OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

“Preliminary signs” of progress have emerged on a deal to pause fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, said yesterday. Without providing details, Gantz said there has been momentum on a new draft of the deal that indicates a “possibility to advance.” A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment yesterday on whether Israel intended to send a delegation to future negotiations talks in Cairo or Paris. Adam Sella reports for the New York Times.

Israeli bombs on Rafah flattened a mosque and destroyed homes in what residents called one of their worst nights yet. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry said 97 people were killed and 130 wounded in the last 24 hours of Israeli assaults. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters.

CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to travel to Paris tomorrow to hold talks with Qatari, Egyptian, and Israeli officials about the efforts to reach a hostage release deal, a source familiar with the issue and an Israeli official said. Biden administration officials said they want to secure a deal before the start of Ramadan in less than three weeks in order to ensure there is a temporary ceasefire in place during the Muslim holy month. The current proposal the Biden administration is pushing would see at least a six-week fighting pause, but the main sticking point centers on differences over the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and how the list for the first stage would be determined. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

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Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A pro-war Russian military blogger died yesterday, his lawyer said, after he wrote that Russia’s military pressured him to remove a post exposing the scale of its recent losses in Ukraine. Andrei Morozov claimed in his post that Russia had lost 16,000 men and 300 armored vehicles in its assault in the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, which Russia captured last week. He deleted the post on Tuesday after what he said was a campaign of intimidation against him by the military and Kremlin propagandists. The following morning, Morozov published a series of Telegram posts outlining the complaints he had received and threatening to end his life. The cause of his death has not been reported at the time of writing. Anatoly Kurmanaev reports for the New York Times. (What window did him in?? my add.)

Russia’s claim that it has captured the key village of Krynky in Kherson region is a “manipulation and falsification of facts,” Ukraine’s Operational Command said. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday had claimed that Krynky was “completely” under Russian control.

Russia is facing “extreme challenges” to provide ammunition and weapons for its war in Ukraine, according to Western officials. “Sanctions are hitting the Russian military industrial complex hard, causing severe delays and increasing costs. An inability to access Western components is severely undermining Russia’s production of new systems and repairs of old systems, with long-term consequences for the quality of weapons produced,” they said. It comes amid growing concerns over the provision of Western weapons to Ukraine. Gordon Corera reports for BBC News."

lousubcap

Hopefully this link works (from the NYT):

Opinion

Thomas L. Friedman

Trump’s G.O.P. Is a Confederacy of Fakers

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/opinion/ukraine-trump-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XE0.zqD_.eL1puR-u_XVO&smid=tw-share&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

HeavyG

Not really a fan of Friedman but that was a spot on piece.

A favorite novel of mine from a few decades ago is titled "A Confederacy of Dunces" - that title also fits right in with what the GOP has become.

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed yesterday to send Israeli negotiators to Paris today for new hostage deal discussions with CIA Director Bill Burns, the Qatari Prime Minister, and the Egyptian spy chief, an Israeli official and a source with direct knowledge told Axios. The decision follows pressure from the Biden administration and internal pressure from the Israeli war cabinet, with President Biden’s top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk urging officials yesterday to send a delegation to negotiate after some progress was made with Hamas. Israel’s war cabinet yesterday “approved sending the delegation and also gave negotiators a mandate to negotiate and not only listen like in the previous round of talks,” an Israeli official said. 

Netanyahu’s plan for post-war Gaza does not bar a role for the Palestinian Authority and stresses that Israel will only allow reconstruction to occur after the enclave is demilitarized, according to a document released yesterday. According to the plan, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will indefinitely maintain operational freedom across the entire Gaza Strip, with Israel creating a “security zone” within Gaza’s territory bordering Israel for “as long as there is a security need for it.” Israel will also control the Egypt-Gaza border, operating “as much as possible in cooperation with Egypt and with the assistance of the United States.” The Gaza Strip would be completely demilitarized except for weapons “necessary to maintain public order,” the document says, and reconstruction would be “carried out with the financing and leadership of countries acceptable to Israel.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Conditions at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis were rapidly deteriorating yesterday as Israeli forces reinvaded the hospital following a brief withdrawal earlier in the day, the Hamas-run health ministry said. The ministry added that 13 patients who had died from the lack of power and oxygen in recent days had been buried within the hospital complex. Anushka Patil reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Friday Red Sea-Houthis update:

