Links to a report from National Public Radio and to an article from Biography.com; others 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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‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ Opal Lee discusses her work to solidify the holiday. Reported by Jordan-Marie Smith, William Troop and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  Opal Lee, an activist for the Juneteenth holiday who last month was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, talks about the holiday she worked hard to solidify. Click HERE to listen and read. Click HERE for related information from Biography.com.

For now, links to six reports from Reuters, Middle East Monitor, National Public Radio, the Anadolu Agency, and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (UKRAINE and JUNE 19 entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Israeli tanks push deeper into Rafah, forcing people to flee again, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones advanced deeper into the western part of the Gaza Strip city of Rafah today, killing eight people, according to residents and Palestinian medics. Residents said the tanks moved into five neighborhoods after midnight, and that heavy . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Middle East Monitor.

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Doctor urges U.S. to use its influence with Israel and Egypt to reopen Rafah crossing. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  A Palestinian American doctor says it’s now much harder to enter Gaza with medical supplies. He places blame on Israel, Egypt and the U.S. for failing to improve the humanitarian situation. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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U.S. Senator Warren declines to attend Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. From Anadolu Agency WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday said she will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on July 24 as he has “created a humanitarian catastrophe.” “He has also . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. troop numbers in Jordan surge to record high amid Gaza war.  From Middle East Eye.  The number of U.S. troops stationed in Jordan has soared to 3,813, a two-decade high amid Israel’s war on Gaza, according to a new congressional report. The U.S. troop levels there are higher than at any time since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah strikes military positions in northern Israel, by Yakoota Al Ahmad and Omer Erdem | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — The Lebanese Hezbollah group announced late Tuesday that it struck two military positions in northern Israel in response to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. The group said its fighters targeted the Balasan factory for military industries in Israel’s Sasa kibbutz with Falaq missiles. It also . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to six news reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse and the Kyiv Post, and to commentary from the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and JUNE 19 entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Russia and North Korea sign partnership deal that appears to be the strongest since Cold War, by Kim Tong-Hyung | AP  SEOUL — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, during a summit today that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West. READ MORE . . . Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, Tass, and AFP.

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U.S. arms giant Northrop Grumman to produce medium caliber ammo in Ukraine, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  A senior executive from the security and aerospace behemoth Northrop Grumman on Monday said his firm plans to fabricate ammunition in Ukraine, in the first open-source announcement by a major American arms producer of intent to manufacture munitions in the country. READ MORE . . .

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Washington allows Kiev to hit Russian troops near Sumy region with U.S. weapons — advisor. From Tass. WASHINGTON — The United States believes Kiev can use American weapons to hit Russian troops stationed on Russian territory on the border with Ukraine’s Sumy Region, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. An authorization to use U.S. weapons to strike the Russian territory, he told PBS, “extends to anywhere that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s peace summit falls short of engaging Global South — can Ukraine expand its coalition? by Nate Ostiller | The Kyiv Independent  While 92 countries participated in the peace summit on June 15 and 16, several key countries declined to ultimately sign a joint communique. Since the original document was released, three countries—Rwanda, Iraq, and Jordan—have seemingly withdrawn their signatures. Notably absent from the list of countries that signed the document were. . .. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and the Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from 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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Israeli forces deepen Rafah invasion, kill 17 in central camps, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli airstrikes today killed at least 17 Palestinians in two of the Gaza Strip’s historic refugee camps and Israeli tanks pushed deeper into the enclave’s southern city of Rafah, residents and medics said. Residents reported heavy bombardments from tanks and planes in . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 17  Israel to pause fighting from morning to evening along an aid corridor into Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Israel has announced a daily pause in combat along an aid corridor in Gaza, to increase the amount of aid getting to civilians at a critical point in the Israel-Hamas war. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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MBS: Gaza war must stop immediately. From Middle East Monitor. Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, stressed the urgent need to halt the war on Gaza immediately and called on the international community to recognise the State of Palestine within the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. The Saudi Press Agency reported . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 17  Israeli intelligence ignored warning of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack: report, by Abdelraouf Arnaout | Anadolu Agency  JERUSALEM — Israeli security authorities ignored an intelligence document last September that predicted the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, an Israeli state-run media outlet reported on Monday. Revealed by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the report . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why academic scholarship on Israel and Palestine threatens western elites, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  Since the 1980s, there has been a growing gap in the principal western countries between academic knowledge and the mainstream media when it comes to the Middle East, especially on the topic of Palestine and Israel. The gap . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports from the Associated Press, Tass, the Anadolu Agency, the Kyiv Independent, 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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Ukraine claims its drones hit a Russian oil facility, sparking a huge blaze, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukraine claimed responsibility today for an overnight drone attack on a Russian oil facility that started a massive blaze in the latest long-range strike by Kyiv’s forces on a border region. The attack set fire to an oil reservoir in Russia’s Rostov . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops wipe out Western-supplied equipment depot in Ukraine operation. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops destroyed a Western-supplied armament depot of the Ukrainian army over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. Russian troops “also . . . READ MORE . . .

