For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Mondoweiss, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Truthout via ScheerPost; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Gaza officials say Israeli forces killed 27 heading to aid site. Israel says it fired near suspects, by Mohammad Jahjouh, Samy Magdy and Fatma Khaled | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian health officials and witnesses say Israeli forces fired on people as they headed toward an aid distribution site today, killing at least 27, in the third such incident in three days. The army said . . . READ MORE . . .    Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Middle East Eye. 

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Wilful restriction on Gaza food aid may constitute war crime, says UN rights office. From Reuters. GENEVA — The United Nations human rights office said today that the wilful impediment of access to food and relief for civilians in Gaza may constitute a war crime, describing attacks on civilians trying to access food aid as unconscionable.  READ MORE . . .

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GHF denies involvement after Israel commits new massacre near Gaza aid site. From the Cradle. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied any involvement or responsibility for the new massacre near its distribution site in the southern city of Rafah, which saw Israeli army troops gun down dozens of Palestinian aid seekers today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Aid massacre: Israeli forces kill 75 Palestinians at U.S.-run aid distribution center, by Tareq S. Hajjaj | Mondoweiss / ScheerPost  On Sunday morning at dawn, Palestinians from southern Gaza headed to the aid distribution point in Rafah run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), the U.S. contractor tasked with delivering aid to Palestinians instead of the UN. Once thousands of arrived . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  A new Gaza food distribution site erupted into chaos and violence this weekend. Reported by Carrie Kahn and Daniel Estrin | NPR  Reports of deadly shootings by the Israeli military close to a new food distribution site in Gaza are coming under heavy criticism from the U.S.-backed group distributing the food. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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U.S. warns UK and France not to recognise Palestinian state. From Middle East Eye. The U.S. has warned Britain and France against recognising a Palestinian state at a UN conference to be co-hosted later this month by France and Saudi Arabia. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  The genocide in Gaza isn’t just attacking our bodies, it’s erasing our memories, by Abdallah Aljazzar | Truthout / ScheerPost   Maybe forgetting is a shield. In Diving for Seahorses: The Science and Secrets of Memory, Hilde and Ylva Østby explain how trauma can fragment or erase memory entirely. When the brain is overwhelmed by fear, it cannot . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, a link to a report from Reuters; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (IRAN 6-2-25 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 2  Iran poised to dismiss U.S. nuclear proposal, says Iranian diplomat. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran is poised to reject a U.S. proposal to end a decades-long nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, slamming it as a “non-starter” that fails to address Tehran’s interests and leaves Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment unchanged. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 14 reports: from Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-2-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Ukraine’s SBU attacks Crimean bridge with underwater bomb, by Alisa Orlova | Kyiv Post  Ukraine’s Security Service said today it carried out a new special operation that damaged the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time using underwater explosives — in a mission that took months to plan. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian rockets kill 3 in a Ukrainian city as Kyiv claims it damaged a key bridge deep in Russia, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A Russian attack targeted the Ukrainian city of Sumy today, killing at least three people and leaving many injured, officials said. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the assault, saying it underscored that Moscow has no intentions of halting the three-year war. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Ukraine peace efforts are complex, no quick decisions should be expected, by Dmitry Antonov | Reuters   MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today that work on trying to reach a settlement to end the war in Ukraine was extraordinarily complex and that it would be wrong to expect any imminent decisions but that it was waiting for Ukrainian reaction to its proposals presented at Monday’s talks in Istanbul. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Russia-Ukraine talks end without ceasefire, but countries agree to exchange prisoners. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Steve Inskeep | NPR  A second round of ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia ended quickly on Monday and with no ceasefire, though the two countries agreed to exchange more prisoners of war. Some updates. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine’s neutrality, recognition of Donbass, Novorossiya: key ideas of Russian memorandum. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian memorandum on a future settlement, handed over to the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul, implies Ukraine’s neutrality and a ban on any military activity by third countries on its territory. Russia’s proposals set out in the document envisage elections in Ukraine, followed by the signing of a peace treaty. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine and Russia agree to swap dead and wounded troops but report no progress toward ending war, by Mehmet Guzel | AP  ISTANBUL — Representatives of Russia and Ukraine met Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks and agreed to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops but made no progress toward ending the 3-year-old war, officials said — this a day after . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Russia and Ukraine hold talks after Ukrainian attacks on Russian bomber fleet. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  Officials from Russia and Ukraine met for a second round of peace negotiations in Istanbul. The discussions come after a surprise Ukrainian drone attack on remote Russian air bases Sunday. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from AP.

