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

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Heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza City forces medical facilities to close as thousands flee, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Heavy Israeli bombardment shook Gaza City today as thousands of fleeing Palestinians searched for shelter and medical facilities were forced to shut down in the latest offensive in the territory’s north. Israel’s new . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Egypt, U.S., Israel spy chiefs to attend Gaza truce talks in Doha. From Reuters. CAIRO — Negotiations to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war will resume in Doha on Wednesday, with the intelligence chiefs of Egypt, the United States, and Israel in attendance, Egypt’s state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV and sources said today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 8  Hamas chief says latest Israeli attack on Gaza could jeopardise ceasefire talks, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — A new Israeli assault on Gaza on Monday threatened ceasefire talks at a crucial moment, the head of Hamas said, as Israeli tanks pressed into the heart of Gaza City and ordered residents out after a night of massive bombardment. Residents said . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AP.

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FROM JULY 8  Stranded aid trucks in Egypt deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, by Abdelhadi Ramahi, Amr Alfiky and Alexander Cornwell | Reuters  AL-ARISH, Egypt — Hundreds of trucks loaded with food and water have been stranded on a scorching Egyptian road, some for nearly two months, awaiting permission to deliver the much needed humanitarian supplies to war-torn Gaza. About 50 kilometres from the Gaza border . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 8  Israeli airstrikes have hit at least 3 UN schools sheltering people in Gaza in 6 days. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf | NPR  At least three UN schools housing displaced people have been hit directly by Israeli airstrikes in less than a week. A fourth suffered damage after an airstrike hit a building next to it. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to nine reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA and BIDEN entries for this date, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Kyiv mourns as rescuers sift piles of rubble at a children’s hospital hit by a Russian missile, by Samya Kullab and Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Rescuers searched the rubble at a children’s hospital today for more dead and wounded, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, a day after Russian missiles slammed into the facilityand cities across the country in a massive daytime barrage. The death toll from the strikes rose to 42, officials said.  READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv hospital took direct hit from Russian missile, UN analysis suggests, by Olena Harmash and Tom Balmforth | Reuters — A U.N. rights mission said today there was a “high likelihood” that Kyiv’s main children’s hospital took a direct hit from a Russian missile during a series of airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, as the Kremlin continued to deny involvement. READ MORE . . .

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Shock, fury at the site of children’s hospital attack, by Chris York and Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Nurse Olesia Filonenko was preparing for the first operation of the day at the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv. Russian forces had just launched a massive missile strike on cities across Ukraine, with Kyiv coming under . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian kamikaze drones attack five Russian regions — oil refinery, power grid stations set afire, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Explosives-toting Ukrainian drones in an ambitious wave of overnight and dawn raids targeted oil refineries and power grid infrastructure targets across five of Russia’s western regions, setting a fuel processing plant and transformer stations ablaze in two of them, today news reports said. READ MORE . . .

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‘War not the solution,’ India’s Modi tells Putin. From the Moscow Times. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in televised remarks at the Kremlin today that waging war instead of engaging in dialogue is “not the solution.” India, which is . . . READ MORE . . .

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EARLIER  Modi, Putin hold talks amid outrage over Ukraine strikes. From AFP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin today, a day after the Indian leader arrived in Moscow amid global outcry over Russian strikes in Ukraine. Modi, visiting Moscow for the first time since . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia-Ukraine war is expected to dominate the agenda at NATO summit. Reported by Teri Schultz and Leila Fadel | NPR  NATO allies are gathering for a summit in Washington on the alliance’s 75th anniversary. It faces some of its biggest challenges yet as it looks ahead to political uncertainty in some countries. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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The U.S. won’t lift restrictions on strikes deep into Russia, Kirby says. From Kyiv Post Russia’s attack on the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv will not lead to the U.S. lifting its restrictions on the Ukrainian military using American weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing on Monday. On the other hand, it will also . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 8  West condemns Russian strike on Kyiv children’s hospital. From the Moscow Times. Western leaders and diplomats expressed outrage after Russian missiles destroyed a children’s hospital in Kyiv, amid a rare daytime attack on Ukrainian cities which killed at least 20 on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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

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NEWER  UN Security Council to meet over Ukraine’s accusations of Russian strike on Kyiv children’s hospital, by Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı | Anadolu Agency  HAMILTON, Canada — The UN Security Council will convene Tuesday morning in New York to discuss Ukraine’s claims of a strike on a children’s hospital in the capital KyiV, Britain’s UN ambassador said today. “We will call out the cowardly . . . READ MORE . . .

