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

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Ukraine’s air force may keep some F-16 warplanes abroad to protect them from Russian strikes, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukraine may keep some of the F-16 fighter jets it’s set to receive from its Western allies at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes, a senior Ukrainian military officer said today. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky denies Russian foothold in Ukraine’s Sumy region. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today denied Russian troops had captured a village in the northeastern Sumy region, where the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov previously claimed Moscow’s forces had advanced. READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims capture of southeast Ukraine village. From AFP. Russia today claimed the capture of a village in the south of the eastern Donetsk region. The defence ministry said its troops “continued to advance . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it hit Russian air defence systems in occupied Crimea. From Reuters. Ukraine’s military said today it damaged three Russian surface-to-air defence systems overnight in missile attacks on the Moscow-occupied Crimea peninsula. Ukraine’s general staff said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine blows up one S-400 Division, two S-300s in Crimea. From Kyiv Post. Kyiv struck a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile division in the Dzhankoy area and two S-300 anti-aircraft missile divisions overnight near Chornomorske and Yevpatoria in occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian military said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia uses submarines to patrol Black Sea after naval losses, military says, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Russia started using submarines to patrol the Black Sea after a number of ships were attacked by Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces and the Navy, said today. READ MORE . . .

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Meeting on Ukraine first step, all parties required for solution — Swiss MFA. From Tass. BERN — The conference on Ukraine in the resort of Burgenstock is just a first step; a long-term peaceful process requires the involvement of all parties, said Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. “If we are talking about a peace process . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian, Ukrainian ombudspersons visit 1,700 Russian, Ukrainian POWs. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Lubinets have mutually visited more than 1,700 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war, as follows from . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia uses submarines to patrol Black Sea after naval losses, military says, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Russia started using submarines to patrol the Black Sea after a number of ships were attacked by Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces and the Navy, said today. READ MORE . . .

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First it was turtle tanks, now Russian buggies and motorbikes get cope cages. From Kyiv Post. The success and fear of first-person view drones during the war in Ukraine has led to the appearance of so-called “cope cages” on the tanks and armored personal carriers of both sides, aimed at . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why Scott Ritter’s passport seizure is long overdue, by Saahil Menon | Kyiv Post  Moscow propagandists and Kremlin supporters in the West are having a field day with the disgraced former U.S. Marine and self-proclaimed Russophile’ travel problem on the way to St. Petersburg. Convicted pedophile . . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

For today, links to an interview from MintPress News, and to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and MintPress News, and to commentary from the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 6  FBI whistleblower exposes Israel’s chokehold on American politics. Mnar Adley of MintPress News talks with former FBI special agent turned whistleblower and peace activist Coleen Rowley about what she sees as fundamental realities underlying U.S. foreign policies. Click HERE for introduction and interview.