U.S. forces shot down six Houthi drones in the Red Sea today identified as “an imminent threat” “likely targeting U.S. and coalition warships,” U.S. Central Command confirmed. A U.K.-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden was also attacked today after the Yemen group fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles, the statement said. Houthi officials released a statement confirming the attack on the British ship and claiming to have targeted a U.S. destroyer. The group also said it “launched a number of ballistic missiles and drones” at the city of Eilat in Israel. Doha Madani reports for NBC News.

The statement by a Houthi representative on social media site X came shortly after the group’s leader said it was ramping up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and other waters – including with new “submarine weapons” -to mirror Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update: (slim pickings)

"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in Ukraine today to reassure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Congress will deliver a further round of U.S. aid amid a stalled $60 billion package in the U.S. House. Ahead of the trip, Schumer said he plans to tell Ukrainian officials that “we’re going to win this fight, and America is not abandoning them.” Mary Clare Jalonick reports for AP News."

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced today that the Israeli military has presented a long-awaited plan to its war cabinet for evacuating civilians from “areas of fighting” in Gaza, a likely reference to the expected invasion of the southern city of Rafah. A follow-up statement added that a plan for providing humanitarian assistance to the enclave had also been approved. Netanyahu reiterated yesterday that Israel plans to invade Rafah, but that the assault could be “delayed somewhere” if a deal is reached with Hamas over the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. Mike Ives reports for the New York Times.

A hostage agreement deal would delay, but not ultimately prevent, an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, Netanyahu said yesterday during a CBS interview. When asked whether Israel would invade Rafah regardless of a hostage deal and any accompanying pause in fighting, Netanyahu said, “victory is within reach, and you can’t have victory until you eliminate Hamas … once we begin the Rafah operation, the intense phase of the fighting is weeks away from completion, not months, weeks away from completion.” Netanyahu also defended the military response in Gaza, saying the United States would be doing “a hell of a lot more” if faced with a terror attack similar to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his government have submitted their resignations, Shtayyeh announced today. The resignation comes as the PA comes under intense pressure from the United States to reform and improve its governance in the West Bank. Ibrahim Dahman reports for CNN.

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have tentatively agreed on the “basic contours” of a hostage deal, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday. “We hope that in the coming days, we can drive to a point where there is actually a firm and final agreement on this issue,” Sullivan said. The deal is still under negotiation and indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas will continue. Niha Masih, Leo Sands, Mariana Alfaro, Silvia Foster-Frau and Lior Soroka report for the Washington Post."

lousubcap

Red Sea and the Houthis Monday update:

"The United States and Britain carried out strikes on 18 Houthi sites in Yemen on Saturday, the Pentagon said, the fourth such joint operation by the allies. Washington said the strikes were directed against “underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars, and a helicopter” of the rebel group. The strikes were carried out “with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand,” the statement added. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News."

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Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia is preparing a new offensive against Ukraine starting as early as late May or summer, Zelenskyy said yesterday. Speaking a day after the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “We will prepare for their assault. Their assault that began on Oct. 8 has not brought any results, I believe. We, for our part, will prepare our plan and follow it.” Olena Harmash and Dan Peleschuk reports for Reuters.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) yesterday warned about the need to supply more aid to Ukraine. Speaking after returning from a trip to Ukraine, Schumer said this year is a “crucial moment in the history of the world” and that a Ukrainian loss to Russia would also be “devastating in consequences for the US.” Antoinette Radford reports for CNN."

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Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas has received a draft proposal from Gaza truce talks in Paris for a pause in fighting and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, a senior source close to the talks said today. Based on a statement provided to Reuters by the source, the draft proposal for the first stage would last 40 days and the prisoner-hostage exchange would be at an overall ratio of 10 to 1, among other provisions. Reuters reports.

