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

lousubcap

Friday night Russia- Ukraine update that will likely die on the vine by Tuesday-

"PUTIN’S CEASE-FIRE DEAL: Putin is open to a cease-fire deal that freezes the current battlefield lines, four Russians familiar with the matter told Reuters’ GUY FAULCONBRIDGE and ANDREW OSBORN.

Putin’s proposal comes ahead of a peace summit in Switzerland next month in which world leaders will discuss how the war could end. Russia hasn’t been invited to those talks, and Ukraine is already shooting down the idea.

“Putin is desperately trying to derail the peace summit,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister DMYTRO KULEBA tweeted today. “He is scared of its success … Putin currently has no desire to end his aggression against Ukraine.”

But Putin is prepared to fight on if the West and Kyiv don’t respond to his proposal, the people said, as Russian troops continue advancing in the northeast Kharkiv region.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is showing no signs that it’ll stop fighting back. Kyiv’s forces struck a Russian military complex in the annexed Crimea territory Thursday night using long-range U.S.-supplied missiles, a Ukrainian official told The Wall Street Journal’s IAN LOVETT and NIKITA NIKOLAIENKO."

Gulfcoastguy

I don't have a Cyrillic keyboard and my idea of the spelling is weak but , Putin yobt tvou maht!

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that an airstrike that killed dozens at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah on Sunday was a “tragic mistake.” At least 45 people were killed and more than 200 injured after a fire ignited at the camp following the strike, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry and Palestinian medics. It marks the deadliest incident in Rafah since Israel began its offensive in the city in May. The U.N. Security Council has called an emergency meeting for today to discuss the incident. Mohammad Al Sawalhi, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder, Sarah El Sirgany, and Nadeen Ebrahim report for CNN; Peter Bowes reports for BBC News; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Israeli tanks reached the center of Rafah for the first time today, witnesses say. The military said its forces continued to operate in the Rafah area without commenting on reported advancements into the city center. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.

Aid trucks from Egypt entered Gaza on Sunday under a new U.S.-brokered agreement to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing, the Israeli military and the Egyptian Red Crescent said. Aaron Boxerman and Vivek Shankar report for the New York Times.

The White House is still assessing whether the Israeli strike that killed 45 civilians in Rafah is a violation of President Biden’s “red line,” according to two U.S. officials. "

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A Russian strike killed 18 people in a Kharkiv megastore over the weekend, the deadliest attack on Ukraine in several weeks. Maria Kostenko, Svitlana Vlasova, Radina Gigova, and Ivana Kottasová report for CNN.

Ukraine and Belgium signed a bilateral security agreement today including the delivery of 30 F-16 fighter jets. The pact was signed during a Brussels meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo. Reuters reports. 

Zelenskyy yesterday urged Western leaders to pressure Russia into peace by using “all means” necessary. Speaking in Spain, Zelenskyy said there needed to be “tangible coercion of Russia,” adding that he will not negotiate with Russia directly until Moscow’s forces leave all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea. Matt Murphy and James Waterhouse reports for BBC News.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had dropped about 3,200 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine this month and that Kyiv did not have enough air defence missiles to stop attacks on such a scale.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces captured two villages – Ivanivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and Netailove in eastern Donetsk. There was no comment from Ukraine on the claims.

Ukraine launched two attacks on the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk in its east, triggering a fire, according to Russian-appointed officials. Ukraine made no official comment on either incident. Ukrainian news outlets said the target of the second strike was an airfield."

lousubcap

What QAnon supporters, butthole sunners and New Age spiritualists have in common

Published: May 28, 2024 8:18am EDT
Scary at a minimum-

https://theconversation.com/what-qanon-supporters-butthole-sunners-and-new-age-spiritualists-have-in-common-228857?utm_

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured yesterday in a strike that hit a tent encampment housing displaced people in Al-Mawasi, an area in southern Gaza area that Israel has designated a humanitarian safe zone, according to the Hamas-run health ministry and Gazan officials. The Israeli military has denied it carried out any attacks inside the zone. Hiba Yazbek and Abu Bakr Bashir report for the New York Times; Kareem Fahim, Hajar Harb, Loveday Morris, Sarah Dadouch and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.