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A major Russian missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 20 people and hits a children’s hospital, by Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A major Russian missile attack across Ukraine killed at least 28 people and injured almost 100 today, officials said, with one missile striking a large children’s hospital in the capital, Kyiv, where emergency crews searched the rubble for casualties. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and AFP, and HERE and HERE for reports from the Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian forces wipe out three U.S.-made HIMARS rocket launchers in Ukraine operation. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces destroyed three U.S.-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and up to 10 foreign specialists responsible for their use 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 ninereports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, the Times of Israel, Middle East Eye, 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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Israel deepens its operations in Gaza City, as pockets of militancy confront the military, by Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces deepened an operation in the Gaza Strip’s largest city in what the military said was meant to weed out militants, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing today from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-long war. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Cease-fire talks expected to resume this week as Hamas appears to soften demands. From AP.  Talks on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip are expected to resume this week, with several officials saying the devastation caused by Israel’s nine-month offensive likely helped push Hamas to soften its demands. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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Israeli minister: stopping Gaza war now would be folly. From Reuters. JERUSALEM — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said today it would be a huge mistake to stop Israel’s military offensive in Gaza now. Smotrich, who heads a pro-settler party which is part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s governing coalition . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 6 Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says 16 killed in strike on school. From AFP. The Hamas authorities in Gaza said an Israeli strike on Saturday on a UN-run school where thousands of displaced were sheltering killed 16 people. Israel’s military said its aircraft had targeted “terrorists” operating around the Al-Jawni school in Nuseirat, central Gaza. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Times of Israel.

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Death toll from Israeli assault since last October could exceed 186,000, Lancet warns. From Middle East Eye. A letter written by experts and published in the British medical journal, the Lancet, estimates that the actual death toll of Palestinians killed in Gaza could exceed 186,000. The official death toll of Palestinians killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October is 38,153, according to Gaza’s health ministry. READ MORE . . .

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Israel army launches ground offensive in Gaza City, targets UN office again. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army said early today it had launched a “ground operation” in Gaza City, against targets including headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, claiming it housed weapons and investigation and detention rooms, the Anadolu Agency reported. READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, 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 protesters block highways, call for cease-fire to return hostages 9 months into ongoing war, by Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy | AP  TEL AVIV — Marking nine months since the war in Gaza started, Israeli protesters blocked highways across the country today, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and pushing for a cease-fire to bring back scores of hostages held by Hamas. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and the Anadolu Agency. 

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Hamas says it’s waiting for Israeli response on Gaza ceasefire proposal, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Hamas is waiting for a response from Israel on its ceasefire proposal, two officials from the militant Islamist group said today, five days after it accepted a key part of a U.S. plan aimed at ending the nine-month-old war in Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli delegation headed to Qatar for Gaza cease-fire talks, by Said Amori | Anadolu Agency  JERUSALEM — An Israeli negotiating team will leave Monday for Qatar to continue talks on a hostage swap deal and cease-fire in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian factions, according to Israeli media, citing informed sources. Reportedly . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza children spend 8 hours per day carrying food, water: UN, by Rania R.a. Abushamala | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees said Saturday that children in the Gaza Strip spend eight hours a day carrying food and water, forcing families to resort to using seawater for daily tasks. READ MORE . . .

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How Hamas lured Israel into a lethal trap, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  One of the main questions about Hamas’ 7 October attacks remains unanswered to this day. What did Hamas think would happen if it struck Israel on this scale? READ MORE . . .

For today, links to ten reports from Reuters, Tass, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, and 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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NEWER  Russia claims strikes on two Ukrainian Patriot systems that Kyiv says were decoys. From Reuters. Russia said today it struck two Patriot air defence launch systems, but Ukraine said Moscow had hit decoy targets designed to squander expensive enemy missiles. READ MORE . . .