Hamas has received a draft proposal from Gaza truce talks in Paris for a pause in fighting and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, a senior source close to the talks said today. Based on a statement provided to Reuters by the source, the draft proposal for the first stage would last 40 days and the prisoner-hostage exchange would be at an overall ratio of 10 to 1, among other provisions. Reuters reports.

Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city of Rafah will be allowed to flee to other areas of southern Gaza before an Israeli attack but will not be allowed to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, two Israeli officials told NBC News. Under the Israeli plan for an attack on Rafah, civilians would be allowed out of Rafah into areas south of Wadi Gaza, a river valley viewed as an informal divider between the northern and southern halves of the Strip, the officials said. 

The Israeli military is confident that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the alleged architect of the Oct. 7 attacks, is hiding inside a network of tunnels beneath southern Gaza, but is surrounded by a human shield of hostages intended to deter an operation to capture or kill him. Israeli officials have said in interviews that Israel’s operation in Gaza cannot conclude until Sinwar is either captured, killed, or no longer in a position to run Hamas. Shane Harris reports for the Washington Post.

The U.K. government said it has tripled its aid commitment to the Palestinian people this year and that Israel “must take steps” to “significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza.” “This includes allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza (and for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer) and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity,” it said."

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Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"French President Emmanuel Macron said it is key for Europe’s security to defeat Russia in Ukraine and that he has not ruled out sending Western troops to Ukraine. Speaking in Paris, Macron said that European leaders had agreed to set up a coalition to give Ukraine medium- and long-range missiles and bombs, adding that while there was “no consensus” on sending Western troops to Ukraine, “nothing should be excluded.” Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.

The Kremlin warned today that direct conflict between Russia and NATO would be inevitable if European NATO members sent troops to fight in Ukraine. “The very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 

The Czech Republic and Poland are not considering sending troops to Ukraine, their prime ministers said today, after Macron raised the possibility for European nations at a meeting in Paris. Reuters reports.

More regarding President Macron's statement:

NATO’s secretary-general has said there are no plans to send troops to Ukraine, as Russia claimed it was ready to enter a direct conflict with the Western military alliance should it put boots on the ground.

Responding to remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron the previous day, Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday denied that NATO countries were considering the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion

There are “no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine”, the NATO chief said.

Macron told a meeting of European leaders on Monday that while “there’s no consensus today to send in an official, endorsed manner troops on the ground … nothing can be ruled out”.

Russia was quick to leap upon the French leader’s comments. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Macron’s suggestion that Western states could send ground troops to Ukraine “a very important new element”.

It is “absolutely not in the interests” of European members of NATO, he told reporters. “In that case, we would need to talk not about the probability, but about the inevitability [of direct conflict].”

While ruling out NATO military action, Stoltenberg again insisted that the alliance would continue to support Kyiv strongly.

“This is a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, blatantly violating international law,” he said. “According to international law, Ukraine of course has the right to self-defence, and we have the right to support them in upholding that right.”

Macron was hosting European leaders in Paris when he made his comments, seemingly seeking to position himself as a European champion of Ukraine’s cause at a time when US support is waning.

NATO provides Ukraine only non-lethal aid and support, but most alliance members have been sending weapons and ammunition bilaterally or in groups."

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Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back yesterday against President Biden’s recent warning that Israel will lose international support if its “incredibly conservative” government continues down its current path. In a video, Netanyahu said he has led a successful campaign aimed at “countering international pressure to end the war ahead of time and mobilize support for Israel,” appearing to cite a recent Harvard-Harris pollthat found more than 80% of those surveyed in the United States supported Israel more than Hamas in the current war. “This gives us more backing to continue the war until the total victory,” Netanyahu said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Hamas officials said yesterday that there has been no breakthrough in the mediated talks with Israel aimed at pausing the war and a prison-hostage exchange, a day after Biden said he was hopeful a ceasefire could start next week. A Hamas spokesperson said that the group had yet to formally receive “any new proposals” since senior Israeli officials met with mediators in Paris last week to advance a possible deal. Another Hamas official said yesterday that the group was sticking to its demand for a long-term ceasefire. Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, noted that “efforts are ongoing” and that all parties are conducting regular meetings. Aaron Boxerman, Hwaida Saad, Raja Abdulrahim, and Michael Levenson report for the New York Times.