Israel gave Qatar, Egypt, and the United States on Monday an updated proposal for a possible hostage release deal that could lead to a temporary ceasefire, according to two sources with knowledge of the negotiations. U.S. and Israeli officials said a meeting in Paris on Friday between CIA director Bill Burns, Mossad director Yossi Cohen, and Qatar’s prime minister made progress toward the possible resumption of negotiations. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The White House has provided the most complete definition yet of what it considers a “major ground operation” in Rafah that could change U.S. policy towards Israel, and said Israel’s actions haven’t reached that level. “We have not seen them smash into Rafah – we have not seen them go in with large units, large numbers of troops in columns and formations in some sort of coordinated maneuver against multiple targets on the ground. That is a major ground operation,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters yesterday. “As a result of this strike on Sunday, I have no policy changes to speak to” Kirby said. Trevor Hunnicutt and Katherine Jackson report for Reuters; Kevin Liptak and Samantha Waldenberg report for CNN.

Israel used U.S.-made bombs in Sunday’s deadly strike on a Rafah tent camp, according to weapons experts and visual evidence reviewed by CNN and The New York Times. Allegra Goodwin, Avery Schmitz, and Kathleen Magramo report for CNN; Robin Stein, Christiaan Triebert, and Haley Willis report for the New York Times.

The U.S.-constructed pier to transport aid into Gaza broke apart and sustained damage in heavy seas yesterday, the Pentagon announced. The pier was “damaged and sections of the pier need rebuilding and repairing,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said, adding that the pier will be removed from the Gaza coast over the next 48 hours and taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod for repairs. The gap in aid deliveries is likely to extend “at least a week.” Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN; Dan Lamothe, Alex Horton and Kareem Fahim report for the Washington Post."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Calls are mounting to let Ukraine strike Russia with Western weapons. French president Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that Kyiv should be allowed to target military sites used by Russia to launch attacks at Ukraine. His comments follow similar calls made by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and government ministers in Poland, Sweden, Lithuania, and Latvia. Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday repeated his warnings to the West against helping Ukraine strike Russia. Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times; Siobhán O’Grady and Serhiy Morgunov report for the Washington Post.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “serious consequences”, and stressed his country’s nuclear strength, if Ukraine’s Western allies allowed weapons supplied to Kyiv to be used to attack targets inside Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told The Economist in an interview last week that alliance members should let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with Western weapons, a view supported by some NATO members but not by the United States. Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently occupies about 18 percent of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin would applaud Joe Biden’s absence if the US president did not attend Kyiv’s Swiss peace summit next month. Switzerland has invited more than 160 delegations and the US has said it will send an official, but not their identity.

Ukraine’s military said Russian forces had launched 25 assaults along the 1,200km (750-mile) front line, with the heaviest fighting in the Pokrovsk sector, northwest of Donetsk."

lousubcap

This on the Russia-Ukraine war:

French cruise missiles targeting Russia?

Putin is rattled as NATO members warm to the idea of allowing Ukraine to attack bases deep inside Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday in Germany that he’s okay with Ukraine’s military using French-provided cruise missiles to strike Russian military bases used as missile launch points well beyond the front lines of Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion.    “We must allow them to neutralize military sites from which missiles are being fired, military sites from which Ukraine is being attacked,” Macron said while standing beside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who did not object. Ukraine “was attacked and it should be allowed to defend itself,” Scholz told reporters Tuesday.    NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has also been speaking publicly about the idea. “Especially now, when a lot of the fighting is going on in Kharkiv, close to the border, to deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves,” Stoltenberg told The Economist last week.     Putin responded by alluding to Russia’s nuclear weapons, telling reporters Tuesday, “If these serious consequences occur in Europe, how will the United States behave, bearing in mind our parity in the field of strategic weapons?...It's hard to say; do they want a global conflict?” Putin said. Reuters has more." The only non third world card Vlad the Impaler has is his nukes."

fishlessman

sounds like putins bluffing.....maybe he needs a triple dog dare

lousubcap

From Politico today-
"Russia could inflame tensions in the Balkans and create a new war for the West to diffuse if it prevails in its war with Ukraine, Kosovo’s top diplomat told NatSec Daily.