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian warplanes was a serious blow to the Kremlin’s strategic arsenal. From AP.  Sunday’s surprise attack targeting several Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication. Ukraine said over 40 bombers were damaged or destroyed, but Moscow said only . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas, officials say. From Reuters. Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in the south of Ukraine, Russia-installed officials said early on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 2  How Ukraine pulled off its drone attack on valuable Russian warplanes. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  Ukraine has carried many highly creative drone attacks against Russia. Now, they’ve destroyed some of Russia’s most valuable warplanes, parked at military bases deep inside Russia. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to seven reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Cradle and to commentary from Middle East Monitor via Informed Comment; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (GAZA 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE, IRAN, WEST BANK and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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32 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since dawn. From Middle East Eye. Israeli forces have killed at least 32 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing medical sources. The news site said at least 51 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours. Wafa news agency reported that . . . READ MORE . . .

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An Israeli strike on Gaza kills 14 Palestinians, mostly women and children, hospitals say. From AP. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a residential building in the Gaza Strip on Monday killed 14 people, mostly women and children, according to health officials. READ MORE . . .

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Three people killed and dozens wounded near aid site in Gaza, medics say, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians and wounded dozens of others near an aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, local health authorities said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM JUNE  1  Hamas accepts Witkoff truce outline with amendments aimed at ending war, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  Hamas has agreed to the outline of a ceasefire deal drafted by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, with amendments that include guarantees it would lead to negotiations aimed at permanently ending the Israeli war on Gaza, Middle East Eye has learnt. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Arab ministers call for end to Gaza genocide, recognition of Palestine at Amman conference. From the Cradle. Arab foreign ministers gathered in the Jordanian capital on Sunday for a meeting of the ministerial committee of the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, stressing the need to end Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and to establish a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  The Madeleine ship: A message of solidarity with Gaza and resolve to break the blockade, by Zaher Birawi | Middle East Monitor / Informed Comment – On Sunday, June 1, a small ship from the International Freedom Flotilla Coalition will set sail from the port of Catania in Sicily (Italy). They named the ship “Madeleine” in honour of Palestinian fisherwoman Madeleine Kullab, the youngest . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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For today, links to eleven reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, Anadolu Agency, National Public Radio, and Agence France-Presse, and an to interview from NPR; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, IRAN, WEST BANK and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Ukraine and Russia end their latest round of direct peace talks in Istanbul, by Mehmet Guzel | AP  ISTANBUL — The latest round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended today after just over an hour, according to Russian state media and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, Zelenskyy said a new release of prisoners of war was being prepared. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Tass and Anadolu Agency.

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Ukraine destroys Russian bombers with shocking barrage of drones ahead of peace talks. Reported by Charles Maynes and Joanna Kakissis | NPR  MOSCOW / KYIV — Ukraine attacked Russia with a series of drone strikes on military air bases deep in the Russian heartland on Sunday — an operation that appeared timed to influence a new round of Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire talks set to take place in Istanbul today. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for June 1 report from AP.