Israeli negotiators have signaled that Israel could release a group of high-profile Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy jail terms in exchange for the release of some of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, officials said. The shift in Israeli negotiating strategy could help persuade Hamas to agree to a deal that would temporarily pause fighting in Gaza. Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.

Israel will take measures to protect civilians if it expands military operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told CNN yesterday. 

Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah will halt attacks on Israel if Hamas agrees to a proposal for a truce with Israel in Gaza, unless Israeli forces keep shelling Lebanon, according to two sources familiar with Hezbollah’s thinking. “The moment Hamas announces its approval of the truce, and the moment the truce is declared, Hezbollah will adhere to the truce and will stop operations in the south immediately, as happened the previous time,” one of the two sources said. Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters."

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Red Sea and the Houthis Wednesday update:

"A rocket exploded late last night off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen in the latest suspected attack carried out by the Houthis, authorities said. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened around 70 miles off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, adding that “The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call.” The Houthis have not claimed the attack at the time of writing. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.

The U.S. Central Command said its aircraft and a coalition warship shot down five Houthi one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in the Red Sea last night.“CENTCOM forces identified these UAVs originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region,” it said. 

Houthis said on Tuesday they could only reconsider their missile and drone attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea once Israel ends its “aggression” in the Gaza Strip.

Asked if they would halt the attacks if a ceasefire deal is reached, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters the situation would be reassessed if the siege of Gaza ended and humanitarian aid was free to enter.

“There will be no halt to any operations that help Palestinian people except when the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the siege stop,” he said, ahead of new reports of another suspected attack. "

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Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will co-host a summit with Albania’s government today that is meant to encourage further support for Kyiv by southeastern European countries. Zelenskyy called the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama “Ukraine’s unwavering friend,” adding that the two would “discuss defense and political cooperation, support for the Peace Formula, and security agreements.” It follows Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia yesterday where he met the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where Zelenskyy pushed for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war in Russia. Llazar Semini reports for AP News.

Ukraine says it destroyed 10 Russian drones launched overnight.

JohnInCarolina

lousubcap

Thursday Israel Hamas update:

"Parties negotiating a possible ceasefire in Gaza gave mixed signals yesterday, with Hamas’s political leader saying the group was ready to keep fighting Israel, while Egypt’s president said a truce could be reached “in the next few days.” The Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said the group was open to mediated talks with Israel but that “any flexibility we show in the negotiation process is a commitment to protecting the blood of our people, matched by a readiness to defend them.” President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, which is brokering the agreement along with Qatar and the United States, offered a more optimistic view, saying, “God willing, in the next few days, we will reach a cease-fire agreement.” In public, however, Hamas and Israel are not signaling any breakthrough. Hwaida Saad and Shashank Bengali report for the New York Times.

Haniyeh yesterday called on Palestinians in Jerusalem to defy Israeli restrictions and march to the Aqsa mosque to pray at the start of Ramadan, creating the prospect of clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to comment last night, but said, “I would just say, as it pertains to Al Aqsa, we continue to urge Israel to facilitate access to Temple Mount for peaceful worshipers during Ramadan, consistent with past practice and that’ll continue to be our position.”

More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war broke out on Oct. 7, the Hamas-run health ministry said today. It added that at least six children have died in recent days as a result of dehydration and malnutrition in Gazan medical facilities.

Palestinian Authority (PA) foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said yesterday he believes Hamas understands why it should not be part of a new government in the Palestinian territories. Speaking a day before Hamas and the Fatah political faction that dominates the PA were set to meet in Moscow, Maliki said that a “technocratic government” is needed in the Palestinian territories, adding that “the time now is not for a national coalition government.” AFP and Times of Israel reports.

Edit to add:

The White House is exploring the possibility of airdropping aid from U.S. military planes into Gaza as land deliveries become increasingly difficult, four U.S. officials told Axios. That the Biden administration is considering such a move underscores concern about the worsening humanitarian crises in Gaza. “The situation is really bad. We are unable to get enough aid [in] by truck so we need desperate measures like airdrops,” one U.S. official said. According to the U.N, the amount of aid reaching Gaza fell by half this month compared to January.

