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

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U.S.-built pier in Gaza is facing its latest challenge — whether the UN will keep delivering the aid, by Ellen Knickmeyer and Edith M. Lederer | AP  WASHINGTON — The U.S.-built pier to bring food to Gaza is facing one of its most serious challenges yet — its humanitarian partner is deciding if it can safely and ethically keep delivering supplies arriving by the U.S. sea route to starving Palestinians. The United Nations paused its work with the pier after . . . READ MORE . . .

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In northern Gaza, starved families survive on bread alone, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — In the north of the Gaza Strip where Palestinians have been hit hardest by hunger, residents say acute shortages of vegetables, fruit and meat means they are surviving on bread alone. Food that can be found in the market is being sold at exorbitant prices, they said . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for a report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM JUNE 13  Israelis and Palestinians are hopeful but cautious over the latest cease-fire proposal, by Tia Goldenberg and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  TEL AVIV — A proposed cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas is raising hopes that eight months of fighting could soon come to an end. Here is a look at the hopes, fears and expectations of some in the region as the sides . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 13  Why hasn’t there been a Palestinian state? Reported by Jackie Northam | NPR   Why is there no Palestinian state, despite so many states recognizing it? Daniel Levy, current president of the U.S./Middle East Project, and John Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies weigh in. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 13  Will the generational divide on support for Israel impact the presidential election? Reported by Marc Rivers, Ashley Brown and Sacha Pfeiffer | NPR President Biden faces waning support with voters under age 30, but his performance with older Americans is stronger. The generational split comes amid increased criticism for his response to the war in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to eight reports from Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, and Wafa; 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 thrust deeper into Rafah as diplomacy falters, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli tanks advanced deeper into the western area of Rafah, amid one of the worst nights of bombardment from air, ground, and sea, forcing many families to flee their homes and tents under darkness, residents said today. Residents said . . . READ MORE . . .

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More than 80% of people in Gaza have been displaced from their homes, Mercy Corps says. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Arnaud Quemin, Middle East director of Mercy Corps, about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel reportedly hits Gaza safe zone as ceasefire discussions persist. From Middle East Eye. Israel has launched land, sea and air strikes on al-Mawasi, a designated safe zone in Gaza, according to Palestine’s Wafa news agency. The Israeli army denied carrying out any strikes in the area where thousands of Palestinians are taking shelter. Wafa also . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. scrambles to prevent Israel-Hezbollah war. From Middle East Monitor. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has grown increasingly alarmed about the potential for an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as violence between the two has escalated in recent days. U.S. officials are said . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. national security adviser says Israel stands behind cease-fire proposal. From AP. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan today pushed back against . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 12  8 months into the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. still aims to end the fighting. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Steve Inskeep | NPR  The U.S. is pushing what it calls an Israeli “roadmap” to wind down the war in Gaza, but the plan is still far from being endorsed — even by Israel. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Accumulated waste in Gaza poses ‘catastrophic’ environmental, health risks: UN agency. From AA. ANKARA — The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned today of “catastrophic” environmental and health risks in the Gaza Strip amid an accumulation of waste in populated areas in the battered enclave. READ MORE . . .

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Death toll in Gaza rises to 37,232 as Israel continues its aggression. From Wafa. GAZA — The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s deadly aggression against the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has now surged to 37,232, medical sources said today. Sources added that at least 85,037 others have also been injured . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Moscow Exchange halts dollar, euro trade after new U.S. sanctions. From the Moscow Times. The Moscow Exchange today suspended trading in dollars and euros after it was sanctioned by the United States in a new raft of restrictions aimed at hindering Russia’s ability to wage war in Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday. . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 12  U.S. widens sanctions against Russia over Ukraine invasion. From AFP. The United States on Wednesday announced a raft of new sanctions aimed at constraining Moscow’s ability to wage war on Ukraine while raising the stakes for foreign banks that still do business with Russia The Treasury and State departments’ sanctions impacted more than 300 targets, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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UK announces new Russia sanctions as G7 summit kicks off, by Helen Corbett | PA / AOL  PUGLIA, Italy — The UK has announced it will target ships in Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet with new sanctions to support Ukraine as part of co-ordinated action with G7 partners. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also . . . READ MORE . . .

