For today, links to reports the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Anadolu Ajansi; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 8-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel approves settlement project that could divide the West Bank, by Melanie Lidman | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel gave final approval today for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, which Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye and Anadolu Ajansi.

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For today, links to 12 reports: from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Monitor, and CNN; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 8-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Egyptian foreign minister warns Israel against displacement plans for Palestinians in Gaza. From Middle East Monitor. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atti has stated firmly in an interview with CNN that Cairo will not tolerate any plans for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Aug. 18 report from CNN.

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Aid groups say shelter materials are still not entering Gaza, by Emma Farge and Olivia Poidevin | Reuters  GENEVA — International aid groups say they have not yet been able to deliver shelter materials to Gaza despite Israeli authorities saying they have lifted restrictions on such supplies, and warn that further delays could cause more Palestinian deaths. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 18  Trump says Israeli captives to be released ‘only after Hamas’s defeat.’ From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israeli captives will only be released once Hamas is “destroyed,” openly backing Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza City. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to six reports: from Reuters, the Moscow Times, Tass, and National Public Radio; to two pieces of commentary from the Kyiv Independent; and to three interviews from NPR; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for 8-19-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and GAZA entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Russia says talks on Ukraine’s security without Moscow are a ‘road to nowhere,‘ by Dmitry Antonov and Mark Trevelyan | Reuters  MOSCOW —Russia said today attempts to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without Moscow’s participation were a “road to nowhere,” sounding a warning to the West as it scrambles to work out guarantees for Kyiv’s future protection. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from the Moscow Times and Tass.

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Russian troops liberate three settlements in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated three settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Dnepropetrovsk Region over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today and a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Russia is turning occupied Ukraine into a giant military base, by Kollen Post, Tania Myronyshena and Yuliia Taradiuk | The Kyiv Independent  Russia is turning the parts of Ukraine it occupies into a giant military base — and a potential launch pad for future aggression. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 19  Security guarantees for Ukraine explained: What’s on the table and what’s realistic? by Oleg Sukhov and Andrea Januta | The Kyiv Independent   As peace talks to end the war in Ukraine gather speed toward a potential trilateral meeting between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, the question of what kind of security guarantees Kyiv might receive continues to loom over the flurry of diplomatic meetings. READ MORE . . .

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What challenges Europe faces in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Reported by Teri Schultz and A Martínez | NPR  Following the meetings with Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, European leaders have been urgently trying to figure out what they need to do next to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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John Bolton discusses what security guarantees for Ukraine might look like. Michel Martin of NPR asks former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton about the prospects for security guarantees in Ukraine and what they might look like. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM AUG. 19  How Moscow views the talks between Trump, Zelenskyy and European leaders. Leila Fadel and Charles Maynes | NPR  President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven European leaders met to talk about ending the war that Russia started in Ukraine. A report on the view from Moscow. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 19  How Ukrainians view the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. A Martínez of NPR asks former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba how the meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy is being seen in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 18  Former national security adviser Susan Rice weighs in on Trump-Zelenskyy talks. Reported by Megan Lim, Mary Louise Kelly and Christopher Intagliata | NPR  Kelly talks with Susan Rice, national security advisor to President Obama, about Monday’s White House talks between President Trump and President Zelenskyy. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For now, links to reports the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Anadolu Ajansi; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (WEST BANK 8-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for today, so far, is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel approves settlement project that could divide the West Bank, by Melanie Lidman | AP  TEL AVIV — Israel gave final approval today for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, which Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye and Anadolu Ajansi.

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TO BE CONTINUED

NOTE: This is the only entry for this date.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 8-18-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Focus turns to security guarantees after Ukraine summit leaves path to peace unclear. From Reuters. LONDON / KYIV – Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Donald Trump’s promise of security guarantees for Kyiv to help end the war in Ukraine but face many unanswered questions, including how willing Russia will be to play ball. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AP.

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A look at possible next steps in brokering a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Reported by Danielle Kurtzleben and Leila Fadel | NPR  What’s next for President Trump’s push to broker an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine after extraordinary meetings with Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday?  Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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What are the prospects for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine? Reported by A Martínez | NPR  Evelyn Farkas, a former Pentagon official who’s now executive director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, talks about prospects for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.  Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to eleven reports: from Reuters, the Associated Press, Anadolu Ajansi, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 8-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down. UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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NEWER  Hamas told mediators it approves latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, group official says. From Reuters. Hamas has informed mediators that it approves the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, a group official told Reuters on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Arab mediators try to revive Gaza ceasefire talks as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000, by Victoria Eastwood, Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman | AP  RAFAH, Egypt — Egyptian and Qatari mediators were holding talks with Hamas in their latest effort to broker a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, where health authorities said today that the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza Tribunal calls for armed UN intervention to halt ‘most lethal phase of genocide’ in Gaza, by Gizem Nisa Demir | Anadolu Ajansi  ISTANBUL — Richard Falk, president of the independent Gaza Tribunal, today called for an urgent international armed intervention to stop what he described as Israel’s “most lethal phase of genocide” in Gaza, warning that failure to act . . . READ MORE . . .