In an interview at Kosovo’s embassy across from the National Cathedral in Washington, Foreign Minister DONIKA GËRVALLA-SCHWARZ warned that Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN ’s territorial ambitions don’t stop at the Ukrainian border — and that Ukraine’s victory against Russia would ensure stability in the long-troubled Balkans.

“Putin's strategy is to keep the West distracted with various conflicts,” she said. “So another war in the Balkans would be very welcomed by Russia.”

Kosovo in particular is an alluring target for Putin, she added, because the country’s prosperity undermines his argument that the West cannot help former Eastern bloc countries. NATO and Washington are celebrated for stopping ethnic violence and genocide in the region following the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

“Putin speaks every week about Kosovo,” she said. “It’s not about the geopolitical importance of Kosovo, but it is about the fact that Kosovo is a success story of the West, a success story of the United States of America, it’s a success story of NATO, a success story of the European Western countries.”

Gërvalla-Schwarz’s warning comes as other European nations in Russia’s backyard have publicly voiced their concerns about Putin’s growing aggression toward its neighbors. Last week, Sweden said Putin was eyeing the strategically significant Baltic island of Gotland . Finnish Prime Minister PETTERI ORPO warned Russia is already attacking its neighbors using hybrid tactics . And the European Union also condemned Russia for removing buoys delineating its river border with Estonia ."

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israel’s military said yesterday it has taken “tactical control” of the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land separating Egypt from Gaza, meaning it now controls Gaza’s entire land border. An IDF spokesperson claimed about 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza were found within the zone, which Egyptian TV quoted sources as denying. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said repeatedly that controlling the corridor is critical for postwar Israeli security. 

Israel’s national security adviser said yesterday he expects the war in Gaza to continue at least until the end of the year. “We expect another seven months of combat in order to shore up our achievement and realize what we define as the destruction of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s military and governing capabilities,” Tzachi Hanegbi said. Aaron Boxerman, Gabby Sobelman, Erika Solomon, and Thomas Fuller report for the New York Times. 

Aid entering Gaza has dropped by 67% since May 7, the day after Israel began its Rafah offensive, according to a report released yesterday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Biden administration was aware of Israel’s plans to take control of the Philadelphi Corridor, according to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. “I can tell you that their movements along the corridor did not come as a surprise to us and were in keeping with what we understood their plan to be,” Kirby said. Dov Lieber reports for the Wall Street Journal. "

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"China could arrange a Russia-Ukraine peace conference, the Russian state news agency RIA cited Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as saying today. Reuters reports. 

The United States is concerned that recent Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian nuclear radar stations could destabilize Moscow, a U.S. official said. It comes as the Biden administration is weighing whether to lift restrictions on Ukraine using U.S.-supplied weapons in cross-border attacks. Ellen Nakashima and Isabelle Khurshudyan report for the Washington Post.

Russia’s defence ministry said it neutralised 13 Ukrainian aerial drones in the southern Krasnodar region and close to the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine’s air force said its defence systems destroyed seven Russia-launched missiles and 32 drones overnight. The commander said Russian forces attacked “military facilities and critical infrastructure in Ukraine” but did not provide additional details.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that weapons provided by the United States were helping Ukraine stabilise the front line amid intensifying Russian attacks and that Washington would “adapt and adjust” its approach to military support in line with battlefield developments."

lousubcap

An alert for any readers here-Friday's updates will be later in the day as I am travelling til early evening.  

lousubcap

Russia-Ukraine and the US decision regarding weapons employment in the Kharkiv are (from Politico):

"It’s official: Ukraine is now allowed to use some U.S.-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russian territory.

The Biden administration has quietly given Ukraine permission to strike across the border from Kharkiv — and only that area — using U.S.-provided weapons. That’s according to two U.S. officials and two other people familiar with the move who spoke to our own ERIN BANCO , ALEX WARD and LARA SELIGMAN today .

It's a major reversal that will help Ukraine to better defend its second-largest city, following hints from top Biden aides that the U.S. would consider the move this week.