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Iskander crew strike destroys two launchers of Patriot air defense system near Odessa. From Tass. MOSCOW — The crew of the Iskander complex destroyed two launchers of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and a Giraffe radar in the Odessa region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. READ MORE . . .

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NATO leaders will vow to pour weapons into Ukraine for another year, but membership is off the table, by Lorne Cook | AP  BRUSSELS — NATO leaders plan to pledge this week to keep pouring arms and ammunition into Ukraine at current levels for at least another year, hoping to reassure the war-ravaged country of their ongoing support and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will not walk away. READ MORE . . .

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Russian munitions depot ablaze from Ukraine drone strike. From AFP. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack set a Russian munitions depot ablaze in the region of Voronezh near the border between the two neighbors, local authorities said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Russia says captured another village in east Ukraine. From AFP. Russia said today its forces had captured another village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the latest modest territorial gain for its advancing forces. The defense ministry said Russian troops had “liberated the village of Chigari.” READ MORE . . .

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U.S. mass media pretended not knowing about Kiev’s abuse in Donbass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Facts about the abuse committed by the Kiev regime in the Donbass were provided by the Russian side, but the U.S. mass media did everything not to see this truth, official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said today regarding an article in The New York Times about . . . READ MORE . . .

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Up to 728,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded in Ukraine War — The Economist. Kyiv Post. The Economist estimates that between 462,000 and 728,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the war against Ukraine. These figures are based on . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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From Cold War to Russia’s war against Ukraine: NATO at 75. From AFP.  In April the NATO military alliance marked 75 years since the signing of its founding treaty in Washington — where its members gather for an anniversary summit this week. Here are some facts and figures . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Anadolu Agency, and to commentary from 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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Hamas clears the way for a possible cease-fire after dropping key demand, officials say, by Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza — Hamas has given initial approval for a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire deal in Gaza, dropping a key demand that Israel give an up-front commitment for a complete end to the war, a Hamas and an Egyptian official said today. The apparent compromise . . . READ MORE . . .

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Hamas accepts U.S. proposal on talks over Israeli hostages, Hamas source says, by Samia Nakhoul, Muhammad Al Gebaly and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  DUBAI / CAIRO — Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters today. The militant Islamist group . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 5  Hamas says it rejects any statements about foreign forces entering Gaza. From Reuters. Hamas says that it rejects any statements and positions that support plans for foreign forces to enter the Gaza Strip under any name or justification. The terror group says . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gazans constantly being in ‘survival mode,’ despair must stop: Head of UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, by Merve Berker | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — The continuous cycle of displacement, constantly being in “survival mode” and despair must stoP, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees said Friday about atrocities in the Gaza Strip committed by Israel. READ MORE . . .

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EU turning blind eye to members’ arms trade with Tel Aviv: expert. From Middle East Monitor.  The EU lacks a provision prohibiting arms trade with Israel that is being tried at the International Court of Justice for genocide in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reports. It allows member states to continue exports to and imports from Israel. READ MORE . . .

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How 7 October forever destroyed the myth of Israeli military invincibility, by Sami Al-Arian | Middle East Eye  On 22 September 2023, two weeks before the 7 October al-Aqsa Flood attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly about “a new Middle East”. He . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and Reuters, and to commentary from 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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Russian strikes leave thousands in northern Ukraine without power and water. From AP. KYIV — Russian strikes overnight left over 100,000 households without power in northern Ukraine and cut off the water supply to a regional capital, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday, while civilian casualties rose sharply in the country’s embattled east. READ MORE . . .

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Russian attacks Friday killed at least 12 civilians, injured 50. From Kyiv Post. At least 12 civilians were killed and 50 injured in Russian attacks over the course of Friday regional governors said. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine vies for NATO membership ahead of the group’s meeting in Washington, D.C. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  As NATO leaders prepare to meet in Washington next week, Ukrainian leaders say they have made huge sacrifices to defend the ideals of the alliance and want a clear path to membership. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Russia says captured village in east Ukraine. From AFP. Russia said today its forces had captured a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as Moscow continues to advance slowly across the battlefield. Russia’s Defence Ministry said itstroops “liberated the village of Sokil” . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Time running out in Toretsk for Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s advance, by Anna Voitenko and Alina Smutko | Reuters  TORETSK, Ukraine — In the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, time is running out for anyone wanting to leave. Russian forces advance slowly but surely, pummelling the town night and day with rockets, artillery fire and air attacks, part of a broad advance in the Donetsk region that . . . READ MORE . … .