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FROM JUNE 1  Seven dead, dozens hurt as Russian bridges near Ukraine collapse. From AFP. The overnight collapses of two bridges in Russian regions bordering Ukraine that killed seven people were caused by explosions, Russian officials said Sunday, treating them as “acts of terrorism.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Russia and Ukraine step up the war on eve of peace talks. From Reuters. On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia sharply ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of their conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an ambitious attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Ukrainian proposals for June 2 talks with Russia in Istanbul. From Reuters. KYIV — Reuters has seen the text of the peace proposals that Ukrainian negotiators plan to present to the Russian side at peace talks scheduled to take place on Monday in Istanbul — and publishes the text here in full with no changes. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  As Ukraine war drags on, what does Russian President Vladimir Putin want? Reported by Marc Rivers, Scott Detrow and John Ketchum | NPR  Angela Stent, professor emeritus at Georgetown University, talks about what motivates Russian President Vladimir Putin as talks to end the war in Ukraine continue. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to two reports from the Cradle and to an interview from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA, UKRAINE, WEST BANK and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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U.S. hits pause on ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions on Iran: report. From the Cradle. The U.S. government has ordered a “pause” on its “maximum pressure” policy of sanctions against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. A source told the newspaper that a directive . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Iran slams IAEA report as politically motivated, based on forged Israeli documents. From the Cradle. Iran voiced its strong protest on Saturday against a report issued by the head of the UN nuclear watchdog regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, saying it was issued “with political objectives and through pressures,” is based in part on forged Israeli documents, and goes beyond the UN nuclear chief’s mandate. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  What’s at stake in the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks? Scott Detrow of NPR  speaks with former Iran nuclear negotiator Seyed Hossein Mousavian about the ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 6-1-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA, UKRAINE, IRAN and LEBANON entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.)

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FROM MAY 30   Israeli war chief vows to build ‘Jewish state’ in occupied West Bank. From the Cradle. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday that Tel Aviv will build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the occupied West Bank, while affirming the rejection of Palestinian statehood in a “clear message” to French President Emmanuel Macron. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle, and to an essay from Informed Comment; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (LEBANON 5-10-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE, IRAN and WEST BANK entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 29  Israel army infiltrates southern Lebanon town. From Middle East Monitor. Forces from the Israeli occupation army infiltrated into the outskirts of the southern Lebanon border town of Bleida Wednesday evening, Lebanese media sources reported today according to the Palestinian Information Centre. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  U.S. deputy envoy behind Hezbollah disarmament campaign to be replaced: report. From the Cradle. U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to the region Morgan Ortagus, who has been in charge of Washington’s Lebanon policy, is soon to be removed from her position and reassigned to another role, according to U.S. and Israeli reports. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 1  Genetic study shows ‘Phoenicians,’ like all ‘nations,’ were a multi-ethnic franchise, by Juan Cole | Informed Comment / ScheerPost  ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Harald Ringbauer et al. writing in Nature report on a genetic study of the ancient Phoenicians that is really going to anger Lebanese Christian nationalists. In fact, it contains a profound lesson for nationalists and nationalism in general, which is . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to nine reports: from Agence France-Presse, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and Drop Site News, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 5-31-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, SYRIA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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UNWRA head says ‘aid distribution has become a death trap.’ From AFP. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Gaza “aid distribution has become a death trap,” citing reports from medics on the ground of “mass casualties” among starving civilians this morning. READ MORE . . .

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At least 31 Palestinians are killed while heading to a Gaza aid hub, officials and witnesses say, by Mohammad Jahjouh and Samy Magdy | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — At least 31 people were killed and scores were wounded today as they were on their way to receive food in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials and multiple witnesses. The witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around a kilometer away from an aid site run by an Israeli-backed foundation. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, NPR,  Middle East Eye and the Cradle. 

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FROM MAY 27  Weaponizing food aid: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim of Drop Site News talk about how the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the U.S.-Israeli aid scheme operating in southern and central Gaza, is being used . . . Click HERE for intro and video of report.

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FROM MAY 30  Hamas says U.S.. ceasefire proposal ‘perpetuates’ Israel’s mass killing, starvation policies. From the Cradle. Hamas announced on Friday that the new U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza “fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people,” including an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Reuters reported. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters. 

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How humanitarian aid became a tool to empty Gaza, by Greg Pence | Middle East Monitor  In the history of modern conflict, perhaps no narrative is as disturbing as the deliberate misuse of humanitarian aid to achieve geopolitical goals. Gaza now faces . . . READ MORE . . .

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A link to a note from a co-founder of Drop Site News; other information is accessible by clicking on its name below. (MEDIA 5-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE, WEST BANK, SYRIA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JULY 17, 2024  Why I started Drop Site News, by Jeremy Scahill | Drop Site News  A year ago, I never would have imagined writing this note, not to mention publishing on Substack. But here I am. READ MORE . . .

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