For today, links to five reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio, and to the reconstructed second postings* of three items: links to a an interview from ScheerPost, to an interview from Middle East Eye, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials  below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is  HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israeli strike in northern Gaza kills at least 60, officials say, as Hezbollah announces new leader, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Bassem Mroue | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a five-story building where displaced Palestinians were sheltering in the northern Gaza Strip killed at least 60 people early today, more than half of them women and children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Middle East Eye.

–   –   –

Laws pass in Israel that may threaten the work of a UN aid agency in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Michel Martin | NPR  Israeli lawmakers have passed two laws that could threaten the work of the main U.N. agency providing aid to people in Gaza by barring it from operating on Israeli soil and severing ties with it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE for report from AP.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 28  Israel and its neighborhood: An interview with ambassador Chas Freeman. Patrick Lawrence of Substack and ScheerPost talks with retired U.S. ambassador Chas Freeman about changing international relations over the last year as a result of Israel’s wars in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Click HERE to read a partial transcript.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 26  Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon: How the pro-Israel lobby influences U.S. policy.Mohamed Hashem of Middle East Eye talks with Harvard University professor Stephen Walt on a range of topics concerning Israel, its wars, and role of the Israel lobby in U.S. politics and actions. Click HERE for video of interview.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 28  Israeli atrocities are nothing new. The only novelty is the scale, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  The ongoing and simultaneous Israeli aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran strikes many as exceptional and unprecedented. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

* These three items originally appeared as part of an entry headed “Gaza, 10-28-24,” the entirety of which disappeared, along with all of two others, headed “Ukraine, 10-28-24” and “Media, 10-29-24.” The disappearances were unprecedented in the more than five years of this website’s existence.

 

For today,  links to six reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, Tass, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

North Korea and Russia send political shockwaves with Ukraine war moves.  From Reuters. MOSCOW / SEOUL — North Korea’s foreign minister arrived in Russia today for talks as the Russia-Ukraine war appeared to take a dangerous new turn, with NATO and South Korea expressing alarm that North Korean troops could soon be joining in on Moscow’s side. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

–   –   –

Explosions reported in occupied Luhansk, Ukrainian official suggests ammunition depots hit. From the Kyiv Independent. Smoke and explosions were recorded in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk, Ukraine’s easternmost regional center, today after what Gov. Artem Lysohor called possible strikes on Russian ammunition depots. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian forces liberate three communities in Donbass region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces liberated three communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Drone attacks Russian special forces university in Chechnya. From the Moscow Times. An early morning drone strike damaged a special forces university in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said today, marking the first such attack on the region since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

 

For now, links to commentary from ScheerPost and, via Consortium News, the Scott Ritter Extra and CraigMurray.org.uk; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names below.* — MCM

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 25  Israel’s war on journalism, by Chris Hedges | Original to ScheerPost  There are some 4,000 foreign reporters accredited in Israel to cover the war. They stay in luxury hotels. They go on dog and pony shows orchestrated by the Israeli military. They can, on rare occasions, be escorted by Israeli soldiers on lightning visits to Gaza, where they are shown alleged . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 23  The Israeli intelligence leaks, by Scott Ritter | Scott Ritter Extra / Consortium News  As U.S. law enforcement scrambles to discover the source of the leaking of two highly classified documents that appear to contain sensitive information about Israeli military preparations for an attack on Iran, very little concern is being expressed by U.S. politicians or the American public over . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 18  Who are the terrorists? by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk / Consortium News In 2024 the official position of the British state is that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorists and apartheid Israel are the good guys. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

TO BE CONTINUED

–   –   –

* NOTE: The dates on various items pertain, as near as I can tell, to the date the material was first published.

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Israel conducts retaliatory airstrikes against Iran. Reported by Scott Simon and Daniel Estrin | NPR  The Israeli military says it has conducted “targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran” in response for Iran’s October 1 launch of around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE, HERE and HERE for two reports from AP and one from Reuters.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 25  With no exit strategy for Israel in Gaza, critics fear an open-ended stay, by Jonathan Saul and James Mackenzie | Reuters  JERUSALEM — Retired Israeli general Giora Eiland believes Israel faces months of fighting in Gaza unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu uses the chance offered by the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to end the war. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 25  Blinken believes the death of Hamas leader may allow for a ceasefire and hostage deal. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  The U.S. and Qatar say that talks will resume on a ceasefire deal for Gaza, though it is not clear what Hamas’ position is in the wake of the killing of its leader in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and read.