“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S. weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” one of the U.S. officials confirmed, adding that the policy of allowing long-range strikes inside Russia “has not changed.”

In recent days, U.S. officials repeatedly told the public that there was no shift policy, but signaled that it was possible. Ukrainian officials, European allies and U.S. lawmakers from both parties have been calling on Biden to allow such strikes across the border for weeks — and the White House listened.

Ukraine asked the U.S. to make this policy change only after Russia’s offensive on Kharkiv began this month, the official added. In the last few days, the U.S. made the decision to allow Ukraine “flexibility” to defend itself from attacks on the border near Kharkiv, the second U.S. official said.

In effect, Ukraine can now use American-provided weapons, such as rockets and rocket launchers, to shoot down launched Russian missiles heading toward Kharkiv, at troops massing just over the Russian border near the city, or Russian bombers launching bombs toward Ukrainian territory. But the official said Ukraine cannot use those weapons to hit civilian infrastructure or launch long-range missiles, such as the Army Tactical Missile System, to hit military targets deep inside Russia.

It’s a stunning shift the administration initially said would escalate the war by more directly involving the U.S. in the fight. But worsening conditions for Ukraine on the battlefield — namely Russia’s advances and improved position in Kharkiv — led the president to change his mind. Kyiv has spent the last several days drawing up plans to use the weapons to hit the Russian targets, working to keep the news quiet until it achieved its goals."

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hames update:

"The Israeli military confirmed for the first time today it is operating in the center of Rafah, calling the offensive there “precise” and “intelligence-based.” The IDF said Israeli troops in central Rafah have located Hamas weaponry, and that a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force was killed in a drone strike. Gaza medics said that Israeli forces killed at least 12 Palestinians yesterday in Rafah. Separately, the military said today its forces have wrapped up a nearly three-week long operation in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Emanuel Fabian reports for The Times of Israel; Dan Williams reports for Reuters.

The State Department falsified a report absolving Israel of responsibility for blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to a former U.S. official who resigned this week. Stacy Gilbert left her post on Tuesday. She had been one of the department’s subject matter experts who drafted the report under the National Security Memorandum published on May 10. Gilbert said the report went against the advice of its own experts. Julian Borger reports for The Guardian.

 The White House is set to hold a trilateral meeting in Cairo next week between Egyptian, Israeli, and U.S. officials. The discussions will focus on reopening the Rafah crossing, and a plan for securing the Egypt-Gaza border, three U.S. and Israeli officials said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap

US, UK and the Houthis: (been a while.)

U.S. and British forces struck Houthi targets in Yemen yesterday for the first time in more than three months, CENTCOM and the U.K. government have said. The Houthis said today the strikes killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 others, the highest publicly acknowledged death toll from strikes on the group. Three U.S. officials described the strikes as hitting underground facilities, missile launchers, command and control sites, a Houthi vessel, and other facilities. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN; Jon Gambrell and Lolita Baldor report for AP News.

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Ukrainian navy hit an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region with Neptun missiles in early hours of Friday, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. Russian officials said earlier that two people were injured when an oil depot in the Krasnodar region caught fire after Ukraine missile and drone struck targeting oil facilities.

Ukraine’s top military commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskii said Russia was continuing to send additional regiments and brigades from other areas and training grounds to boost its forces along two main lines of attack in the north of the Kharkiv region, where Moscow launched an offensive earlier this month.

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service said its forces destroyed two Russian patrol boats using naval drones off Crimea, which Russia occupied and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow said earlier it had destroyed two naval drones “heading for Crimea”."

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israel has accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war being advanced by President Biden, according to an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden announced on Friday what he said was a three-phase Israeli proposal that would pair hostage releases with a “full and complete ceasefire.” In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy adviser said Biden’s proposal was “a deal we agreed to – it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released.” Hamas has said it views the deal positively, but that its willingness to engage was “based on a permanent cease-fire.” Dan Williams reports for Reuters; Eugenia Yosef, Sophie Tanno, and Benjamin Brown report for CNN.