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Gaza’s Health Ministry says 274 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raid that rescued 4 hostages, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 274 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more were wounded in the Israeli raid that rescued four hostages held by Hamas, Gaza’s Health Ministry said today. The military said its forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel pounds central Gaza as Palestinian death toll in hostage rescue raid rises to 274, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israeli forces pounded central Gaza anew today, a day after killing 274 Palestinians during a hostage rescue raid, and tanks advanced into further areas of Rafah in a bid to seal off part of the southern city, residents and Hamas media said. Palestinians remained in shock over . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 8  Israeli forces rescue four hostages in ‘complex’ operation. Reported by Scott Detrow and Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  Israeli forces rescued four hostages from Gaza on Saturday, in a “complex special daytime operation,” according to a statement put out by Israeli officials. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 8  Former Israeli captive in Gaza says biggest fear was Israeli air strikes, by  Robert Inlakesh | MintPress News / Popular Resistance  In an interview with Israel’s Haaretz, a former Israeli soldier, 70, who was held captive in the Gaza Strip, said his biggest fear was the IDF planes — “that they would bomb the building we were in.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 7  The no-rules international order, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  The “rules-based international order” has always provided immunity for the United States and its close allies, an immunity whose hypocrisy has increasingly been revealed. It is this double-standard that has provoked the collapse of the U.S.-driven world order. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Tass, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, and the Kyiv Post, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine fully governed, sponsored by West — Russian security official. From Tass. MOSCOW — At this point, Ukraine is fully controlled, governed and sponsored by the United States and its NATO allies, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. “Ukraine? What is Ukraine? The present-day Ukraine is . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Ukraine said today its forces hit an ultra-modern Russian warplane stationed on an air base nearly 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front lines, after its Western allies allowed Kyiv to use their weapons for limited strikes inside Russia. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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In first, Ukraine fires drones at airfield in south Russia’s North Ossetia region. From AFP. Ukraine targeted the south Russian region of North Ossetia with drones for the first time ever on Saturday, causing minor damage, local authorities said. The drones were aimed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia targets 103 settlements in past day, civilians killed and injured, by Dominic Culverwell | The Kyiv Independent  Russia targeted 103 settlements and 93 infrastructure facilities in Ukraine over the last day, Ukraine’s Military Media Center reported today. In total, Russia attacked 10 oblasts in the south, east, and north of Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 8  German manufacturer to provide Ukraine with more helicopter protection systems, by Steve Brown | Kyiv Post  The German defense manufacturer Hensoldt issued a press release on June 5 announcing that it had received a new order for its Airborne Missile Protection System (AMPS) to equip Ukraine’s helicopters. READ MORE . . .

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Lavrov slams Paris’ claims about absence of French instructors in Ukraine as lies. From Tass. MOSCOW — The statements of the official Paris that there are no French instructors in Ukraine are nothing but lies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. “Look how our French colleagues . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 8  Scott Ritter and the liberal authoritarians, by Patrick Lawrence | Original to ScheerPost  Since the Russiagate fiasco began during the Clinton–Trump campaign season in 2016, the authoritarianism implicit in American liberalism from the first has burst upon us like some weird grotesque out of a Dr. Seuss book. READ MORE . . .

 

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

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NEWER  Israel rescues four hostages in Gaza; Hamas says 210 Palestinians killed in Israeli assault, by Maayan Lubell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Israeli forces rescued four hostages held by Hamas since October in a raid in Gaza today while over 200 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in the same area, according to Hamas officials, in one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults of the war. READ MORE . . .

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Israel rescues 4 hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. At least 94 Palestinians are killed, by  Sam Mednick, Jack Jeffrey and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel today carried out its largest hostage rescue operation since the war with Hamas began, taking four to safety out of central Gaza as heavy fighting continued there. At least 94 dead Palestinians, including children, were brought to local hospitals, a health official said. READ MORE . . .

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Israel says it has rescued 4 hostages from Central Gaza. Reported by Scott Simon and Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  Four hostages have been rescued from central Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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‘Our people will not surrender, resistance will continue,’ says Hamas political chief. From Middle East Monitor. The head of Hamas’ Political Bureau reaffirmed today that resistance forces would continue to defend Palestinian rights against Israel after attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, Ismail Haniyeh . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 7  Gaza baker flees Rafah with nearly 1 million other Palestinians. Reported by Anas Baba and Daniel Estrin | NPR  A professional baker in Gaza has been making cakes to celebrate life amid war. He fled an Israeli offensive in Rafah, along with nearly 1 million other Palestinians, and set up a makeshift bakery near a displaced persons camp. Click HERE to listen and read.

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

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Macron is hosting Biden for a state visit as the two leaders try to move past trade tensions, by Chris Megarian, Zeke Miller and Sylvie Corbet |  AP  PARIS — President Joe Biden is being feted by French President Emmanuel Macron with a state visit today, as the two allies aim to show off their partnership on global security issues and move past trade tensions. Biden and Macron met separately on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris — engagements . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden mentions Ukraine in a speech from the site of a historic D-Day battle. Reported by Tamara Keith and Scott Simon | NPR  President Biden is meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris today as part of a trip marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing in Normandy. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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In election campaign blow, UK’s Sunak apologises for leaving D-Day events early, by William James and Andrew Macaskill | Reuters  LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a new setback to his election campaign, apologised on Friday for leaving D-Day commemorations early to give an interview in which he attacked the main opposition party. The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, remained in Normandy and was seen talking to leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces attack 6 communities in Sumy Oblast, by Rachel Amran | The Kyiv Independent  Russian forces attacked six border areas and settlements of Sumy Oblast on Friday, firing 14 times and causing at least 54 explosions, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration said. The communities of Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Esman, Shalyhyne, Znob-Novhorodske, and Velyka Pysarivka were targeted. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine attacked airfield in south Russia: Defence source. From AFP. Ukraine was behind today’s drone attack on a military airfield in the south Russian region of North Ossetia, according to a military intelligence source in Kyiv. READ MORE . . .

