Lebanon, 2-7-25

For now, links to three reports from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANKGAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HEREHEREHERE and HERE. LEBANON 2-4 -25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

   

Israel launches large wave of attacks across southern, eastern Lebanon. From the Cradle. Israeli jets struck southern Lebanon today, hours after a large wave of attacks on both the southern and eastern parts of the country the night before. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported . . . READ MORE . . .

   

HTS extremists launch rockets from Syria into Lebanon as border clashes intensify. From the Cradle. Clashes renewed on the Lebanon–Syria border today between Lebanese tribesmen and the forces of the Syrian Military Operations Department led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported . . . READ MORE . . .

   

‘We are grateful to Israel’: Trump’s envoy from Lebanon’s presidential palace. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump’s West Asia envoy Morgan Ortagus said today at Lebanon’s Presidential Palace that Hezbollah will not be a part of that country’s government and that its “reign of terror” is “over,” while thanking Israel for “defeating” the resistance. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Gaza, 2-7-25

For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, the Cradle, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, and to commentary from jonathan-cook.net and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, LEBANON, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HEREHEREHERE and HERE. GAZA 2-6-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

   

Gazans to Trump: We’ll rebuild our own restaurants and hotels. From Reuters. Palestinians in Gaza have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan of creating a “Riviera of the Middle East” under U.S. control and emptied of its population. READ MORE . . .

   

Ex-Israeli war chief confirms issuing Hannibal Directive to kill own civilians, soldiers on Oct. 7. From the Cradle. Former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant has acknowledged ordering the army to use the Hannibal Directive to kill Israeli civilians and soldiers during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Trump signs executive order imposing sanctions on ICC over Israel arrest warrants, by Sondos Asem | Middle East Eye  U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court for targeting the United States and Israel. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and  HERE for reports from Reuters.

   

FROM FEB. 6  Gaza’s police are now back on the streets in wake of ceasefire. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba | NPR  Gaza’s police were hit hard by Israel in the war against Hamas, but the force is back providing law and order after months of looting and chaos. Click HERE to listen and read.

   

FROM FEB. 6  What Trump said about Gaza and how top administration officials contradicted him, by Will Weissert | AP  WASHINGTON — Top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration have contradicted some of his recent comments about the United States taking long-term control of Gaza. They also . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Donald Trump’s Gaza plan: Ethnic cleansing or a crime against humanity? by Sondos Asem | Middle East Eye  Palestinians, Arab states and U.S. to allies have condemned Trump’s suggestion that the United States take over the Gaza Strip, transfer its Palestinian population to other countries, and rebuild the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  The Gaza ‘war’ was a lie, as is the ceasefire. Trump just told you, by Jonathan Cook | jonathan-cook.net / Middle East Eye  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House this week tore the mask off 16 months of gaslighting by western leaders and by the entirety of the western establishment media. United States President Donald Trump finally dropped . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Does Trump see Gaza as a business opportunity or a dispossession project? by Jamal Kanj | Middle East Monitor  A friend texted to ask if I had watched the joint press conference held by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. “Fortunately, I did not watch it live,” I wrote back. It took me nearly 24 hours to . . . READ MORE . . .

Iran, 2-7-25

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and the Cradle, and to commentary from Indian Punchline accompanied by brief video from Forbes; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANKLEBANONGAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HEREHERE, HERE, and HERE.) — MCM

   

FROM FEB. 6  U.S. imposes sanctions on network that helps ship Iranian oil to China, by Fatima Hussen | AP  WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on a network of more than a dozen people and firms that are accused of facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  ‘Iran not seeking nuclear weapons’: Pezeshkian. From the Cradle. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday his nation is not seeking to possess nuclear weapons, adding that verifying his claim “is an easy task.” READ MORE . . .

   

Trump revives ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran but adds a message on U.S.-Iran deal, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Extremely unlikely events can be expected, metaphorically called ‘black swans’. The so-called ‘black swan theory’ characterises events that come as a surprise, have a major effect, but can be rationalised only . . . Click HERE for article and Feb. 4 Forbes video.

Ukraine, 2-7-25

For today, links to 12 reports: from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Kyiv Post, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, the Moscow Times, and the Associated Press,; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANKLEBANON, GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HEREHEREHERE and HERE, UKRAINE 2-6-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM   

   

Russia says it has taken over strategic city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russian forces have taken control of the strategic coal-mining city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, Russia’s Defence Ministry said today. READ MORE . . .