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G7 leaders agree to lend Ukraine billions backed by Russia’s frozen assets. Here’s how it will work, by Fatima Hussein | AP  WASHINGTON — Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed to engineer a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine in its fight for survival that would use interest earned on profits from Russia’s frozen central bank assets as collateral. Details  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Medvedev urges to turn life in West into ‘permanent nightmare’ in response to sanctions. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia should get biblical with its response to Western sanctions by turning life in the West into a “permanent nightmare” and inflicting maximum damage on unfriendly countries, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said. READ MORE . . .

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Can seized Russian assets help pay for Ukraine aid? Reported by Deepa Shivaram | NPR  Western leaders have agreed to the concept of using the interest from frozen Russian financial assets to help support Ukraine fight Russia and rebuild after the lengthy war. But they’re . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Ukraine hits Russia’s newest communication station for first time, military says, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces attacked Russia’s newest R-416GM digital radio relay communication station for the first time since the beginning of the all-out war, the military said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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Russia’s strikes pound Ukrainian army, equipment in 103 areas over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops struck Ukrainian army units and military hardware in 103 areas over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement.. . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary from PassBlue via ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Blinken says some of Hamas’ proposed changes to a cease-fire plan in Gaza are workable and some not, by Bassem Mroue and Jack Jeffrey | AP  BEIRUT — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that the war in Gaza would go on after Hamas proposed “numerous” changes to a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan, some that he said were “workable” and some not. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas seeking U.S. guarantees over Gaza ceasefire plan: report. From Middle East Eye. Hamas wants written guarantees from the United States for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip in order to sign off on a US-backed truce proposal, two Egyptian security sources said. Mediators Qatar and Egypt said . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 11  Blinken at Gaza aid conference in Jordan. Reported by Jane Arraf and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pushing a U.S. truce “roadmap” at a regional aid conference in Jordan. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israeli attacks kill 38 more Gazans, death toll surpasses 37,200, From AA.  ANKARA — At least 38 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, pushing up the overall death toll to 37,202 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said today. “Many people are still trapped under . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza families desperate for water with no relief in sight, by Mahmoud Issa | Reuters  GAZA — It is not only the ever-present danger from Israeli bombardment or ground fighting that makes life a trial for Gaza’s Palestinian civilians. READ MORE . . .

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MEMO launches Ilan Pappe’s book Lobbying for Zionism, by Nasim Ahmed | MEMO  Middle East Monitor, in collaboration with the Cordoba Foundation and One World Publications, today hosted the launch of renowned Israeli historian Prof. Ilan Pappe’s latest book Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic at an event in London. READ MORE . . .

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The U.S. presidential candidates’ UN and foreign policy stances, by Laura E. Kirkpatrick | PassBlue / ScheerPost   On Nov. 5, American voters will choose their 47th president. Combined, the likely candidates, Joe Biden, a Democrat and the incumbent, and Donald Trump, a Republican former president and a recently convicted felon, have run seven times for the country’s highest political office. Though attracting little poll support, Robert Kennedy Jr., an independent . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to seven reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, the Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, and the Kyiv Independent, and to commentary from PassBlue via ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia fires more missiles and drones at Ukraine ahead of diplomatic efforts to stop the war, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russian forces fired missiles and drones at the Kyiv region and five other areas of Ukraine in a nighttime attack, officials said today, ahead of several days of intense diplomatic activity around the war. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 29 out of 30 air targets, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian air attacks cause industrial facility fire in Kyiv region, injure several. From Reuters. KYIV — Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine early today, causing a fire at an industrial facility, damaging residences and injuring several people across six regions, local authorities said. Ukrainian military said it shot down five out of six . . . READ MORE . . .