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Ground drones – Ukrainian-Russian unmanned vehicles arms race heats up, by Steve Brown | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian and, increasingly, Russian milbloggers are posting videos depicting the appearance of unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) drones on the battlefield following on the success shown by Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and unmanned surface vessels (USV). The favorite subjects are so-called . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 7  Russia looking at all scenarios of special military operation — Putin. From Tass. ST. PETERSBURG — Russia is looking at all scenarios of the special military operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. “At some point, Russia will have to begin to be in a hurry,” he said. “We don’t ignore anything. We are looking at all scenarios,” he said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 7  D-Day 1944, E-Day 2024 and the advancement of global war, by Dennis Kucinich | The Kucinich Report  To keep the propaganda-cash machine churning, the U.S. State Department has confabulated a narrative, Russia = Nazis.  This dangerous equation requires not just historical amnesia, but a willful, wholly corrupt distortion of gargantuan proportions which . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to five reports from National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Substack 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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FROM JUNE 6  Israel used a U.S.-made bomb in a deadly UN school strike in Gaza. Reported by Daniel Estrin and Anas Baba | NPR  TEL AVIV / NUSEIRAT, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military made improper use of a U.S.-made bomb in a deadly airstrike Thursday, June 6, on a United Nations school compound in Gaza, according to current and former U.S. defense officials who analyzed an image of the bomb remnants documented by NPR at the site. The munition . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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EU urges independent investigation of Israel deadly attack on school-turned-shelter. From Middle East Monitor. The EU Foreign Policy chief today called for an independent investigation after dozens of people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports. Josep Borrell said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli forces batter central, south Gaza with renewed truce bid at impasse, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — With no sign of progress in mediators’ arduous efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Israeli tanks and warplanes . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strikes kill at least 18 in central Gaza a day after attack on UN-run school. From AP. Overnight Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza killed at least 18 people, including children, health officials said today. Strikes hit the Nuseirat and Maghazi refugee camps and Deir al-Balah and Zawaiyda towns, they said. READ MORE . . .

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Women and children of Gaza are killed less frequently as war’s toll rises, AP data analysis finds, by Josef Federman | AP  JERUSALEM — The proportion of Palestinian women and children being killed in the Israel-Hamas war appears to have declined sharply, an Associated Press analysis of Gaza Health Ministry data has found, a trend that both coincides with Israel’s changing battlefield tactics and contradicts . . . READ MORE . . .

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The ceasefire deal that wasn’t, by Seymour M. Hersh | Substack  There was no breakthrough offer of a “comprehensive new proposal” from Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders in Tel Aviv, as they would make clear  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Why Hamas cannot accept Israel’s ceasefire proposal, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  If anyone owns the daily carnage in Gaza being carried out by an angry and humiliated Israeli army, whose ranks are filled with religious settlers, it is . . . READ MORE . . .

 

For today, links to eight reports from the Associated Press, Tass, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Newsweek, followed by a March 2022 commentary from Consortium News and a related report from Newsweek and related commentary from an Australian observer; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Biden apologizes to Zelenskyy for monthslong congressional holdup to weapons that let Russia gain, by Christopher Megerian, Sylvie Corbet and Zeke Miller | AP  PARIS — U.S. President Joe Biden today for the first time publicly apologized to Ukraine for a monthslong congressional holdup in American military assistance that let Russia make gains on the battlefield. The apology . . . READ MORE . . .