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NATO allies increasing defense spending by 18% this year: Stoltenberg, by Servet Gunerigok | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — NATO allies are increasing their defense spending by 18% this year, marking the biggest increase in decades, the alliance’s secretary general said Monday. “And 23 allies . . . READ MORE . . .

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Media: Italy may send Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, sources say, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine may receive long-range Storm Shadow missiles from Italy, Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported today, citing its undisclosed sources. “A batch of” Storm Shadow missiles and another SAMP/T air defense system will reportedly . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 17  Russian official says Ukraine pouring troops into contested Kharkiv region. From Reuters.  A Russian official said on Monday that fighting was gripping parts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region which Moscow has been trying to seize and added that Ukraine’s military was pouring men and equipment into the contested area. . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 17  Ukraine’s international bond rework derailed as deadline nears, by Karin Strohecker and Libby George | Reuters  LONDON — Ukraine has not been able to reach an agreement with a group of bondholders over restructuring some $20 billion of international debt during formal talks, it said Monday, raising the spectre that the war-torn country might slip into default. Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said talks would continue and . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to five reports from the Associated Press, the Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, and Reuters, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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The war in Gaza has wiped out entire Palestinian families. AP documents 60 who lost dozens or more, by Sarah al Deeb | AP To a degree never seen before, Israel is killing entire Palestinian families, a loss even more devastating than the physical destruction and the massive displacement. An Associated Press investigation identified . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 16  9 Palestinians, including 6 children, killed in Israeli airstrike in central Gaza, by Mohammed Majed | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine — At least nine Palestinians, including six children, were killed and many others were injured on Sunday, the first day of Eid al-Adha, due to an Israeli airstrike on a house in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 16  Hamas chief says response to ceasefire proposal aligns with UN Security Council resolution. From Middle East Monitor.  The leader of Hamas’s Political Bureau on Sunday affirmed that his movement’s response to the ceasefire proposal aligns with the principles outlined in U.S. President Joe Biden’s speech and the UN Security Council resolution regarding the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported. READ MORE . . .

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The TikTok generation is seeing the truth about Israel’s war on Gaza, by Myriam François | Middle East Eye  Gaza is now likely to have the largest number of child amputees of any conflict in modern history. In January, Unicef estimated that around 1,000 children in Gaza had lost one or both their legs — quivalent to . . . READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to seven reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, Tass, the Anadolu Agency, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their name or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

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The war between Russia and Ukraine is set to grind on as a peace conference packs little punch, by Hanna Arhirova and Dasha Litvinova | AP  KYIV — Russia and Ukraine are set to remain locked in battle for the foreseeable future after an international gathering billed as a first step toward peace delivered no eye-catching diplomatic breakthrough that might suggest a coming end to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. The absence of Russia and China . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 16  Peace summit calls for dialogue with Russia, backs Ukraine’s ‘territorial integrity.’ From AFP.  Dozens of countries meeting for a landmark international summit on peace in Ukraine agreed Sunday that Kyiv should enter dialogue with Moscow on ending the war, while strongly supporting Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity. “We believe,” said a final communique, “that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Ukraine peace summit produced ‘zero’ results. From AFP.  Officials from more than 90 countries gathered in Switzerland between Saturday and Sunday, backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity but leaving key questions about how to end the war unanswered. “If we talk about the results of this meeting,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, “then they come down to zero.” READ MORE . . .

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Russian strike against Poltava Oblast injures 9, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  Russia launched an attack against the Poltava district today, hitting a civilian infrastructure site, reportedly injuring at least nine people, Governor Filip Pronin said. Several multi-story buildings . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops strike Ukrainian army, equipment in 110 areas over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops struck Ukrainian army units and military hardware in 110 areas over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

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Germany warns against easing up aid for Ukraine, by Oliver Towfigh Nia | Anadolu Agency  BERLIN — German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today warned of serious consequences for Germany and NATO if Ukraine is not adequately supported in its war against Russia. “If we don’t . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia tries to advance before Ukraine’s F-16s arrive, says Syrsky. From Kyiv Post. Russia is pressing hard against Ukrainian defenses “to maximize the depletion” of Ukrainian troops before the gradual arrival of Western aid—the F-16 multi-role fighters in particular—that might turn the war in Ukraine’s favor, said Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky. READ MORE . . .

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

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Israel’s army says it will pause daytime fighting along a route in southern Gaza to help ramp up aid, by Josef Federman, Wafaa Shurafa, and Julia Frankel | AP JERUSALEM — Israel’s military announced today that it would pause fighting throughout daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to free up a backlog of humanitarian aid deliveries destined for desperate Palestinians enduring a humanitarian crisis sparked by the war, now in its ninth month. The “tactical pause” applies to about 12 kilometers . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.   

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FROM JUNE 15  Eight Israeli soldiers killed as fighting continues in Rafah, by James Mackenzie and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military said, as forces continued to push in and around the southern city of Rafah and strikes hit several areas of Gaza, killing at least 19 Palestinians. The soldiers, all members of a combat engineering . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for June 15 report from AP.   