   

Overnight Russian attacks on Sumy region kill 3 people, Ukrainian prosecutors say. From AFP. They said that shortly before midnight the Russian military attacked the village of Miropillia, just across the border from Russia. READ MORE . . .

   

Ukraine advances 5km inside Russia, battles rage in new Kursk offensive: report, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a new wave of battalion-sized mechanized assaults in Kursk Oblast on Thursday, pushing up to 5 kilometers behind Russian lines southeast of Sudzha, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War. READ MORE . . .

   

Russian troops disrupt Ukrainian counterattack in Kursk Region: ministry. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops have thwarted an attempted counterattack by the Ukrainian army towards the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in the Kursk Region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. READ MORE . . .

   

Trump ready to step up Russia sanctions to end war in Ukraine, special envoy says, by Tim Zadorozhnyy | The Kyiv Independent  U.S. President Donald Trump is prepared to double down on the sanctions against Russia to pressure the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said in an interview published in the New York Post on Thursday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from the New York Post.

   

FROM FEB. 6  Putin-Trump talks expected in February or March, senior Russian lawmaker says. From the Moscow Times. Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump sometime in February or March, a senior Russian lawmaker said Thursday, telling reporters . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Russia says U.S. needs to formulate stance on how to end Ukraine conflict. From Reuters. MOSCOW — The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the United States needed to formulate its policy on ending the conflict in Ukraine and that Moscow could then . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Temporary truce or freeze of conflict in Ukraine unacceptable — Russian MFA. From Tass. MOSCOW — A freeze of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict or temporary truce is unacceptable, as these measures will be exploited by the West to bolster the military capabilities of the Kiev regime, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Ukraine says its long-range drones hit a Russian airfield as France delivers Mirage fighter jets, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Ukrainian forces struck an airfield in southern Russia that was being used to launch Iran-designed Shahed drones, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed Thursday. France meanwhile said . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

   

FROM FEB. 6  Spike in U.S. air surveillance in hours before Ukrainian kamikaze drones strike Russian airbase, by Stefan Korshak and Christopher Stewart | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian robot aircraft broke through air defenses and hit a major military airfield in mainland Russia on Thursday morning, following a noticeable spike in American military aircraft activity over the western Black Sea hours before the attack. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 6  Ukraine strikes ‘like a bolt from the blue’ in new Kursk offensive, Russian reports say, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  Ukraine has launched a new offensive in the Kursk oblast, according to reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense and Russian milbloggers. These sources say . . . READ MORE . . .

 

West Bank, 2-6-25

For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other articles are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE. WEST BANK 2-5-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

   

FROM FEB. 5  Israel’s West Bank assault displaces 26,000 from Jenin and Tulkarm camps, by Lubna Masarwa and Heba Nasser | Middle East Eye  JERUSALEM / LONDON — The Israeli military has displaced 26,000 Palestinians from their homes in Jenin and Tulkarm since launching its major assault on the occupied West Bank last month. READ MORE . . .

   

Allies and foes criticize Trump’s plan for the U.S. to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip. Reported by Kat Lonsdorf and Steve Inskeep  | NPR  Allies and foes criticized President Trump’s plan for the U.S. to take ownership of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and relocate nearly 2 million people from there. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

War crimes in the West Bank and the PA’s weakness will end with annexation, by Ali Saadah | Middle East Monitor  Massacres and war crimes are being committed by the Israeli occupation army across the occupied West Bank. Refugee camps have been destroyed and their residents displaced. It is genocide in all but name. But what does the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah do? READ MORE . . .

Gaza, 2-6-25

For today, links to 10 reports: from the Anadolu Agency, Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor in the form of split-screen video; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE. GAZA 2-5-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

   

Israel withdraws from UN Human Rights Council, following U.S. lead, by Zein Khalil | Anadolu Agency  JERUSALEM — Israel announced Wednesday that it is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council following a decision by the US to no longer participate in the body. READ MORE . . .

   

Trump insists on taking over Gaza, claiming Israel will hand over once fighting ends, by Efe Ozkan | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — U.S. President Donald Trump said today that the Gaza Strip would be handed over to the U.S. by Israel at the end of the fighting and that “no soldiers by the U.S. would be needed.” READ MORE . . .

   

Israel orders army to prepare for ‘voluntary departure’ of Gazans after Trump unveils plan, by James Mackenzie and Jana Choukeir | Reuters  JERUSALEM — Israel’s defence minister today ordered the army to prepare a plan to allow the “voluntary departure” of residents from Gaza, after U.S. President Donald Trump drew widespread condemnation for announcing plans to take over the strip. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from APNPR and Middle East Monitor.