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Biden announces additional $225 mln in assistance to Kiev. From Tass. PARIS — The U.S. will provide Ukraine with a new assistance package worth $225 million for rebuilding the country’s electric power capabilities, U.S. President Joe Biden said during a meeting in France with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says France seeks ‘direct’ role in Ukraine war. From AFP. French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statements are “inflaming” tensions in Europe and show he is readying France for a direct role in the Ukraine war, the Kremlin said today. The French leader has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine civilian death toll rises to highest in nearly a year, UN says. From Reuters. GENEVA — The civilian death toll in Ukraine last month rose sharply, to 174, which was the highest level in nearly a year amid an increase in missile and bomb strikes in populated areas around Kharkiv, the U.N. human rights office said today. READ MORE . . .

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Russia accuses Kyiv of using U.S. ATACMS missiles to hit civilian targets in Luhansk. From Reuters. MOSCOW — The Russian Defence Ministry today accused Ukrainian forces of firing five U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles at the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk in an attack it said had wounded 20 people, including children. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6  Ukraine orders evacuations from parts of Donetsk Region. From AFP. Ukraine on Thursday ordered the evacuation of children and their guardians from several towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, where fighting with Russian troops has intensified since Moscow launched a new ground offensive early last month. READ MORE . . .

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Series of explosions rock Russian-occupied Luhansk, partisans claim oil depot strike. From Kyiv Post. The guerrilla movement Atesh reported a series of explosions in Russian-occupied Luhansk and damage to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia claims Ukrainian missile strike on occupied Luhansk, partisans say oil depot hit, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  An oil depot was hit in a strike against Russian-occupied Luhansk to, and a fire broke out in the southern part of the city, Atesh partisans reported. Russian occupation authorities claimed . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 23, 2022  The Pentagon staved off war with Russia, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News  The Pentagon has been engaged in a consequential battle with the U.S. State Department and the Congress to prevent a direct military confrontation with Russia, which could unleash the most unimaginable horror of war. President Joe Biden is . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Newsweek article from March 2022, and HERE for commentary by Caitlin Johnstone of Australia from June 4.

 

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

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Israeli strike on UN school kills at least 40 in central Gaza, by Mohammed al-Hajjar and Nader Durgham | Middle East Eye  An Israeli strike on a UN-run school killed dozens of people in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, today. The school was reportedly housing thousands of displaced people, most of them women and children. At least 40 people were killed and 74 others wounded, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel launches new Gaza offensive as nationalists march in Jerusalem. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Michel Martin | NPR  Israel’s military says its air force is striking Hamas and its ground troops are operating in a limited manner. Some on the ground say the area has been pummeled with airstrikes and artillery. Click HERE to listen and, later, to read.

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Israeli strike kills at least 33 people at a Gaza school the military claims was being used by Hamas, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike early today on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza killed more than 30 people, including 23 women and children, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said that Hamas militants were operating from within the school. It was . . . READ MORE . . .

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Diminished Hamas switches to full insurgent mode in Gaza,  by Samia Nakhoul, Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay | Reuters WASHINGTON — Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel’s attempts to take control of Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters. The enclave’s . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 5  Gaza’s sick and malnourished children die as hospitals collapse from Israel’s war. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  A lethal combination of displacement, disease and malnutrition are killing Gaza’s children as they wither away without healthcare. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 5  USAID says it will send $90 million in aid to Gaza. Reported by Megan Lim , Tinbete Ermyas and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  The U.S Agency for International Development says it will be sending $90 million to aid Palestinians in Gaza. The announcement comes amid growing concerns of famine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 5  Israel edging to war with Hezbollah, army chief says. From Middle East Monitor.  As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies alongside the ongoing military onslaught on Gaza, Israeli officials are increasingly signalling their readiness for a full-scale offensive along the northern border with Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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

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Ukraine hits Russian oil facilities as President Zelenskyy joins leaders at D-Day events in France. From AP. Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a fuel depot in Russian border regions, officials in the targeted areas said today, in Kyiv’s ongoing effort to disrupt the Kremlin’s war machine and as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought further Western support in Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine drone strike halts operations at Russian oil refinery. From AFP. A Ukrainian drone attack started a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia, forcing it to halt operations, regional authorities said early today. Russia’s Defense Ministry said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin says Kyiv’s backers will face consequences after Putin says he may arm West’s enemies, by Dmitry Antonov and Andrew Osborn | Reuters  MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today that Western nations which supply Ukraine with weapons to directly strike Russian territory will definitely face consequences after President Vladimir Putin said he was considering arming the West’s enemies in retaliation. READ MORE . . .

