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

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Russian drone attack on Kherson Oblast kills 2, by Nate Ostiller | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian attack on Kherson Oblast using a first-person-view drone today killed two women in their car, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said. Ukraine liberated the southern city of Kherson from Russian occupation in November 2022. Since then . . . READ MORE . . .

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Odesa in Kremlin’s sights again: A week of attacks on port facilities, by Ugo Poletti | Kyiv Post  Three detonations shook the windows of the houses in Odesa’s historic center this morning – minutes after the Telegram channels had announced an incoming Russian ballistic missile alert across the city. Eight people . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says it captured a southern Ukraine village in a push before winter comes, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia said today it has captured the village of Levadne in southern Ukraine as it probes for weaknesses along the war ’s roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukraine’s total losses in the Kursk Region have exceeded 22,950 military personnel killed and wounded, the Russian Defense Ministry has said, adding that over the past 24 hours, Ukraine lost more than 300 servicemen. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 13  Zelenskiy says North Koreans fighting with Russians in Ukraine. From Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that defence relationships with his country’s partners would have to change in light of North Korean transfers of people as well as weapons to Russian forces in Ukraine. The Kremlin on Thursday . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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FROM OCT. 13  Ukraine’s human rights envoy urges response to alleged killings of Ukrainian POWs in Kursk. From AP. KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman urged international organizations Sunday to respond to a claim that several Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv had launched an incursion in August. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from Wafa, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from International Institute via ScheerPost; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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Occupaton’s air strikes claim the lives of five children in Gaza. From Wafa. GAZA — In a new Israeli massacre this evening, five children were killed and several others were injured by Israeli airstrikes targeting the western part of the Al-Shati (Beach) refugee camp, located north of Gaza City. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strikes kill a family of 8 in Gaza and destroy a century-old market in Lebanon, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on the central Gaza Strip killed a family of eight, Palestinian medical officials said today, as Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants in the territory’s north and airstrikes destroyed a century-old market in southern Lebanon. READ MORE . . . 

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Israeli tanks deepen their push into the northern Gaza Strip, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces widened their raid into northern Gaza, and tanks reached the north edge of Gaza City, pounding some districts of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood and forcing many families to leave their homes, residents said. READ MORE . . .

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Israel intensifies genocidal war in northern Gaza to impose displacement plan: Gaza government, by Nour Abuaisha | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine  The Gaza Media Office said today that the Israeli army is intensifying genocide in the northern Gaza Strip, including the Jabalia refugee camp, with “massacres and deliberate killings,” since its ground encroachment Oct. 6. READ MORE . . .

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Nicaragua cuts diplomatic ties with Israel in support of Palestine. From Middle East Monitor. Nicaragua said Friday it cut diplomatic ties with Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people, Anadolu reports. The government said all diplomatic relations with Israel were severed after a unanimous decision by the National Assembly. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 12  As Israel strikes Hezbollah targets, Lebanese civilians are being displaced. Reported byMichael Levitt and Rob Schmitz | NPR  Sarah Al-Charif, founding director of the Ruwwad Al-Tanmeya NGO, talks about the displacement that people there are experiencing as a result of Israeli strikes. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

 

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

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Russia says captured another east Ukrainian village near key town. From AFP. Russia today said it has captured another east Ukrainian village as it closes on the important city of Pokrovsk, where its forces have been advancing for weeks. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 12  Zelenskiy says Ukrainian forces holding positions in Russia’s Kursk region. From Reuters. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Russian forces had tried to oust Ukrainian troops from positions in Russia’s Kursk border region, but that Kyiv’s forces were holding their lines. READ MORE . . .

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Situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 300 servicemen and seven tanks in the Kursk Region over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said today.  READ MORE . . .

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Defense minister confirms more weapons pledges, arms production after foreign visit. From the Kyiv Independent.  A meeting with Western defense partners yielded “concrete results” for Ukraine,  Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said today. He visited counterparts from . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian POWs reportedly stripped naked, shot in Russia’s Kursk Region. From Kyiv Post. Russian troops have allegedly shot nine Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia’s Kursk region after they surrendered. Open-source intelligence DeepState, citing . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to 12 reports: from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.)  – MCM

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Hezbollah says launched drone attack on base in north Israel’s Haifa. From AFP. Hezbollah said today it launched a drone attack on a military base in north Israel’s Haifa a day earlier. READ MORE . . .