For today, links to six reports: from the Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and MAPS entry from Oct. 18 are HERE and HERE.)  — MCM

–   –   –

Israel’s practices in northern Gaza could amount to ‘atrocity crimes, crimes against humanity’: UN rights chief, by Beyza Binnur Donmez| Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — The UN human rights chief said today that Israel’s practices in northern Gaza could amount to “atrocity crimes and crimes against humanity,” describing what is happening in the north of the strip . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli strikes kill 38 people in Gaza’s Khan Younis and 3 journalists in southern Lebanon, by Bassem Mroue and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  BEIRUT — Israeli strikes killed 38 people in Gaza and three journalists in Lebanon today as growing worries about supply shortages in Gaza and international pressure for a cease-fire mounted. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

–   –   –

Israeli strike kills journalists in Lebanon, Blinken sees urgent need for resolution, by Maya Gebeily, Amina Ismail, James Mackenzie and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  BEIRUT / LONDON — An Israeli strike killed at least three journalists and wounded several others as they slept in guesthouses in southern Lebanon today, Lebanon’s health ministry said, in what Beirut declared a war crime. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Medical evacuations ‘lethally slow’ for 2,500 Gazan children that need urgent referral: UNICEF, by Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — The UNICEF today warned that medical evacuations are “lethally slow” for 2,500 Gazan children that need urgent referral as “fewer than one child” evacuated per day. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israel’s war in northern Gaza aimed at uprooting people from their land: Palestinian National Council. From Anadolu Agency. RAMALLAH, Palestine  The Palestinian National Council said today that the ongoing Israeli offensive in northern Gaza is “a war aimed at uprooting the people from their land.” READ MORE . . .

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

–   –   –

Zelenskiy says Russia to deploy N. Korean troops in combat zones Oct. 27-28. From Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said today that Russia plans to deploy North Korean troops to the battlefield starting Oct. 27-28, citing intelligence reports. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and the Kyiv Independent.

–   –   –

Putin on North Korean troops in Russia: ‘If they’re here, it’s our business.’ From Kyiv Post. At a press conference following the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time commented on the possible involvement of North Korean troops in his war against Ukraine, responding to questions . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Zelenskyy admits ‘tense’ situation for Ukraine’s armed forces in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, by Elena Teslova | Anadolu Agency  MOSCOW — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted today that the situation on the battlefield is “tense” for his nation’s armed forces, especially in the eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Ukraine’s army loses stable command and control of troops encircled in Kursk area — Putin.  From Tass.  MOSCOW — The Ukrainian military is attempting to unblock its troops encircled in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region but has lost stable command and control of these units, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a program broadcast today. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Putin comments on situation in Ukraine, treaty with North Korea in TV interview. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine has approached Russia twice with initiatives mediated by Turkey but has promptly retracted them, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a program broadcast today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

For today, links to eight reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initals below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and MAPS entry from last week are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Half of Jabalia ethnically cleansed by Israeli army as schools burned and men kidnapped, by Lubna Masarwa and Maha Hussaini | Middle East Eye   JERUSALEM / OCCUPIED PALESTINE — Israeli troops are going school to school in Jabalia and nearby areas to forcibly remove unarmed, starved and besieged Palestinian civilians from their homes as the military campaign to ethnically cleanse north Gaza nears its third week, eyewitnesses say. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Blinken announces another $135 million in U.S. aid to Gaza but says it has to get into the territory, by Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Qatar, today announced another $135 million in aid to the Palestinians, saying it is critical that aid enters Gaza. Also today, medical officials said an Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israeli strikes kill 42 in Gaza as tanks tighten siege of north, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 42 people on Wednesday as Israeli forces intensified a siege of northern parts of the Palestinian enclave, surrounding hospitals and refugee shelters, and ordering residents to head south, medics and residents said. Health officials said . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

France and other nations pledge massive aid package to support Lebanon at international conference, by Sylvie Corbet | AP  PARIS — France pledged to provide a 100-million euro ($108 million) package to support Lebanon at an international conference today, as President Emmanuel Macron said “massive aid” is needed to support the country where . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

EU’s Borrell calls for reinforcement of UNIFIL, Lebanese army amid escalating tensions, by Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell today called for an immediate reinforcement of Lebanon’s army and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNIFIL) amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Hezbollah claims heavy Israeli losses: 70 soldiers, 28 tanks, drones downed. From Middle East Monitor. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s operations room, issued a report on Wednesday highlighting significant losses inflicted on Israeli occupation forces by Hezbollah’s missile and air defence units in the south of the country. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Putin warns of Middle East conflagration and debates Ukraine at BRICS, by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  KAZAN, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin told BRICS leaders today that the Middle East was on the brink of a full-scale war after a sharp rise in tension between Israel and Iran, though the Kremlin chief also faced calls to end the war in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 23  Calls grow inside Israel’s right wing government for permanent occupation of Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel’s prime minister says forming Jewish settlements in Gaza is not a realistic goal, but his allies are making the case for it. His opponents say the military’s latest moves may make it possible. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

–   –   –

Gaza extermination: Netanyahu is ‘finishing the job’ while the world watches, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  There are up to 400,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza, dozens of whom are dying every night in artillery fire, drone strikes, or close up in summary executions. This has been going on for three weeks and there is no . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Moscow Times, and Reuters; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Russian lawmakers ratify pact with North Korea as U.S. confirms that Pyongyang sent troops to Russia. From AP. MOSCOW — Russian lawmakers today ratified a pact with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance, a move that comes as the U.S. confirmed the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russia. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Moscow Times and AFP.