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Ukraine’s airfields under fire as Russia braces for F-16s, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  As Kyiv gets ready to receive the first batch of Western F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine’s airfields face an uptick in Russian strikes. Over the past week . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to six reports from the Kyiv Post, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, and Tass, and to commentary from 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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Ukrainian drones set another Russian oil refinery ablaze – local officials call it a ‘grass fire,’ by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Ten explosives-toting, long-range robot aircraft reportedly flew most of the length of the Black Sea from a launch site in south-west Ukraine to hit in a western industrial district of the Russian city Rostov shortly after midnight. Independent news reports and local social media . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine receives third Patriot air defence system from Germany, envoy says. From Reuters. KYIV  — Ukraine has taken receipt of its third German-supplied Patriot air defence system, Berlin’s ambassador to Kyiv said today following months of Ukrainian pleas for equipment to protect its civilians and infrastructure from Russian air strikes. READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian partisans blow up Russian railroad track used to transport ammo from North Korea, by Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian partisans say one of their agents blew up a railroad track near the Russian city of Yekaterinburg—about 1,600 kilometers (995 miles) from Ukraine—that was being used to transport North Korean ammunition to be used for Russia’s ongoing Ukraine invasion, the Atesh underground movement said today. READ MORE . . .

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Putin tells Orban he is ready to discuss ‘nuances’ of Ukraine conflict. From Reuters. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán traveled to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin today, in rare visit by a European leader since Russian forces invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. Orbán’s visit comes only days after he made a similar unannounced trip to Kyiv, where . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from AFP.

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Report estimates 120,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. From the Moscow Times. Around 120,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the Ukraine war began in 2022, according to a joint investigation by independent media outlets Mediazona and Meduza published today. The updated figure is an estimate based on . . . READ MORE . . .

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Improvement of Russia’s positions to push West to talks on Ukraine — UN envoy. From Tass. MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russia does not observe any significant attempts to begin negotiations on Ukraine from Western states, but their position will change as the situation in the special military operation area unfolds, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said in an interview for Rossiya-24. READ MORE . . .

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What Ukraine’s partial Chasiv Yar withdrawal actually means, by Chris York and Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine announced on Thursday that its troops had withdrawn from the Kanal neighborhood in Chasiv Yar, a strategically important town in Donetsk Oblast, and the scene of an intense, bloody battle that began . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to four reports from the Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, Reuters, 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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EU voices ‘deep concern’ over Israel’s latest evacuation orders in Gaza, by Beyza Binnur Donmez | Anadolu Agency  GENEVA — The EU today said Israel’s evacuation orders from Khan Younis in Gaza is “creating a humanitarian crisis within the crisis.” Not only are 250,000 people impacted by these orders, but they also threaten the patients and staff of the European Hospital and are forcing them to relocate, according to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel conducts military operation in the area of the West Bank city of Jenin; 5 Palestinians killed. From AP. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said today it was conducting counterterrorism activity that included an airstrike in the area of the West Bank city of Jenin [miles away from the Gaza Strip]. Palestinian authorities said five people were killed. The military said Israeli soldiers . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Gaza ceasefire hopes rise as Israel says it will resume stalled negotiations, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  CAIRO / GAZA/ JERUSALEM — Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza were gathering momentum today after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal and Israel said it would resume stalled negotiations. READ MORE . . .

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Israel army seizes control of 26% of Gaza Strip: report. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army has seized control of over one-quarter of the Gaza Strip, Haaretz newspaper said on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. The daily, based on the analysis of satellite photographs and other sources of information, said Israeli army forces are now in control of 26 per cent of Gaza’s territory. READ MORE . . .

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UK elections 2024: Pro-Palestine candidates’ victories stun as Labour sweeps to win, by Daniel Hilton, Simon Hooper and Imran Mulla | Middle East Eye  Keir Starmer’s Labour party has swept to a landslide victory in the UK‘s general election, though it appears to have haemorrhaged votes to pro-Palestinian candidates, several of whom picked up shock wins. READ MORE . . .