   

Trump’s Gaza plan has stunned the region. Here’s a look at the serious obstacles it faces, by Joseph Krauss | AP  President Donald Trump’s stunning proposal to forcibly transfer hundreds of thousands of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and develop it as a tourist destination faces major obstacles. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

   

Legal scholar David Scheffer discusses Trump’s plan to take ownership of Gaza. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with legal scholar David Scheffer, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about President Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

Gaza girl to Trump: Would you leave your home, country? From Middle East Monitor. Maria Hannoun, a survivor of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, sends a message to U.S. President Donald Trump and asks him . . . Click HERE to read, watch and listen.

   

Gazans rebuild while Trump makes plans to erase them. From Middle East Monitor. U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech setting out his vision to take over Gaza, displacing Palestinians to elsewhere, is juxtaposed with video of residents who have returned to the enclave clearing out the rubble to rebuild their lives there. Click HERE to read, watch and listen.

Ukraine, 2-6-25

For today, links to a report from National Public Radio, and to an article of commentary from Time magazine; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and WEST BANK entries for this date are HERE and HEREUKRAINE 2-4-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM   

   

FROM FEB. 5  Former Zelenskyy press secretary makes the case for ceasefire. Reported by Kathryn Fink, Mary Louise Kelly and Justine Kenin | NPR  Iuliia Mendel, Ukrainian journalist and former press secretary for President Zelenskyy, talks about her recent op-ed in Time magazine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for the article in Time.

Iran, 2-5-25

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, WEST BANK, SYRIA, and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HEREHERE, HERE, and HERE. IRAN 2-4-25 entry is HERE.) — MCM

   

Trump dismisses talk of U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iran. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump has denied that Washington and Tel Aviv are planning military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran. “I want Iran to be a great and successful Country,” he said early today on his social media platform Truth Social, “but one that . . . READ MORE . . .

Gaza, 2-5-25

For today, links to nine reports: from X via Middle East Monitor, Consortium News via ScheerPost, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Anadolu Agency, and Middle East Eye, and to written and visual commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK, SYRIA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.) — MCM

   

Egyptian machinery enters Gaza to help clear the rubble. From X / Middle East Monitor. Egyptian engineering machinery was seen crossing the Rafah Border into Gaza Tuesday to assist in clearing rubble. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to describe Gaza as a ‘demolition site’ and . . . Click HERE to read and then click to view a brief video clip from X.

   

Trump wants U.S. to take over & ethnically cleanse Gaza, by Joe Lauria | Consortium News / ScheerPost  U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States should become party to a major crime against humanity by expelling 1.8 million people from their land in the Gaza Strip as it becomes . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for report from NPR.

   

Trump’s suggestion the U.S. ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip is rejected by allies and adversaries alike, by David Rising and Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — President Donald Trump’s proposal that the United States “take over” the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its Palestinian residents was swiftly rejected and denounced today by American allies and adversaries alike. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for two reports from Reuters.

   

Our people in Gaza will not allow Trump’s relocation plans to pass: Hamas, by Ahmed Asmar | Anadolu Agency  ANKARA — Palestinian Hamas group said today the Palestinian people will not allow U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to go forward. READ MORE . . .

   

Trump floats idea for U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Yousef Munayyer of the Arab Center in Washington for his perspective about President Trump’s idea for the Gaza Strip. Click HERE to listen and, later read.

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IRC: Suffering in Gaza ‘beyond imagination.’ From Middle East Eye. The International Rescue Committee has warned that the suffering of people in Gaza “is beyond imagination,” with icy temperatures and lack of heating and winter clothing putting children at risk of . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 2  The Western way of genocide, by Chris Hedges | Original to ScheerPost with illustration by Mr. Fish  Gaza is a wasteland of 50 million tons of rubble and debris. There is no clean water. Little food. A severe . . . Click HERE to read and view.

West Bank, 2-5-25

For today, links to reports from the Cradle and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA, SYRIA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. WEST BANK 2-4-23 and WEST BANK 2-3-25 entries are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

   

FROM FEB. 4  Lone resistance fighter storms Israeli army post in West Bank, shooting several soldiers. From the Cradle. A lone resistance fighter infiltrated the Israeli military post near a checkpoint in the village of Tayasir at around 6 a.m. on Monday and began opening fire at troops before being killed. The fighter . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Israeli forces detain 30 Palestinians in West Bank raids. From Middle East Eye. Israeli forces have arrested at least 30 Palestinians, including a child and former detainees, during ongoing raids across the occupied West Bank, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Prisoners’ Affairs Authority. READ MORE . . .