–   –   –

Ukraine accuses Russian troops of executing 4 POWs. From AFP. Kyiv claimed today that Russian forces had executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen in the eastern Donetsk region, the latest war crime allegation against Moscow. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 23  Finishing off the defenseless: How the Russians execute Ukrainian soldiers, by Kamila Hrabchuk | The Kyiv Independent  Recording and investigating the executions of soldiers is extremely difficult. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, the United Nations has documented the execution of 42 Ukrainian service members. Ukraine has documented 102 such executions as of October 2022. The actual figure . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russian attack on Kupiansk kills elderly woman, injures at least 11, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  One person has died, and at least 11 others have been injured after Russian forces carried out an air strike on the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast today, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Russia hammers Ukrainian military airfield infrastructure over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces delivered strikes at Ukrainian military airfields and inflicted damage on enemy manpower and military hardware in 139 areas over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Chechen factions loot Mariupol’s steel plants: WSJ report. From Kyiv Post. What remained of the steel plants in Ukraine’s Mariupol are now war trophies for Chechen figures affiliated with the enclave’s strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, the Wall Street Journal reported. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Putin warns of Middle East conflagration and debates Ukraine at BRICS, by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  KAZAN, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin told BRICS leaders today that the Middle East was on the brink of a full-scale war after a sharp rise in tension between Israel and Iran, though the Kremlin chief also faced calls to end the war in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 23  U.S. government wants half of its $20 billion loan to Ukraine to be military aid. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is trying to provide Ukraine with $10 billion in military aid as part of its $20 billion commitment to the country under a $50 billion loan coordinated with the G7 and European Union, the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 13 reports: from Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, the Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, and the Telegraph, and to commentary from the Ron Paul Institute via Antiwar.com; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

–   –   –

Twenty reported killed in Gaza as Israel intensifies siege of north, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 20 people today as Israeli forces intensified a siege of northern parts of the Palestinian enclave, surrounding hospitals and refugee shelters, and ordering residents to head south, medics and residents said. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Thirty people dead inside besieged Kamal Adwan Hospital. From Middle East Eye. A Medecins Sans Frontieres orthopaedic surgeon currently sheltering in the besieged Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza says the situation in the medical facility is “disastrous”. “There is death in all types and forms in Kamal Adwan hospital and north Gaza. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Israel is ethnically cleansing north Gaza, says B’Tselem. From Middle East Eye. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has accused Israel of taking advantage of the world’s diverted attention to commit ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

No Hezbollah assets found in Lebanon hospital facing Israeli bombing, by Hanna Davis | Middle East Eye  BEIRUT —  A swarm of journalists and cameramen opened drawers filled with scrubs and bed linens, rummaged through boxes of surgical tools, and meandered through the basement of Sahel Hospital, in southern Beirut, entering even . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

Int’l journalists dispel Israeli claims of Hezbollah funds in Lebanese hospitals. From Middle East Monitor. BBC and Sky News reporters were among international news crews that debunked Israel’s claims that Hezbollah is hiding funds in a Lebanese hospital in Beirut. Click HERE for brief introduction and video.

–   –   –

Blinken urges halt to Middle East conflict as Israel bombs historic Lebanese port city, by Amina Ismail and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  TYRE / RIYADH — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed today for a halt to fighting between Israel and militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, but heavy Israeli air strikes on a large historic Lebanese port city demonstrated that there was no respite. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for AP report by Farnoush Amiri and Samy Magdy.

–   –   –

Hostages’ families call on Blinken to leverage Sinwar elimination for a deal, by Uri Sela | The Jerusalem Post  Families of American citizens held hostage in Gaza met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday and asked him to apply pressure on mediators in Qatar, aiming to leverage the opportunity created by Sinwar’s elimination to restart negotiations for returning all hostages. The families, including . . . READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

IDF claims uncovered documents prove 6 Al Jazeera journalists are Hamas, PIJ operatives, by Emanuel Fabian | The Times of Israel  The IDF says it has uncovered documents in the Gaza Strip it claims reveal that six Al Jazeera journalists are operatives in the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 22  As Gaza burns, Israeli settlers make ‘real estate’ plans, by Peter Oborne and Lubna Masarwa | Middle East Eye  A ceasefire in Gaza was the last thing on the mind of the Knesset members, government ministers and hundreds of Israeli settlers who convened Monday to plan the future of the enclave as Israel’s settlement. READ MORE . . .

–   –   –

As the Israel-Hamas war escalates, Israel refuses to acknowledge its nuclear program. Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Victor Gilinsky, a former commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, about Israel’s nuclear capabilities. It’s believed Israel has around 90 warheads. Click HERE to listen and read.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 22  A nightclub in Lebanon is now a shelter for people fleeing Israeli strikes. Reported by Arezou Rezvani | NPR  Skybar, one of Beirut’s most popular nightclubs, has turned into a shelter for hundreds of displaced people who’ve fled Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon in recent weeks. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for report in the Telegraph.

–   –   –

FROM OCT. 21  Why should we fight wars for Ukraine and Israel? by Ron Paul | Ron Paul Institute / Antiwar.com  When you take on the role of the world’s policeman, don’t be surprised when countries who cannot fight their own wars call “911.” That is happening to the United States on two fronts and it is bankrupting our country, depleting the military that should serve our own national interest, and . . . READ MORE . . .