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Thousands of Palestinians leave Gaza City fearing Israeli offensive. From Reuters. CAIRO — Fearing an imminent Israeli ground offensive, thousands of Palestinians have left their homes in eastern areas of Gaza City, now under constant Israeli bombardment, for points to the west and south of the shattered territory. READ MORE . . .

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Egypt’s foreign minister visits Gaza border crossing, rejects ‘Greater Israel’ vision, by Hussien Elkabany and Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu Ajansi  CAIRO / ISTANBUL — Egypt’s foreign minister rejected today Israeli official statements about the so-called “Greater Israel,” as he visited the Rafah border crossing with the blockaded Gaza Strip with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. READ MORE . . .

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Israel deliberately starving Gaza, Amnesty International says. From Middle East Eye. Amnesty International has accused Israel of carrying out a deliberate campaign of starvation in the Gaza Strip. In a report published today, the human rights group . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel dangles aid for South Sudan amid reports of Gaza expulsion talks. From the Cradle. Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced today it plans to provide “urgent” humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, following recent reports that Tel Aviv was engaged in efforts to expel Palestinians from Gaza to the east African nation. READ MORE . . .

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UNRWA warns of ‘manmade famine’ in Gaza, urges return to UN-led aid system. From Middle East Monitor. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Sunday warned that Gaza is facing a “manmade famine” and called for a return to the UN-led humanitarian aid system in the Palestinian enclave, Anadolu agency reported. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli protesters demand end to war in Gaza and deal to release remaining hostages. Reported by Daniel Estrin and A Martínez | NPR  Israelis held one of their biggest protests in nearly two years, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release the remaining hostages. But Israeli leaders plan a military escalation. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from AP.

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Aid groups say Israel’s use of air dropping food into Gaza is deadly and inefficient. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  Aid groups say Israel’s policy of air dropping food into Gaza is inefficient and that hundreds of trucks should do the job. They also say the use of air drops is deadly. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to 14 reports: from Reuters, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Agence France-Press, and National Public Radio; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (UKRAINE 8-17-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for this date is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Trump tells Ukraine to give up on NATO and Crimea ahead of Zelenskyy meeting. From Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukraine to give up hopes of getting back annexed Crimea or joining NATO as he prepared to host President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Washington today to press Kyiv into accepting a peace deal with Russia. READ MORE . . .

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Russian drones slam into Kharkiv apartment block, killing 7 Ukrainians. From the Moscow Times. A Russian drone attack on an apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early today killed seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, Ukrainian authorities said. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Kyiv Independent.

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Zelenskyy brings Europe’s top leaders with him to meet Trump on ending war, by Josh Boak and Samya Kullab | AP  WASHINGTON — Ukraine’s future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting today at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him an extraordinary cadre of European leaders to show . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE and HERE for additional AP report and for Aug. 17 report from AFP.

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Trump to meet Zelenskyy with 2 big issues in focus: security guarantees and land. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday — and an unusually long list of European leaders will join them. Click HERE to read and, later, listen, and HERE for second NPR report.

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FROM AUG. 17  Russia, Ukraine launch drones before Zelensky-Trump summit. From AFP.  Kyiv and Moscow launched attack drones at each other on Sunday. Fighting has continued to rage amid a flurry of diplomatic moves to end Moscow’s invasion. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 17  European leaders to join Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump, by Samya Kullab and John Leicester | AP  KYIV — European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington to present a united front in talks with President Donald Trump on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR.

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FROM AUG. 17  NATO-like protection in focus for Trump meeting with Ukraine, Europe. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump could offer NATO-like protection of Ukraine, and Russia is open to the idea, one of his top foreign policy officials said on Sunday ahead of a meeting with Ukraine and European leaders to hammer out details of possible . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 17  Trump runs into the difficulty of Putin diplomacy and ending a long war, by Jill Colvin and Emma Burrows | AP  NEW YORK — President Donald Trump walked into a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin pressing for a ceasefire deal and threatening “severe consequences” and tough new sanctions if the Kremlin leader failed to agree to halt the fighting in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 16  Government papers found in an Alaskan hotel reveal new details of Trump-Putin summit, by Chiara Eisner | NPR  Papers with U.S. State Department markings, found Friday morning in the business center of an Alaskan hotel, revealed previously undisclosed and potentially sensitive details about that day’s meetings between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin in Anchorage. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Cradle, Reuters, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 8-16-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes on Gaza City persist as Tel Aviv gears up for mass displacement of Palestinians. From the Cradle. Israeli forces continued to indiscriminately bombard Gaza today, a day after announcing the start of a mass displacement effort preceding the implementation of a recently approved plan to occupy Gaza City. READ MORE . . .

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Hamas rejects Israel’s Gaza relocation plan, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Palestinian militant group Hamas said today that Israel’s plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a “new wave of genocide and displacement” for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area. READ MORE . . .