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Putin warns that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets, by James Jordan and Harriet Morris | AP  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory. He also . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s strikes wipe out Ukrainian naval drone depot, UAV launch site — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian naval drone storage facility and an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) launch site over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. not authorizing strikes on Moscow, by Elsa Court and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Washington is not authorizing Kyiv to carry out long-range strikes with U.S.-supplied weapons on locations far from the border with Ukraine, such as Moscow, U.S. President Joe Biden said today. READ MORE . . .

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Drones destroy critical Russian tugboat near Crimea coast, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense reported via Telegram the destruction of a Russian Project 498 Saturn class tugboat critical to the transport of heavy military equipment and supplies from mainland Russia to the occupied Crimea peninsula. READ MORE . . .

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No talks until Ukraine stance changed: Putin tells Japan, by Riyaz ul Khaliq | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out resuming peace talks with Japan until Tokyo changes its stance on Ukraine. “Everything that . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to nine reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio, and to an article from the Kucinich Report; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

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Israel steps up military offensive in Gaza amid renewed truce efforts, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israel announced a new military campaign against Hamas in central Gaza today where Palestinian medics said dozens of people had been killed in airstrikes, complicating expected talks between mediators to try to finalise a ceasefire deal. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.

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Netanyahu says Israel prepared for ‘very intense operation’ on Lebanon border. From AFP.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel was “prepared for a very intense operation” along the border with Lebanon, where Israeli troops have exchanged near-daily fire with Hezbollah fighters. Almost eight months of exchanges . . . READ MORE . . .

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In a West Bank refugee camp, Israel’s raids fuel the militancy it tries to stamp out, by Jeffrey and Jalal Bwaitel | AP  NUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — An Israeli army raid in April set off a near three-day gun battle with Palestinian militants. By the time it was over, homes had been blasted to rubble and many residents had fled. The raid was more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away from Gaza in the . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  Gaza’s doctors were building a health system. Then came war. Reported by Maggie Fick, Ahmed Aboulenein and Saleh Salem | Reuters  Specialist doctors were part of a strategic effort by Hamas to build a self-sufficient health system for Gaza, from burn care to cancer diagnosis and kidney treatment, Gaza’s first health minister told Reuters. In the current war, 55 of them . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas signals post-war ambition in talks with Palestinian rival Fatah, by Ali Sawafta and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  RAMALLAH, West Bank — Deep divisions will limit progress at reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah this month, conversations with five sources in the groups indicate. The talks between Hamas and the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be held in China in mid-June, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  Families from north Gaza return home to scenes of devastation. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi | NPR  Israeli troops have withdrawn from the Jabalia refugee camp in north Gaza. The three-week offensive forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee. Now families are returning . . . Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 4  Slovenia becomes latest European country to recognize a Palestinian state after a parliamentary vote, by Ali Zerdin | AP  LJUBLJANA — Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move, following in the recent steps of three other European countries. The nation’s government . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  After publishing an article critical of Israel, Columbia Law Review’s website is shut down by board, by Jake Offenhartz | AP  NEW YORK — Student editors at the Columbia Law Review say they were pressured by the journal’s board of directors to halt publication of an academic article written by a Palestinian human rights lawyer that accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and upholding an apartheid regime. When . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 4  U.S. targets journalists who criticize administration’s foreign policy, by Dennis Kucinich | The Kucinich Report  Scott Ritter was pulled off a N.Y.-to-Istanbul flight yesterday by U.S. officials and his passport confiscated in a startling new development in the government’s open drive to censor and silence . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for related article from Kucinich.