U.S. officials are concerned that Israel is planning a ground incursion into Lebanon in the coming months if diplomatic efforts fail to push Hezbollah back from the northern border with Israel, according to senior Biden administration officials and officials familiar with the intelligence. “We are operating on the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,” one senior official said. “Not necessarily imminently in the next few weeks but perhaps later this spring. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility.” Alex Marquardt reports for CNN."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia yesterday bombed parts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, killing four civilians, regional officials and the interior ministry said. Reuters reports.

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops from the village of Orlivka but the situation on the eastern front remains difficult, Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said today. Orlivka is less than 2 kilometers northwest of Lastochkyne, which was recently occupied by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s military said it shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow’s air force.

The European Parliament says Russian President Vladimir Putin bears the “criminal and political responsibility” for opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s death and should be held to account.

Putin’s warning to the West that it risks nuclear war if it sends soldiers to Ukraine should be taken seriously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was cited by Poland’s Onet publication as saying."

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"Palestinian factions, some of whom have been at odds for almost two decades, are meeting in Moscow to discuss forming a new government following the resignation of the Palestinian Authority government (PA). The two-day talks aim to unite the factions under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a coalition of parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993, and form a new government in the PA, according to a spokesperson of the Fatah political party. Fatah dominates both the PLO and the PA. Abbas Al Lawati reports for CNN.

Israel appropriated 652 acres of land abutting a major Jewish settlement in the West Bank yesterday, but a source briefed on the decision told Reuters there are currently no plans for construction there. The Civil Administration, part of Israel’s Defense Ministry, announced the measurement of land, with the Israeli source saying it would now form part of Maale Adumim settlement, east of Jerusalem. A spokesperson for the PA said the move underscored Israel’s continued efforts to siphon Jerusalem from the Palestinian areas surrounding it and undermines the possibility of creating an independent Palestinian state. Reuters reports. "

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West faced the prospect of nuclear conflict if it intervened more directly in Ukraine, using an annual speech to the nation yesterday to escalate his threats against Europe and the United States. Putin said that NATO countries who consider sending their own troops into Ukraine “must, in the end, understand” that “all this truly threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.” “We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,” Putin said, adding, “Do they not understand this?” At the same time, Putin said he was ready to resume arms-control negotiations with the United States “on matters of strategic stability.” Anton Troianovski reports for the New York Times.

The Biden administration is considering whether to provide Ukraine with much-needed arms and ammunition from Pentagon stockpiles, despite the government running out of money to replace those munitions, according to two U.S. officials and a senior lawmaker. The United States has provided Ukraine with some $44.2 billion in military aid since the start of the war two years ago, around half of which has been sent under “presidential drawdown authority,” which allows the administration to immediately transfer Pentagon stocks to Ukraine instead of waiting months or years for defense contractors to manufacture new weapons. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.

Ukrainian forces in the east struggled to find stable new defences during the past week, as Russian troops continued to advance after capturing Avdiivka – suggesting that artillery and other shortages were affecting Ukraine’s ability to hold the entire 1,000km (620-mile) front line.  Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka on February 17, after a four-month Russian onslaught to take the town.

On February 24, Ukrainian defenders also withdrew from the village of Lastochkyne, three kilometres (1.9 miles) west of Avdiivka, never having had a chance to build proper defences under fire.

“There were no defences built there, and the fighters had to withdraw from the battles in Avdiivka and gain a foothold in the very process of hostilities,” one Ukrainian military reporter known as DeepStateUA wrote on Telegram to his 700,000 followers, predicting that the same would occur at other points of retreat.

Three days later, Ukrainian troops withdrew from the villages of Stepove and Sieverne, north and south of Lastochkyne, after fierce overnight battles.

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavria Group of Ukrainian forces, which is fighting in this area, said on February 27 that the line of defence had “stabilised” along Tonenke-Orlivka-Berdychi axis, a row of three villages immediately to the west of Lastochkyne, but even that assumption seemed precarious."