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Protests in Israel call for an end to war, video shows prominent Palestinian prisoner. Reported by Jane Arraf and Ayesha Rascoe | NPR  Israelis are holding protests calling for their government to end the war in Gaza. Palestinian leaders have also condemned a far-right Israeli politician for berating a notable Palestinian prisoner. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM AUG. 16  Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza as Israelis urge mass protest over war, by Natalie Melzer | AP  NAHARIYA, Israel — Israel announced Saturday it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza as plans move ahead for a military offensive in some of the territory’s most populated areas. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 10 reports: from the Associated Press, Tass, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; to interviews from ScheerPost and NPR; to an article of commentary from the Moscow Times; and to an editorial from the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are  accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 8-16–25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for this date is HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Putin agreed to let US, Europe offer NATO-style security protections for Ukraine, Trump envoy says, by Jill Colvin | AP  NEW YORK — Russia’s Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the United States and its European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war in Ukraine, special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said today. READ MORE . . .

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Von der Leyen, Zelensky announce emergency press conference in Brussels. From Tass. BRUSSELS — European Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky announced a joint press conference in Brussels today as a response to the Russia-U.S. summit in Alaska. READ MORE . . .

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European leaders to join Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for White House meeting with Trump. From AP. KYIV — European and NATO leaders will join Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his crucial meeting with President Donald Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from AFP.

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Putin calls Alaska summit timely, useful. From Tass. MOSCOW — “We discussed practically all tracks of our cooperation,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said today of his summit meeting in Alaska with U.S. President Trump, “but first of all, of course, we talked about a possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis on a fair basis.” READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 16  The Trump-Putin summit is over. What were the big takeaways? Reported by Tamara Keith, Scott Detrow and Jordan-Marie Smith | NPR  White House correspondent Keith takes stock of the meeting President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had about the war in Ukraine in Anchorage. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 16  Trump tells Zelenskiy that Putin wants more of Ukraine, urges Kyiv make a deal, by Steve Holland, Andrew Osborn and Tom Balmforth | Reuters   WASHINGTON / MOSCOW / KYIV — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”, after a summit where Vladimir Putin was reported to have demanded more Ukrainian land. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for Aug. 17 report from Kyiv Post.

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FROM AUG. 16  Trump backing Putin’s Ukraine land plan, source says, From AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump backs a Russian proposal for Moscow to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and freeze the front line in two others which Moscow only partially controls, a source told AFP. READ MORE . . .

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On the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. Robert Scheer of ScheerPost talks with retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern about the significance of the summit in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump’s and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Click HERE to watch and listen.

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What to expect from Zelenskyy’s White House visit, ahead of potential peace deal. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with Sam Greene, professor of Russian politics at King’s College London, about what kind of deal could be reached to end the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM AUG. 16  EU leaders react to the historic Trump-Putin summit. Reported by Teri Schultz and Gurjit Kaur | NPR  Think tank members and a European Parliament official reflect broader disappointment over President Trump’s favoring a full peace agreement to end the Ukraine war over a ceasefire first. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM AUG. 16  In a high-stakes summit, Trump hands Putin a victory without a fight, by Anastasia Tenisheva | The Moscow Times  When he welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin, a leader wanted on war crimes charges and isolated from the West, to U.S. soil . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 16  That meeting was sickening. Putin loved it. Editorial from the Kyiv Independent. On our screens, a blood-soaked dictator and war criminal received a royal welcome in the land of the free — as his attack drones headed for our cities. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor, and to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 8-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israel intensifies assault to wipe Gaza City ‘off the map.’ From the Cradle. Israeli forces have intensified their assault on two neighborhoods east of Gaza City, unleashing what residents describe as relentless bombardment that has left much of the area in ruins — part of Israel’s newly approved plan to capture the entire city and forcibly expel . . . READ MORE . . .

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Heat and thirst drive families in Gaza to drink water that makes them sick, by Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Metz | AP  KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Thirst supersedes the fear of illness. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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Israeli leaders support the mass relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, by Joseph Krauss | AP  President Donald Trump has said little about his idea of relocating many of the Gaza Strip’s 2 million Palestinians to other countries since he stunned the world by announcing it in February. But Israel’s leaders have run with it, and . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 15  Staff walked out of Israeli-run Gaza ‘aid project’ condemned as a death trap. From Middle East Monitor. Four consultants at Boston Consulting Group resigned from a Gaza aid project in its early stages, warning of serious ethical and reputational risks. Their departures . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 15  Israeli army chief, war minister vow to ‘act as one fist’ on Gaza City occupation. From the Cradle. After their meeting Thursday to discuss plans to occupy Gaza City, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army and government would “act as one fist” to complete the occupation of the city and army chief Eyal Zamir said “victory on the battlefield” necessitates cooperation between the army and the political leadership. READ MORE . . .

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FROM AUG. 15  Belgium FM urges Palestine recognition before ‘nothing left.’ From the Cradle. “If Belgium does not make progress towards official recognition in September,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot told parliament on Friday, “there will soon be nothing left to recognise.” READ MORE . . .

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What is ‘Greater Israel’? by Timur Shah | Middle East Eye  The concept of Greater Israel, which has various interpretations, has long been invoked by ultra-nationalist Israelis. It is often understood as . . . READ MORE . . .

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