Biden’s ceasefire plan has tightened Netanyahu’s political jam in Israel. More than 100,000 Israelis marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday night demanding Netanyahu accept the U.S.-brokered deal, while two far-right ministers – Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – threatened to resign and topple his governing coalition if he does. Eugenia Yosef, Sophie Tanno, and Benjamin Brown report for CNN; Shira Rubin, Lior Soroka, Sarah Dadouch and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.

Israel’s defense minister yesterday outlined a framework for a “governing alternative” to Hamas in Gaza. Yoav Gallant said in a statement, “We will isolate areas, remove Hamas operatives from these areas and introduce forces that will enable an alternative government to form — an alternative that threatens Hamas,” without offering further details. The New York Times reports."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia and China of trying to derail his upcoming global peace summit in Switzerland. Speaking at an Asian security conference in Singapore, Zelenskyy said both countries were trying to dissuade other states from attending the event, in a rare public rebuke of China. Tessa Wong reports for BBC News; Zoya Sheftalovich, Suzanne Lynch, and Stuart Lau report for POLITICO.

China said today that all efforts should be recognized in Russia-Ukraine peace measures. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said that Beijing places great importance on its relations with Ukraine and remains its largest trading partner, adding that China’s position on Zelenskyy’s planned peace conference is very “open and transparent.” Reuters reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told defence and security leaders in Singapore that the Switzerland peace summit scheduled for later this month was the best way to end the “cruel war” in Ukraine and that he was disappointed China would not be attending. He said he had not been able to meet the Chinese delegation in Singapore. China’s foreign affairs minister, Wang Yi, said on Friday that China, which claims to be neutral in the war but has deepened ties with Moscow, would not be taking part.

Ukraine imposed emergency power shutdowns in all but three regions of the country a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy facilities, which also injured 19 people."

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Palestinian officials have applied to join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. The request, published yesterday, alleges that Israel’s ongoing military offensive is “part of a systematic effort to wipe Palestinian society and its culture and social institutions from the map.” The request was made on behalf of the “State of Palestine” and signed by Ammar Hijazi, a Palestinian Authority foreign ministry official. Mike Corder reports for AP News.

Israeli officials are concerned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public insistence he will continue the war until Hamas is defeated could sabotage the “constructive ambiguity” used in Israel’s latest ceasefire plan. The plan’s ambiguous language could allow both sides to enter the first phase of the deal, which includes some hostage releases and a 42-day ceasefire, while leaving for later the question of whether the agreement will lead to the end of the war. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Hamas is slated to send a delegation to Cairo today to discuss the Israeli ceasefire plan, two officials told The Times of Israel. 

President Biden’s description of Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal was “not accurate,” a senior Israeli official told NBC News. The official disputed that Israel had agreed to the full withdrawal of its forces from Gaza as part of a hostage release deal, and said that while the White House described the plan as originating from Israel, it was actually a proposal put forward by mediators which Israel had amended. Raf Sanchez, Yuliya Talmazan, and Monica Alba report for NBC News."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The White House confirmed President Biden will not attend the upcoming Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland. Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will represent the United States during the two-day event. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the decision “would only be met with applause by Putin.” Veronika Melkozerova reports for POLITICO.

Ukrainian forces yesterday claimed they had successfully hit a Russian missile system using Western-supplied weapons inside Russian territory. It is unclear if the weapons used in the strike were specifically U.S.-supplied. The Kremlin warned yesterday that Washington could face “fatal consequences” if it does not heed Moscow’s caution against Ukraine using U.S. weapons to strike Russia. AnneClaire Stapleton and Christian Edwards report for CNN;  Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana reports for POLITICO.

Kyiv warned of more power cuts following large-scale Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants and energy infrastructure. “After six massive attacks on the power grid, there is a significant power shortage,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy said on social media.

Russian air defence units intercepted 20 Ukrainian drones in southern Russia’s Kursk region bordering Ukraine, according to regional Governor Alexei Smironov. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it was not safe to restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine while war raged around it. The plant, Europe’s biggest, was occupied by Russia shortly after the war began."

lousubcap

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israel’s military said yesterday it carried out new airstrikes and ground raids around Bureij in central Gaza, hitting multiple targets including a U.N. school building where it claimed Hamas was “embedded.” Palestinian news outlets reported at least five had been killed in the strikes in Bureij, and three others died in nearby Maghazi. The New York Times reports. 