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israel did not send a delegation to Egypt for negotiation talks yesterday, an Israeli official told CNN. The official said the reason was that Hamas had not responded to two Israeli demands: providing a list of hostages, specifying which hostages are alive and which are dead, and confirming the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for hostages. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for the talks, a senior Hamas official said, which negotiators from the United States, Israel, and Egypt are also expected to attend.

Days after more than 100 Palestinians were killed – reportedly by Israeli fire – during an attempted aid delivery, another convoy coordinated by the Israeli military failed to deliver most of its aid to the north, according to a Palestinian businessperson involved in the operation. A total of 16 trucks carrying supplies were sent to the north on Saturday, he said, but only one made it to Gaza city, as the rest had been swarmed and emptied in the Nuseirat neighborhood in central Gaza. Fifteen more trucks departed for the north last night and are slated to enter the area through an inland north-south road, the source added. Hiba Yazbek and Adam Rasgon report for the New York Times. 

Israeli forces swept into the Palestinians’ administrative capital Ramallah in the West Bank overnight, marking their biggest raid into the city in years. The Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces shot and killed a teenager while raiding Am’ari refugee camp. Ali Sawafta reports for Reuters."

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Red Sea-Houthis Monday update:
"Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis vowed yesterday to continue targeting British ships in the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of the U.K.-owned vessel Rubymar. “Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damages will be added to Britain’s bill,” Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, said in a post on X. Meanwhile, CENTCOM said on Saturday that the sinking of Rubymar, which was carrying approximately 21,000 tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, poses an environmental risk as well as a “subsurface impact risk” to other ships transiting the waterway."

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Monday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Russia said it intercepted 38 Ukrainian drones attacking Crimea after a series of explosions temporarily closed the Kerch bridge. Separately, a Russian drone hit a block of apartments in Odessa on Saturday, killing at least 12 people, including five children. Russia also targeted the southern Kherson region, killing one person and injuring three, according to Ukrainian officials. BBC News reports. 

Ukraine has hinted that it was behind an attack on a railway bridge in the Russian region of Samara.

Kyiv’s military intelligence agency boasted on Monday that the explosion on the bridge had “paralysed’ traffic in the area. While attacks on infrastructure in Russia have become regular, it is rare for Kyiv to comment.

“A railway bridge over the Chapaevka River in Russia’s Samara region was blown up. On 4 March 2024, at around 6:00 am (0200 GMT), the bridge was damaged by blowing up its support structures,” the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said on messaging site Telegram. It included a photograph of the damaged bridge in its post.

Russia was using the railway line to transport ammunition from a plant in the town of Chapayevsk, about 1,000km (621 miles) from the Ukrainian border, military intelligence added."

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Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Qatari and Egyptian mediators told Israeli negotiators during talks last week that Hamas is willing to decrease the number of Palestinian prisoners released as part of a hostage deal if Israel agrees to allow more Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza, an Israeli official and a source with knowledge of the issue told Axios. Israeli negotiators were told by Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza is a top priority for Hamas, the Israeli official said, adding that they were surprised how important the issue is. Hamas officials told al-Arabiya yesterday that they gave Egyptian mediators their response about the “ratio”, but Israeli officials claimed they have not received this information from Cairo. 

There is “no way to know the fate” of Israeli hostages held in Gaza until a ceasefire deal is in place, a member of Hamas’s political bureau told CNN yesterday. Israel believes 130 hostages remain in Gaza, 99 of whom are believed to be alive. “It is not possible to know any details about the fate of the Israeli prisoners because they are in different locations and with different factions, we do not know their fate under the bombardment and the starvation policy,” Hamas official Basem Naim said in Istanbul, adding, “Therefore we need a ceasefire in order to gather information.”"

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Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:
"Ukraine claimed today it sank another Russian warship in the Black Sea using high-tech sea drones. The Ukrainian military intelligence agency said a special operations unit destroyed the large patrol ship, Sergey Kotov, overnight with Magura V5 uncrewed vessels that are manufactured in Ukraine and laden with explosives. Russian authorities have not confirmed the claim at the time of writing. Illia Novikov reports for AP News.

It was not the first time Ukraine had attacked the ship, reportedly worth $65m. However, this time, the overnight strike caused critical “damage to the stern, starboard and port sides”.