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

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Ukraine summit strives for consensus, way forward uncertain, by Thomas Escritt and Sabine Siebold | Reuters  BUERGENSTOCK, Switzerland Western powers and other nations pushed for a consensus on how to end the war in Ukraine at a Swiss summit today, but some countries may refuse to back its final conclusions and there was no clarity on whether future talks would involve Russia. . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  80 countries at Swiss conference agree territorial integrity of Ukraine must be basis of any peace, by Jamey Keaten | AP  OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland — Eighty countries today jointly called for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The joint communique capped . . . READ MORE . . .

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French president urges world to strengthen ‘fundamental principle’ of UN Charter amid war in Ukraine, by Nur Asena Erturk and Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — The French president today called on the international community to “strengthen the fundamental principle of the UN Charter on international law.” “Nobody in this room,” Emmanuel Macron told world leaders at the two-day Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort, is in war against Russia, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 15  Zelensky says will present peace plan to Russia once agreed. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he would present Moscow a proposal for ending the war once it had been agreed by the international community. He told the forum at an inaugural summit in Switzerland that he hoped it would lay the groundwork for a “just” and “lasting” settlement with Russia. READ MORE . . .

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Russian proposals not discussed at Swiss peace summit, Scholz says, by Kateryna Hodunova and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Group of Seven (G7) leaders did not entertain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace proposals for its war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during the Ukraine peace summit, the Guardian reported on Friday. Putin stipulated on June 14 that . . . READ MORE . . .

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About 20 NATO countries involved in conflict in Ukraine — lawmaker. From Tass ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — About twenty NATO member-countries are involved in the conflict in Ukraine, member of the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian legislative assembly, Sergey Tsekov said. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Norway gives $103mn to Ukraine to secure electricity. From AFP. Norway said today it would provide 1.1 billion kroner ($103 million) to Ukraine to help repair its energy infrastructure and secure the country’s electricity supply before next winter. “Russia is carrying out . . . READ MORE . . .

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Battlegroup Center improves tactical position in 24 hours — Russian Defense Ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Over the past 24 hours, units of Russia’s Battlegroup Center have improved their tactical position and defeated formations of three brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 15  World leaders join Ukraine summit in test of Kyiv’s peace push, by Thomas Escritt and Dave Graham | Reuters  BUERGENSTOCK, Switzerland — World leaders gathered at a Swiss Alpine resort on Saturday to seek broader consensus for Ukraine’s peace proposals at a summit shunned by China and dismissed as a waste of time by Russia, which pushed its own rival ceasefire plans from afar. More than 90 countries . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 15  Ukraine employs a flexible defense while waiting for new Western ammo to get to the front, by Samya Kullab | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian firepower has been improving since U.S. lawmakers approved a much-needed military aid package this spring, though not quickly enough to halt the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. Although the influx . . . READ MORE . . .

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War of words: Debunking the myth of ‘pro-war’ support for Ukraine, by Casey Christie | Kyiv Post  The absurdity of labeling politicians and countries that support Ukraine’s defense against Russia as “warmongers” or “pro-war” is laughable, yet . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, the Anadolu Agency, and Wafa, and to commentary from 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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FROM JUNE 14  U.S. is removing aid pier from Gaza coast again due to weather, officials say. From AP. The U.S.-built aid pier will be detached from Gaza’s coast for a second time due to rough seas, two U.S. officials said Friday, raising further questions about the viability of the sea route. Palestinians are facing widespread hunger because . . . READ MORE . . .

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Erdogan says Biden faces a test of sincerity in handling of the Gaza war. From Reuters. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said today that U.S. President Joe Biden is undergoing “a test of sincerity” in his handling of the Gaza war. He said Biden is expected to demonstrate that the Gaza ceasefire plan is not a calculated electoral tactic but a . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gallant attacks Macron: ‘Israel will not be party to trilateral framework proposed by France.’ From Middle East Monitor. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday attacked French President Emmanuel Macron after the latter announced on Thursday the formation of a committee with the participation of the U.S., France and Israel to discuss the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. On the other hand, high-ranking . . . READ MORE . . .

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UNICEF: Gaza’s children living in constant terror due to Israeli bombardment. From Wafa. GAZA — James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund, said today that it is abnormal for the children of Gaza to live in “constant terror due to Israeli bombardment.” Speaking . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘We should not lose sight of West Bank,’ says U.S. senator, by Diyar Guldogan | AA  WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has voiced concern about recent developments in the occupied West Bank, saying the Israeli premier is breaking international law in the Gaza Strip. “While the world is understandably focused on the destruction unfolding in Gaza, we . . . READ MORE . . .

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Blinken is dragging the U.S. ever deeper into Israel’s quagmire, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  It takes a lot to get the diplomats of the Middle East to agree on anything. The behaviour of one man over the last eight months of the war in Gaza has, however, forged a consensus rare among such a group. READ MORE . . .