Israel is phasing out its use of a desert detention camp, a state attorney told Israel’s Supreme Court today during the first-ever hearing about the facility. The hearing comes in response to a petition by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and other human rights groups, which drew on a CNN investigation detailing abuses there. Abeer Salman, Tamara Qiblawi, Allegra Goodwin, and Barbara Arvanitidis report for CNN. 

Israel’s Defense Ministry yesterday officially signed a $3 billion deal with the United States to procure a third F-35 fighter jet squadron. The ministry said the planes would be delivered starting in 2028, financed by U.S. military aid to Israel. Emanuel Fabian reports for The Times of Israel.

Qatar said yesterday it delivered an Israeli ceasefire proposal to Hamas that reflected the positions stated by Biden. A spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry said the proposal is now much closer to the positions of both sides, but that it was still waiting to reach language that was agreed by both parties. Reuters reports."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A senior official in the US Department of Treasury said the US and its Group of Seven (G7) partners were making progress on finding ways to provide more urgently-needed funds to Ukraine through the profits earned on $300bn in frozen Russian assets. The White House said the issue would be discussed at the G7 summit in Italy on June 13-14.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said he would hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on Friday and “discuss the situation on the ground” in Ukraine. Zelenskyy will also address France’s National Assembly.

Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said the United States’s move to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike inside Russia was a “vital decision” that would weaken Russia in its border areas and enable Ukraine to better defend its territory in the northeastern region of Kharkiv."

lousubcap

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh said yesterday the group would continue to demand a permanent end to the Gaza war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops as part of a ceasefire plan. The comments are an apparent blow to the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal advanced by President Biden last week. Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams report for Reuters.

More than one million people in Gaza are expected to “face death and starvation” by mid-July, according to a new U.N. report released yesterday. Separately, the U.N. children’s agency warned yesterday that 90% of children in Gaza lack the food they need for healthy growth and development. Kareem Fahim, Heba Farouk Mahfouz, Hazem Balousha, and Karen DeYoung report for the Washington Post.

The Israeli government organized and funded a “covert” social media campaign to persuade key U.S. lawmakers and the American public to support Israel’s war against Hamas. The initiative, started last October, included the use of the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT to produce content. It remains active on X, but Meta and OpenAI said it didn’t reach a large audience and that they had disrupted the effort. Sheera Frenkel reports for the New York Times.

Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s director of intelligence met in Doha yesterday with top Hamas officials to discuss the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could arm countries with a view to attacking Western targets. Putin made the statement while condemning the West’s delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine. George Wright reports for BBC News; James Jordan and Harriet Morris report for AP News.

A Russian court yesterday sentenced a U.S-Russian citizen to three and a half years in a penal colony after he criticized the country’s leadership and its war in Ukraine on social media. Ivan Nechepurenko and Alina Lobzina report for the New York Times.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s power grid operator, ordered immediate power cuts in 12 regions across the country because it was “catastrophically short of electricity”. Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent attacks.

Officials said Ukrainian men aged 18-60 who have permanent residency in other countries would no longer be allowed to leave Ukraine if they visited as Kyiv tries to boost its military ranks."

lousubcap

Friday's update may be much later in the day.  Depending on the final schedule I will be otherwise occupied until mid evening.  FYI-

lousubcap

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas’s leader Yahya Sinwar issued the group’s first response to the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal advanced by President Biden. Sinwar told Arab negotiators he would only accept a peace deal if Israel commits to a permanent ceasefire, adding, “Hamas will not surrender its guns or sign a proposal that asks for that.” Summer Said, Stephen Kalin, and Omar Abdel-Baqui report for the Wall Street Journal. 

U.S.-made munitions were used in the Israeli strike on a U.N. school that killed dozens of people, according to analysis by the New York Times and CNN. It marks the second time in less than two weeks that dozens of Palestinians have been killed by U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs. On May 26, 45 people were killed in a displacement camp, also by this specific type of bomb.