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Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts defeat on two Ukrainian military brigades. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr has inflicted a defeat on two brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions, with the enemy’s losses amounting to 80 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. to send second Patriot missile system to Ukraine. From Kyiv Post. The United States will soon send a second battery of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system to Ukraine, the New York Times reports, citing senior American officials. The officials said the Patriot system will be transferred from Poland, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian barrage leaves Kyiv residents without power and water, by Anastasiia Malenko | Reuters  KYIV — Ukrainian authorities say the Russian spring attacks have taken out about half of the country’s generation capacity – 9,000 out of 18,000 Mwh — and that they have caused long-term damage that may mean power cuts for years to come. Some Kyiv residents . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia has destroyed half of Ukraine’s energy production. How is the country coping? Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  The U.S. and Europe have pledged nearly $2 billion in aid for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has been devastated by Russian strikes. That damage has caused rolling blackouts. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Inside Ukraine’s prison recruitment efforts to bolster front-line troops, by Alexander Khrebet | The Kyiv Independent  ZHYTOMYR and KYIV OBLASTS — New Ukrainian legislation allowing military service for prisoners convicted of certain felonies, including manslaughter, offers a unique opportunity: parole in exchange for . . . READ MORE . . .

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The U.S. presidential candidates’ UN and foreign policy stances, by Laura E. Kirkpatrick | PassBlue / ScheerPost   On Nov. 5, American voters will choose their 47th president. Combined, the likely candidates, Joe Biden, a Democrat and the incumbent, and Donald Trump, a Republican former president and a recently convicted felon, have run seven times for the country’s highest political office. Though attracting little poll support, Robert Kennedy Jr., an independent . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Israeli Premier Netanyahu committed to Biden-backed Gaza cease-fire proposal, Blinken says. From Anadolu Agency. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “reaffirmed his commitment” to a Gaza cease-fire proposal during their meeting on Monday evening. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas says it accepts UN-backed Gaza truce plan, U.S. cites ‘hopeful  sign,’ by Daphne Psaledakis and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  TEL AVIV / CAIRO — Hamas accepts a U.N. resolution backing a plan to end the war with Israel in Gaza and is ready to negotiate details, a senior official of the Palestinian militant group said today in what the U.S. Secretary of State called “a hopeful sign”. Conversations . . . READ MORE . . .

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NEWER  U.S. to give $404 mn in new aid to Palestinians: Blinken. From AFP. SWEIMEH. Jordan — Secretary of State Antony Blinken today announced $404 million in new U.S. assistance for the Palestinians, as he urged other countries including U.S. critics also to give money to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Announced at an emergency aid conference. . . READ MORE . . .  

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UN says Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups may have committed war crimes in a deadly raid, by Jamey Keaten | AP  GENEVA — The U.N. human rights office is citing possible war crimes by Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in connection with a deadly raid by Israeli forces that freed four hostages over the weekend and killed hundreds of Palestinians. The expressed concerns include possible violations of rules of proportionality, distinction and precaution by . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 10   World Food Programme pauses use of U.S. aid pier in Gaza due to Israeli attacks, by Sharon Zheng | Truthout / ScheerPost  The UN food program has been forced to pause aid shipments through the U.S. military’s “humanitarian aid” pier in Gaza after its warehouses came under attack amid Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in Nuseirat on Saturday, the agency announced Sunday as it warned that famine is looming in Gaza. UN World Food Programme . . . READ MORE . . .

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UNRWA says more than half of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed. From Middle East Monitor. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said on Monday that more than half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed by Israeli attacks since 7 October last year, Anadolu has reported. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 10  UN Security Council adopts a cease-fire resolution aimed at ending Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, by Edith M. Lederer | AP  UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Monday overwhelmingly approved its first resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan aimed at ending the eight-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The U.S.-sponsored resolution . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM JUNE 10  U.S. Ambassador to U.N. on the Security Council’s vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. Reported by Noah Caldwell, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Ari Shapiro | NPR  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield gives her perspective on the dynamics between the United Nations, governments of the United States, and Hamas. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 10  The U.S. effort to push a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Reported by Daniel Estrin, Michele Kelemen and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  The three of them discuss some of what’s going on, includingaspects from other countries in the region, the United Nations, and U.S. and Israeli politics. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 10  Biden’s two wars. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have become defining issues for President Biden. Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic magazine, Stephen Walt of the Harvard Kennedy School, and Matthew Kroenig of the Atlantic Council talk about it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinians are living their lives — anxiously. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Palestinians living in Ramallah, the West Bank’s largest city, say they are trapped, unable to travel because of settler violence and checkpoints. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah, on it border with Lebanon, is intensifying. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Rob Schmitz | NPR  The low-level war between Israel and Lebanon is ramping up, with cross border rocket fire and emptied towns. There are fears that it could lead to a major conflagration. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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