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The new U.S. strategy on the Lebanon conflict: Let it play out, by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk | Reuters  WASHINGTON — After weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants, the United States has settled on an altogether different approach: let the unfolding conflict in Lebanon play out. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli military renews orders for Palestinians to leave northern Gaza. From AP. The Israeli military today renewed its orders for Palestinian in the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes and shelters as troops press on a weeklong offensive against militants. In Lebanon, authorities said Friday that 60 people were killed and 168 wounded in the past 24 hours . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 11  Israeli strike on a Beirut apartment building kills 22 people. Reported by Jane Arraf | NPR  An Israeli strike leveled an apartment building in central Beirut Thursday night, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 100.. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for a report today from NPR.

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FROM OCT. 11  Israeli forces kill 2 Lebanese soldiers and 2 UN peacekeepers in new, separate strikes, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — An Israeli airstrike killed two Lebanese soldiers and wounded three on Friday, Lebanon’s military said, just hours after the Israeli military fired on the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, injuring two of them for the second day in a row. The incidents . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel is expected to launch retaliatory strikes against Iran for its missile attack. Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR  Israel is weighing its options in retaliation for Iran’s latest missile attack. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 11  Hezbollah forges new command for crucial ground war after heavy Israeli blows, by Laila Bassam, Tom Perry and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  BEIRUT  Hezbollah is preparing for a long war of attrition in south Lebanon, after Israel wiped out its top leadership, with a new military command directing rocket fire and the ground conflict, two sources familiar with its operations said. It has been diminished by . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 11  How did Hezbollah get its start? Breaking down the history of Hezbollah. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about how the Iran-backed militant and political group got its start in the 1980s. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 10  UN-backed experts say Israel is destroying Gaza’s health sector and both sides have tortured people,by Joseph Krauss| AP  A U.N. commission on Thursday accused Israel of destroying Gaza’s health care system through “relentless and deliberate attacks” in its yearlong war with Hamas and said that Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages have been tortured and sexually abused. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 11  UN: Gaza home to largest number of amputee children in modern history. From Middle East Monitor. Gaza is home to the largest number of amputee children in modern history, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday. Click HERE for report and video clip.

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FROM OCT. 11  Gaza’s cultural and religious heritage lies in ruins after a year of attacks by Israel, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  The devastation of Israel’s war on Gaza has not spared the besieged strip’s cultural heritage and museums, mosques, churches, and archaeological sites have been destroyed or heavily damaged. As of September, Unesco . . . READ MORE . . .

 

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

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Ukraine, Russia say foiled dozens of drone attacks. From AFP. Russia and Ukraine traded attacks overnight, with Russian officials saying today that Ukrainian drone strikes had killed one person in the Belgorod border region. Russia said it had downed 47 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukraine reported it . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s ‘Venice’ in Danube delta faces relentless Russian drone attacks, by Iryna Nazarchuk | Reuters  Vylkove, a small tourist and resort town, sits at the mouth of the Danube, and like in Italy’s Venice, canals replace roadways and boats replace automobiles for local residents. State border guards say the only method to prevent regular Russian drone attacks I . . . READ MORE . . .

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Shahed drones may be built in occupied areas of Ukraine. From Kyiv Post. Kyiv’s Center for National Resistance said Friday that Moscow has tasked the Kremlin appointed authorities in Ukraine’s occupied territories to investigate the use of seized factories and enterprises for the production of Shahed/Geran kamikaze drones. According to the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian recruiters descend on Kyiv’s nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription, by Samya Kulab  and Elise Morton | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, local media reported today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 11  Zelenskyy appeals to allies to keep up aid as Germany pledges new weapons package, by Gier Moulson and Hanna Arhirova | AP  BERLIN — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday it’s important that allies’ aid to Ukraine doesn’t decrease next year as he received a pledge of a new weapons package from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a European tour meant to win backing for his “victory plan” aimed at ending the war with Russia. Zelenskyy arrived in Berlin after stops Thursday in  . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Reuters report.

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FROM OCT. 11  Jet fuel fire at Crimea oil terminal extinguished 5 days after Ukraine strike. From the Moscow Times.  A jet fuel fire at a major oil terminal in the port city of Feodosia in Russian-annexed Crimea has been put out five days after Ukrainian missile strikes there, its Russian-installed Mayor Igor Tkachenko said Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 11  Ukraine braces for winter freeze amid potential Russian strikes targeting nuclear power, by Dominic Culverwell | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine is set to face its toughest winter since the start of the full-scale invasion as Russia eyes cutting off its nuclear power after already bombing out capacity from half of its electricity generation sector in large-scale air strikes. READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to two reports from National Public Radio, and to commentary from Consortium News; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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FROM OCT. 10  People under Israeli siege plea for help in Gaza, U.S. says conditions ‘must change.’ Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  Suggested web headline: People under Israeli siege plea for help in Gaza, US says conditions “must change” Critical aid lifelines have been cut to north Gaza as Israeli forces besiege the area and order hospitals shut, prompting U.S. concerns about Israel’s endless military operations there. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 10  DOJ silent as families of Americans killed in West Bank and Gaza demand it investigate. Reported by Ryan Lucas and Daniel Estrin | NPR  The Justice Department vowed to investigate the deaths of Americans killed in the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel. But four families of U.S. citizens who say they were killed in the West Bank and Gaza by Israelis argue DOJ isn’t investigating their loved ones’ deaths.. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 10  IDF in ‘outrageous threat’ to Irish UN troops in Lebanon, by Mick Hall |  Special to Consortium News   An Irish-Israeli diplomatic crisis has been defused after Israel withdrew its invasion force from firing positions metres from a U.N. post in south Lebanon staffed by Irish peacekeepers. Irish President Michael D. Higgins . . . READ MORE . . .

 

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

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FROM OCT. 10  Ukraine’s Zelenskyy city-hops across Europe promoting ‘victory plan’ to allies, by Jill Lawless | AP  PARIS  — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was city-hopping across Europe on Thursday to promote a “victory plan” that he said “aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war” against Russia, detailing the proposals to European allies after a scheduled summit involving U.S. President Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Reuters report.

For today, links to eleven reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, the Anadolu Agency, and (via ScheerPost) Democracy Now!, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor and Consortium News; other published matter is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli strike kills 28 people sheltering in a school in central Gaza, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — An Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in central Gaza killed at least 28 people, including women and children, on Thursday, while three hospitals in the north were told to evacuate putting patients’ lives at risk, medics say. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and AFP.

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Lebanon: Israeli forces shoot at UN peacekeepers, wounding two, by Alex MacDonald | Middle East Eye  Two UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have been wounded by Israeli fire, the mission said today, as Israel’s military ground operations in the country continued. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AFP.

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How a year of war in Gaza has spilled into the West Bank. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  A look at the Israeli-occupied West Bank in the year since the Oct. 7 attacks and an increase in violence against Palestinians by both Israeli settlers as well as the military. Click HERE to listen and read.

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On the Lebanon border with Israel the sound of explosions persist. Reported by Eyder Peralta and Michel Martin | NPR  Israel says its ground operations into Lebanon are limited, targeted raids. In Marjayoun, a town on Lebanon’s border with Israel, rocket fire and raids backed by airstrikes haven’t let up. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 9  U.S. calls out Israel at UN for ‘catastrophic conditions’ in Gaza, by Michelle Nichols | Reuters — UNITED NATIONS — Israel needs to address urgently “catastrophic conditions” among Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip and stop “intensifying suffering” by limiting aid deliveries, its ally the United States told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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FROM OCT. 9  Al Jazeera exposes war crimes filmed by Israeli troops themselves. Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh of Democracy Now! talk with Gaza-based correspondent Youmna ElSayed of Al Jazeera and Richard Sanders, director of Al Jazeera’s new documentary film, “Gaza,” based in part on audio-video material recorded by Israeli soldiers. Click HERE for introduction, excerpts from the film, and transcript of interview.