The United States told Israel it must be fully “transparent” over the U.N. school strike, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said yesterday. In a rare move, the United States called on Israel to identify publicly the Hamas fighters it said it had killed. Matt Murphy and George Wright report for BBC News.

Netanyahu is slated to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24. In a statement, Netanyahu said he is “very moved to have the privilege of representing Israel before both Houses of Congress and to present the truth about our just war.” Lauren Peller reports for ABC News; Mychael Schnell reports for The Hill.

The U.S.-built pier off Gaza’s coast will undergo at least $22 million in repairs before returning to service soon, two Pentagon officials said. The monetary estimate has not been previously reported. One of the officials added that the cost of the work could rise to as much as $28 million. Dan Lamothe and John Hudson report for the Washington Post. "

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President Biden is due to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris today with a package of $225 million in weapons. Both leaders attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy yesterday, where Biden pledged “we will not walk away” from Ukraine. Biden also for the first time publicly apologized to Ukraine for a monthslong holdup in U.S. military assistance. Christopher Megerian and Sylvie Corbet report for ABC News; Jeff Mason reports for Reuters.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday that France would send Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine, in what would be a significant increase in France’s direct military support to Kyiv. Macron also said Ukrainians would receive months-long training in France as early as this summer. Clea Caulcutt reports for POLITICO.

Russia attacked Ukraine’s critical infrastructure overnight, targeting at least nine regions including Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 48 out of 53 attack drones and all five cruise missiles launched, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram. Svitlana Vlasova and Alex Stambaugh report for CNN.

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 17 out of 18 Shahed-type drones in a Russian attack targeting four regions of the country. A shot-down drone triggered a fire at an infrastructure facility in the Khmelnytskyi region, but there were no reports of casualties or other damage."

lousubcap

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli centrist politician Benny Gantz, a key member of the country’s war cabinet, quit the government yesterday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war. Gantz had threatened to resign last month unless Netanyahu addressed his concerns about how the war would end and post-war plans for Gaza. While Netanyahu’s coalition won’t fall apart, it will likely be destabilized. Two other members of the war cabinet also resigned yesterday, including the commander of the Israeli military’s Gaza division. Adam Rasgon reports for the New York Times; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday that Washington is still working to establish how many were killed in Israel’s rescue operation in Nuseirat on Saturday. “It will take some time for us to make any kind of determination,” Sullivan said. Donica Phifer reports for Axios.

The United States asked the U.N. Security Council late yesterday to vote on its latest ceasefire resolution. The U.S.-led proposal “would bring about a full and immediate ceasefire with the release of hostages,” a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N. said, adding, “Israel has accepted this proposal, and the Security Council has an opportunity to speak with one voice and call on Hamas to do the same.” Mike Ives reports for the New York Times.

A senior Hamas official today urged the United States to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza, ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to Egypt and Israel. Blinken is in the region to advance ceasefire efforts and try to ensure the war does not spillover to Lebanon. Reuters reports."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States is pushing for a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets ahead of a G7 summit in Italy this week, but seven states have yet to agree on a consensus, according to sources familiar with Washington’s plans. MJ Lee reports for CNN.

Ukraine’s military said yesterday it destroyed one of Russia’s most advanced fighter jets in a drone strike on a military base deep inside Russia. Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency (GUR) posted satellite pictures in a post on its Telegram channel to support its claim. Brad Lendon, Maria Kostenko, Darya Tarasova and Hande Atay Alam report for CNN.

On the front line, reports from both sides suggested Russian forces were making headway towards their longstanding goal of capturing the strategic town of Chasiv Yar. The town stands on high ground about 20km (12 miles) west of Bakhmut, which was seized by the Russians a year ago. It is seen by both sides as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, made no mention of Chasiv Yar, but said the area around the town of Pokrovsk, to the southwest, remained the most difficult sector to defend.”This is the toughest area along the entire front line, the one where pressure from the occupiers is the greatest,” he explained.

Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo said it would impose hourlong power cuts throughout the country on Monday evening amid supply constraints. Ukrenergo said the rolling cuts would apply to domestic and industrial customers from 4pm to 10pm (13:00-19:00 GMT)."