — Amnesty International accused the state of Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war in a report published today, an allegation Israeli angrily denied. The London-based human rights . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Anadolu Agency.

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Israel slams Amnesty International report as ‘completely false.’ From Tass. TEL AVIV — Israel’s Foreign Ministry has denounced Amnesty International’s scathing report accusing the Jewish state of deliberately committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, calling it “completely false” and saying that it is “based on lies.” READ MORE . . .

 

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

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Ukrainian forces liberate Novy Komar in Donetsk Region, inflict heavy losses on Russians. From Kyiv Post. Ukrainian troops have regained control of Novy Komar, a village in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region, according to Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational-strategic group. As of 2016, the village had a population . . .  READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces strike Ukrainian military airfields, UAV assembly workshop over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields and an unmanned aerial vehicle assembly workshop over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Western states criticism Russia’s Lavrov over Ukraine at OSCE meeting. From Reuters. VALLETTA — Western countries including the United States assailed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the war in Ukraine today at an annual meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Malta. READ MORE . . .

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Russian drone strikes against Ukraine are surging to record levels — how bad can it get? by Chris York | The Kyiv Independent  For the third month in a row, the number of Shahed-type kamikaze drones launched by Russia at Ukraine surged to record levels. According to figures from Ukraine’s Air Force, Moscow deployed . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM DEC. 4  French government collapse raises questions over Ukraine support. From Reuters. PARIS — The fall of France’s government on Wednesday and the failure to pass a budget could make it difficult for Paris to ramp up its support for Ukraine. France in November completed the training of some 2,000 Ukrainians, including . . . READ MORE . . .