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FROM OCT. 9  Conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah threaten Netanyahu’s grip on power. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  In 1996, Israel voted in prime minister Benjamin Netanyah as it battled Hamas and Hezbollahu. Nearly 30 years later, Netanyahu’s own grip on power is threatened over fights with the same two groups. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Netanyahu preaches to the world as if it is a basic human right to commit genocide, by Ramona Wadi | Middle East Monitor  On the first anniversary of the cross-border incursion on 7 October 2023 and the start of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, all that the UN can boast of can be summed up in one word . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 8  The fall of Israel, by Scott Ritter | Special to Consortium News  The Hamas-Israeli conflict has morphed into a conflict between Israel and the so-called axis of resistance involving Hamas, Hezbollah, Ansarullah (the Houthi of Yemen), the Popular Mobilization Forces, i.e. militias of Iraq, Syria and Iran. It is a regional war in every . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Ukraine confirms strike on Russian airbase in North Caucasus housing Su-34, Su-27 jets, by Martin Fornusek and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Ukrainian forces carried out a successful strike against Russia’s Khanskaya military airfield in the Adygea Republic, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed today shortly after Adygea Republic authorities . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s military says it struck airfield in Russia’s North Caucasus. From Reuters KYIV — The Ukrainian military said today it had struck an ammunition depot overnight at an airfield in Russia’s Adygeya region in the North Caucasus, about 450 km (280 miles) from the frontline in eastern Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Death toll rises to eight in Russian missile attack on Odesa port. From Kyiv Post. The death toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine‘s southern Odesa has risen to eight, according to Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration. Initially, six people . . . READ MORE . . .

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Unfolding situation in Kursk Region. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops repelled two enemy attacks in the Lyubimovka and Kamyshevka area and five Ukrainian military personnel have surrendered as prisoners of war, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 9  U.S. believes Ukraine can hold Russian territory for months, by Natalia Drozdiak and Anthony Capaccio | Bloomberg  The U.S. assesses that Ukraine will be able to hold onto the territory its forces have claimed in Russia’s Kursk region for at least several months if not longer, according to senior American officials. READ MORE . . .  

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Crimea oil depot burns 3 days after Ukraine strike. From the Moscow Times. A major oil terminal in the city of Feodosia in Russian-annexed Crimea was still burning three days after Ukrainian missile strikes, media reported Wednesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 9  Macron inspects Ukraine troops at a French military camp  ahead of a meeting with Zelenskyy, by Sylvie Corbet | AP  A FRENCH MILITARY BASE, FRANCE — French President Emmanuel Macron inspected the training of Ukrainian troops at a military camp in eastern France on Wednesday, a show of support a day before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travels to Paris as part of a European tour meant to encourage support for his victory plan. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 9  Zelenskiy awaits new summit date after Biden postpones Germany trip, by Miranda Murray and Sabine Siebold | Reuters  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he expected a new date for a summit of key allies to be agreed soon following the postponement of a planned gathering in Ramstein, Germany, because U.S. President Joe Biden was unable to join. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, a link to commentary from Substack; and a link to a report from an institute at Brown University; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli offensive in hard-hit northern Gaza kills dozens and threatens hospitals, by Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A large-scale Israeli operation in northern Gaza has killed dozens of people and threatens to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said today. Heavy . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Hezbollah reports clashes with Israeli troops along Lebanese border, by James Mackenzie and Maya Gebeily | Reuters  JERUSALEM / BEIRUT  —Hezbollah said today its fighters had pushed back advancing Israeli troops in clashes along the length of the border, a day after Israel said it had killed two successors to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant movement’s slain leader. READ MORE . . .

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U.N. to keep peacekeepers in southern Lebanon despite Israel’s ground operation. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  There are around 10,000 U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon. The U.N. says they will remain at their posts in southern Lebanon — even as Israel conducts ground operations against Hezbollah. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM OCT. 8  A view from the ground: Monday’s intense strikes in Gaza. Reported by Anas Baba | NPR  Monday marked one year since the war between Israel and Hamas began. It was also a day that saw some of the most intense strikes in Gaza in the last year. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 8  A year in the life of a mom and baby from Gaza. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  Raneem Hijazi was eight months pregnant when an Israeli airstrike hit the apartment where she lived, killing her son and seven family members. She delivered her daughter via C-section shortly after. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM OCT. 8  Gaza after a year of war, by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  Last week Al Jazeera released “Investigating War Crimes in Gaza.” The 81-minute documentary is a searing indictment of the treatment of those who always suffer most in war—women and children—during Israel’s retaliation for the horrid murders Hamas inflicted inside Israel a year ago this week. READ MORE . . .

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FROM OCT. 7  U.S. spending on Israel’s military operations and related U.S. operations in the region from Oct. 7, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, by Linda J. Bilmes, William D. Hartung, and Stephen Semler | Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University  In just one year, the U.S. has spent at least $22.76 billion on military aid to Israel and related U.S. operations in the region (through Sept. 30). This was true, even before . . . READ MORE . . .