Military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov said the strike had left some dead and wounded, but it was likely some crew members had managed to evacuate.

In an apparent reference to the attack, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet – based in the peninsula’s port of Sevastopol – is “a symbol of the occupation,” adding that, “it cannot be in Ukraine’s Crimea”."

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Wednesday Israel_Hamas update:

"Hamas said it has presented a response to the proposals transmitted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators but blamed Israel for stalling to reach an agreement. “We have affirmed our conditions for a ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the sector, the return of displaced persons to the areas they left, especially in the north, and the provision of sufficient aid, relief, and reconstruction,” senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut. Hamdan reiterated the group’s requirement for a permanent ceasefire and said a prisoner exchange would only occur after Israeli troops had withdrawn from Gaza and aid was allowed to enter the enclave. Mostafa Salem reports for CNN.

British foreign secretary David Cameron said yesterday that Israel’s handling of aid for Gaza, “as the occupying power,” raised questions over its compliance with international law. Speaking at the House of Lords, Cameron referenced the “dreadful suffering” in Gaza, adding that he “spoke some weeks ago about the danger of this tipping into famine and the danger of illness tipping into disease; and we are now at that point. People are dying of hunger; people are dying of otherwise preventable diseases.” He added that, “The patience needs to run very thin and a whole series of warnings needs to be given, starting, I hope, with a meeting I have with [Israeli war cabinet] Minister Gantz when he visits the UK [today].”

President Biden said yesterday that talks on a possible six-week ceasefire in Gaza are “in the hands of Hamas right now” and reiterated the need for a ceasefire, adding that, “We will know in a couple of days what’s going to happen.” Biden said that Israel had “been cooperating” in the indirect negotiations, which are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, and that “a rational offer” had been proposed. Biden’s comments came just before a Hamas leader in Lebanon appeared to reject a proposed deal the United States is backing, insisting that Israeli hostages would be released only after a ceasefire was in place and Israeli forces had withdrawn. "

lousubcap

Wednesday Red Sea-Houthis update:
"A U.S. destroyer shot down drones and a missile launched by the Houthis toward the Red Sea, officials said today. The assault apparently targeted the USS Carney, a destroyer that has been involved in the U.S. campaign against the rebel group. The attack involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, CENTCOM said, adding that Washington later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats. A Houthi military spokesperson acknowledged the attack but not the later U.S. airstrikes, and claimed the group targeted two U.S. warships without elaborating. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.'

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update: (no updates on any fighting.)

"The International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday issued arrest warrants against two top Russian military officials. General-Lieutenant Sergei Kobylash, the commander of Russia’s long-range aviation forces, and Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the head of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, now face arrest for war crimes related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The ICC claims that Kobylash and Sokolov are responsible for bombarding civilians and bombing Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure from October 2022 to March 2023, a period when Russia heavily targeted Ukraine’s energy plants. The warrants are classified, although according to the ICC, “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects also bear responsibility for the crime against humanity” in their onslaught. Denis Leven reports for POLITICO.

The Kremlin said it does not recognise the warrants issued by the ICC, adding that Russia is not party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. "

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:
"Talks between Israel and Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages have stalled, dimming hopes that a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal could be reached before Ramadan begins in a few days, according to several people briefed in the conversations. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that while the United States was disappointed an agreement had not been reached, mediators were still confident in the parameters of the deal they had helped negotiate, saying, “It is just a matter of getting Hamas to sign on.” An official in the region said the main sticking point in discussions remains the duration of a ceasefire, with Hamas demanding a permanent ceasefire during or after three phases of hostage releases, which Israel refuses to agree to. Ronen Bergman, Edward Wong, and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Thursday Red Sea-Houthis update:

"The Houthi group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Yemen yesterday that killed three people, the first fatalities from Houthi attacks since the group began targeting ships late last year. One Vietnamese and two Filipino crew members died in the attack, and two others were seriously injured, a spokesperson for the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier ship True Confidence said. A Houthi spokesperson said the group had warned the ship’s crew before firing missiles. Gaya Gupta and Matthew Mpoke Bigg report for the New York Times.

Following the Houthi attack which killed three people, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it “conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.” "