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U.S. lifts ban on sending weapons to a controversial Ukrainian military unit. From AP. KYIV — The U.S. has lifted a ban on providing American weapons and training to a controversial Ukrainian military unit that was key to the defense of the major port city of Mariupol, the State Department said today. Washington had banned the Azov Bridade regiment from . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky says Russia destroyed half of Ukraine’s energy capacity. From the Moscow Times. Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid have destroyed half of its electricity generation capacity since the winter, leading to scheduled power outages and regular blackouts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today. He also urged allies to supply more air defense systems, saying. . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine wants to restore energy facilities damaged by Russia by winter with allied help, Zelensky says at Berlin conference, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine could some of its restore energy facilities damaged by Russia before winter with the help of its allies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said today. He stressed the need for air defenses to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kharkiv mayor says striking Russia has helped to calm embattled city, by John O’Donnell | Reuters  BERLIN — Ukraine’s army has struck missile launch positions in Russia, helping to reduce the number of attacks on the embattled city of Kharkiv, its mayor said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia’s Battlegroup West liberated the settlement of Artyomovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and the settlement of Timkovka in the Kharkov Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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The ‘duped’ Sri Lankans fighting in Russia’s Ukraine war. From AFP. When Sri Lanka’s economy crashed in 2022, people sought work abroad wherever they could find it — including ex-soldiers who joined forces fighting in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. Colombo’s parliament set up an inquiry last month to track at least 2,000 battle-hardened Sri Lankans who reportedly enlisted on both sides of the Ukraine war, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 10  Biden’s two wars. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have become defining issues for President Biden. Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic magazine, Stephen Walt of the Harvard Kennedy School, and Matthew Kroenig of the Atlantic Council talk about it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 10  Using Ukraine since 1948, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  The United States has for nearly 80 years seen Ukraine as the staging ground for its once covert and increasingly overt war with Russia. After years of warnings, and after talk since 2008 of . . . READ MORE . . .

For now, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor; 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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Blinken in Middle East to push ceasefire while Israeli troops advance, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Daphne Psaledakis | Reuters  CAIRO — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Egypt and Israel today hoping to deliver the ceasefire that President Joe Biden proposed last month, in an all-out push by Washington to secure an end to the Gaza war. Both sides have doubled down on hardline positions that . . . READ MORE . . .

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From JUNE 9  Centrist Benny Gantz is quitting Israel’s war Cabinet, citing frustrations with Netanyahu, by Melanie Lidman | AP   JERUSALEM — Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of mismanaging the war effort and putting his own “political survival” over . . . READ MORE . . .

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Benny Gantz, longtime Netanyahu rival, resigns from Israel’s war cabinet.  Rob Schmitz of NPR speaks with Nimrod Goren, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, about the resignation of former defense minister Benny Gantz from Israel’s war cabinet. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 9  Benny Ganz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, has resigned. Reported by Scott Detrow and Daniel Estrin | NPR Benny Gantz, a centrist and a political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Netanyahu of not forming a strategy to replace Hamas in Gaza. Now he’s calling for Israel to . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Hamas video allegedly depicts three captives killed by Israel, including U.S. citizen.  From Middle East Eye.  Hamas’ military wing claimed in a video on Sunday that Israeli forces killed three captives, including a U.S.citizen, in Saturday’s military operation in central Gaza that resulted in the deaths of at least 276 Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. officials discuss negotiating with Hamas to free American hostages. From Middle East Monitor. U.S. officials have discussed the possibility of arranging a unilateral agreement with Hamas to secure the release of five American captives in Gaza if the ongoing negotiations with Israel for a ceasefire fail, Anadolu Agency reports. Such negotiations . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED