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

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The Houthis are at it again.
"The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked two more commercial vesselstransiting the waters off the country’s southern coast this weekend.  

Involved: Container ship M/V Tavvishi, which is a Swiss-owned and  Liberian-flagged vessel, and the German owned and operated M/V Norderney cargo ship. Both were hit with anti-ship ballistic missiles while moving through the Gulf of Aden, U.S. officials at Central Command said Sunday. 

Fortunately, no one was reportedly injured, and both vessels continued on to their destination, CENTCOM said. U.S. forces in the region also destroyed one aerial drone over the Gulf of Aden, as well as two Houthi land-attack cruise missiles and a missile launcher inside Yemen over the weekend, CENTCOM added. 

On Friday, U.S. forces in the region destroyed five Houthi aerial drones, two anti-ship ballistic missiles, and a Houthi patrol boat in the Red Sea. “It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said afterward. "

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Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"The U.N. Security Council yesterday adopted a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Fourteen council members voted in favor, while Russia abstained. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington would work to ensure Israel agreed to the deal and that Qatar and Egypt would work to bring Hamas to the negotiating table. Israel vowed shortly after the vote to persist with its military operation, saying it won’t engage in “meaningless” negotiations with Hamas. A senior Hamas official today said the group accepts the U.N. ceasefire resolution and is ready to negotiate over the details. Mariya Knight, Mia Alberti, Richard Roth, Abeer Salman, and Hamdi Alkhshali report for CNN; Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in Jerusalem. Blinken “reiterated that the [ceasefire] proposal on the table would unlock the possibility of calm along Israel’s northern border and further integration with countries in the region,” according to a State Department readout of the meeting. Blinken is expected to meet today with Benny Gantz, who resigned from Netanyahu’s war cabinet on Sunday. 

Biden administration officials have discussed the option of negotiating a unilateral deal with Hamas to release five U.S. hostages if current ceasefire talks involving Israel fail, according to U.S. officials. Such negotiations would not include Israel and would be conducted through Qatari mediators, the officials said. Monica Alba, Carol E. Lee and Courtney Kube report for NBC News."

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Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Biden administration has lifted a weapons ban on a controversial Ukrainian military. The ban was imposed years ago on the Azov Brigade, a one-time militia now part of Ukraine’s National Guard, after U.S. officials determined some of its founders espoused extremist views, and the U.N. accused the group of human rights violations. The brigade will now have access to the same U.S. military assistance as any other unit. Michael Birnbaum, Siobhán O’Grady and Alex Horton report for the Washington Post.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces captured the village of Staromaiorske on the southern flank of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine’s military made no such acknowledgement in a report issued late on Monday. It said Russian forces had tried to move forward near Staromaiorske and a nearby village, Vodiane, “but were unsuccessful. The defence forces control the situation”.

Ukraine’s military said it damaged three Russian surface-to-air defence systems in missile attacks on Ukraine’s Moscow-occupied Crimea Peninsula. The attacks struck an S-400 system in Dzhankoi and two less advanced S-300 systems near Yevpatoriya and Chornomorske, resulting in “significant losses” for Russian air defences, Ukraine’s general staff said. There was no official comment from Russia. Explosions in the area were reported on social media channels."

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Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas responded yesterday to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, saying it still requires Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal from Gaza. In a statement, the group and its Palestinian Islamic Jihad allies said they were ready to “deal positively” to reach an agreement. “We reiterated our previous stance. I believe there are no big gaps. The ball is now in the Israeli courtyard,” a Hamas official said. Egypt and Qatar confirmed they had received Hamas’s reply. AP News reports; Matt Murphy reports for BBC News; Maayan Lubell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi report for Reuters. 

The United States is “evaluating” Hamas’s response to the latest U.S.-backed Israeli ceasefire proposal, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Qatar today on the third day of his Middle East trip. Emma Graham-Harrison report for The Guardian."

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Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President Biden has approved the deployment of another Patriot missile system to Ukraine, senior administration and military officials said. Biden’s decision came last week, the officials said, after high-level dialogue over how to meet Ukraine’s needs for fortified air defenses without hampering U.S. combat readiness. Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, Edward Wong and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times.

A major rift has emerged between the United States and Europe over a plan to secure a $50 billion loan for Ukraine using seized Russian assets, meaning negotiations will run past this week’s G7 summit. “What Washington is proposing is, ‘We [the U.S.] take a loan, Europe takes all the risk, you [Europe] pay the interest, and we [the U.S.] use the money for a U.S.-Ukraine fund,” one senior E.U. diplomat said, adding, “We might be stupid but we’re not that stupid.” Gregorio Sorgi and Jakob Hanke Vela report for POLITICO.

Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, said the number of Russian attacks on the city had fallen since Ukraine’s army struck missile launch positions in Russia. While missile and drone attacks were continuing, Terekhov told the Reuters news agency that enabling Ukrainian forces to target sites across the border had helped bring relative “calm”.

Russia claimed to have seized two more Ukrainian villages – Myasozharivka in the Luhansk region and Tymkivka in the northeastern Kharkiv region – Russia’s state TASS news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Defence.

White House spokesman John Kirby said the United States will announce new “impactful” sanctions and export controls during the G7 summit in southern Italy later this week, targeting entities and networks helping Russia fight its war against Ukraine. “We’re going to continue to drive up costs for the Russian war machine,” Kirby said.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jin said Beijing would oppose all unilateral sanctions after new warnings from G7 countries on small Chinese banks about their links to Russia."

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Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas has proposed changes to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. Hamas leaders told Arab mediators “they want Israeli forces to withdraw from territory alongside Egypt by the end of the first week after a deal is signed, and to completely withdraw from Gaza and announce a permanent cease-fire before the group releases additional hostages in a second phase.” According to the mediators, Hamas added those changes after an Israeli hostage rescue operation on Saturday killed hundreds of Palestinians. Summer Said, Rory Jones, and Alan Cullison report for the Wall Street Journal.

Israel’s military denied striking a designated “safe zone” in Gaza today after the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported the region was hit by “land, sea and air strikes.” According to WAFA, Al-Mawasi, a coastal region west of Rafah previously designated by Israel as a safe zone, was bombarded early today. Separately, Israeli tanks advanced deeper into the western area of Rafah today, residents reported. Lucas Lilieholm reports for CNN.

Israel’s top general met earlier this week in Bahrain with his counterparts from several Arab militaries to discuss regional security cooperation, according to two sources. The meeting was facilitated by U.S. Central Command and has not been publicly disclosed due to the political sensitivities around the Gaza war. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that some of the changes requested by Hamas to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal were “unworkable.” Speaking in Qatar, Blinken said Hamas had requested “numerous” changes to the deal, adding, “Some of those are workable changes, some are not … It’s time for the haggling to stop.” Andrea Mitchell and Alexander Smith report for NBC News."

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Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President Biden and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy plan to sign a 10-year security agreement today at the G7 summit that will commit Washington to supply Kyiv with a broad range of military assistance, Jake Sullivan said. The deal aims to commit future U.S. support to Ukraine even if former President Trump wins November’s election, officials said. Ellen Nakashima and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post.

NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels today hoping to agree on a new plan to provide long-term security assistance and military training to Ukraine, after Hungary promised to not veto the scheme as long as it’s not forced to play a role. Lorne Cook reports for AP News.

A Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern city of Kryvyi Rih killed at least nine people and injured 29, local officials said. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.

Zelenskyy yesterday said he held “productive” talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focusing on this week’s Peace Summit in Switzerland and improving bilateral relations. Reuters reports.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down more than two dozen air targets, including cruise missiles, a Kinzhal ballistic missile and Shahed drones that Russia launched across Ukraine. The governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region said the attack injured three people and damaged nine private homes, while the governor of the Kyiv region said more than 100 people were working to extinguish a fire started by the attack.

Ukraine’s military said it struck three Russian surface-to-air missile systems in Russian-occupied Crimea near Belbek and Sevastopol. The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol said air defences repelled the missile attack and that no damage had been done."

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Thursday and the Houthis:

Bulk Carrier Flooding After Surface Drone Attack in Red Sea

DUBAI/ATHENS, June 12 (Reuters) – Iran-allied Houthi militants on Wednesday took responsibility for small watercraft and missile attacks that left a Greek-owned cargo ship taking on water and in need of rescue near Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

The Houthis said the Tutor coal carrier was seriously damaged and vulnerable to sinking after they targeted the vessel with an unmanned surface boat, drones and ballistic missiles. 

“The impact of the (unmanned surface vessel) caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said of the attack, which was the Houthis’ first to use a boat successfully as a weapon.

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Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"Hamas does not know how many of the remaining 120 Israeli hostages are still alive, a senior official said yesterday. “I don’t have any idea about that. No one has an idea about this,” Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan told CNN. Hamdan alleged, without providing evidence, that the Israeli operation to rescue four hostages on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three others, including a U.S. citizen. Ben Wedeman, Muhammad Darwis, and Ivana Kottasová report for CNN.

The White House yesterday said it viewed the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal for Gaza as still possible, based on Hamas’s latest response to the plan. “We are working actively to generate a path forward based on what Hamas has come in with,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the G7 summit. President Biden struck a more pessimistic note, saying “Hamas needs to move,” but added, “I haven’t lost hope.” Adam Cancryn reports for POLITICO; Leo Sands, Loveday Morris, Hajar Harb, and Sammy Westfall report for the Washington Post. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early May to release frozen Palestinian Authority (PA) tax revenues, U.S. and Israeli officials said. The Biden administration is concerned the PA could collapse if the tax revenues are not transferred soon, according to U.S. officials. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The U.S. military may again temporarily dismantle the pier off the coast of Gaza due to rough sea conditions, U.S. officials said. Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann and Jennifer Hansler report for CNN."

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Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"G7 leaders yesterday agreed on a plan to give Ukraine a $50 billion loan to help it buy weapons and begin rebuilding its damaged infrastructure. The loan is expected to be repaid using interest earned on $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, which are mostly in European banks. While Washington will underwrite it, U.S. officials say they expect their allies, including E.U. members, to provide some of the funds. David E. Sanger and Steven Erlanger report for the New York Times; Jaroslav Lukiv and Jean Mackenzie report for BBC News."

"World leaders will meet this weekend at the Ukraine summit in Switzerland. Russia was not invited and has dismissed the summit as a sham. Some countries that maintain ties with Russia are expected to attend, including India, Turkey, and Hungary, but others will not despite intense Ukrainian and Swiss lobbying, most notably China. Dave Graham and Tom Balmforth report for Reuters. 

NATO countries are slated to sign off on a new plan for the alliance to take over from the United States in coordinating military aid to Ukraine. The shift is broadly viewed as a move by Europe to “Trump-proof” the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ahead of the November U.S. presidential election. Stuart Lau reports for POLITICO.

The Ukrainian military said its forces were fighting fierce battles near Chasiv Yar, a strategic hilltop settlement in Donetsk, and the situation was “tense”.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia’s advance in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region was slowing and the front line was stabilising after some allies lifted restrictions on Kyiv’s use of donated weapons inside Russian territory."

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Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the War Cabinet that was tasked with steering the Gaza war, Israeli officials said today. The move was widely expected following the resignation of Benny Gantz, an opposition lawmaker who had joined the cabinet early in the war. Netanyahu is now expected to hold smaller consultations with some of his government members on sensitive issues. Tia Goldenberg reports for the Washington Post. 

Israel’s military said yesterday it would halt daytime military operations near a border crossing in southern Gaza every day “until further notice” to allow more aid to enter the enclave. The military later clarified that the pause would be limited and that there would be “no cessation of fighting” in southern Gaza overall, saying, “the fighting in Rafah is continuing.” Vivek Shankar and Isabel Kershner report for the New York Times; Josef Federman, Wafaa Shurafa and Lee Keath report for AP News.

The Israeli government said it is looking to “strengthen” Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after several countries recognized a Palestinian state. In a statement yesterday, Netanyahu’s office said proposals for strengthening settlements in what Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria would be voted on at the next Security Cabinet meeting. Oren Liebermann reports for CNN.

The State Department on Friday imposed sanctions on a right-wing Israeli group involved in disrupting Gaza aid deliveries. The group, Tzav 9, has said its actions were intended to ensure the aid did not end up in Hamas’s hands. Ian Talley and Anat Peled report for the Wall Street Journal."

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Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday laid out his terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying Kyiv would first need to withdraw troops from territories Russia claims to have annexed. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has long said Ukraine will not negotiate with Moscow until Russian forces leave all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, called the proposal a Hitler-like “ultimatum.” Henri Astier reports for BBC News.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday announced a new $1.5 billion aid package for Ukraine. The package will “repair energy infrastructure damaged in the war, expand power generation, encourage private sector investment, and protect energy infrastructure,” according to a White House statement.

Dozens of countries backed Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and urged dialogue for a lasting settlement after a two-day peacebuilding summit in Switzerland. Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates did not sign off on the statement. Switzerland said it was prepared to host a follow-up summit.

The final communique also included a call for the full exchange of prisoners of war, and the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia. Kyiv says as many as 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians since Moscow began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

At a news conference after the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said China should communicate its peace proposals on ending the war to Ukraine directly, instead of doing so via media outlets. Beijing did not send a representative to the summit."

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Houthis update:

US Naval Forces Rescue Crew From Bulk Carrier ‘Tutor’

"CAIRO, June 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said on Sunday that it had rescued the crew from the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier M/V Tutorthat was attacked by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on 12 June in the Red Sea.

Sailors assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group airlifted the crew out on Saturday, NAVCENT said, adding that one civilian sailor remained missing.

The attack, which occurred near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room and left the Tutor unable to maneuver.

On Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the ship’s crew was evacuated and that the abandoned vessel was drifting in the Red Sea.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the small sea craft and missile attacks it used to target the ship as part of their ongoing campaign which they say is in support of the Palestinians and is focused on ships bound for Israel."

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Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Britain’s approval of arms export licenses to Israel plunged to a 13-year-low after the start of the Gaza war, according to a Reuters investigation. By contrast, the United States and Germany increased arms sales to Israel after the war broke out. Andrew Macaskill reports. 

Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers, the U.N. said yesterday. At least 250 aid workers had been killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the U.N. said, adding that nearly 200 of them worked for its main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Raja Abdulrahim reports for the New York Times.

UNRWA said that over 1,000 truckloads of aid were piled up at the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing yesterday, a day after Israel implemented a humanitarian pause in fighting. U.N. officials say people are looting trucks when they reach the enclave, making it unsafe for their employees to deliver aid. Dov Lieber reports for the Wall Street Journal."

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Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"A Russian official said yesterday that fighting was gripping parts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region which Moscow has been trying to seize, and that Ukraine was pouring troops into the area. Reuters reports. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s forces were pushing Russian troops out of the northeastern Kharkiv region where Moscow seized several villages near the border last month. Vitaly Ganchev, a Russia-appointed official in occupied areas of the Kharkiv region, said Ukraine’s military was pouring men and equipment into the area and that the “fiercest clashes” were in Vovchansk, 5km (three miles) inside the border, and near Lyptsy."

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Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"The White House canceled a high-level U.S.-Israel meeting on Iran that was scheduled for tomorrow after Netanyahu released a video claiming Washington was withholding military aid, two U.S. officials said. Biden’s top advisers were reportedly “enraged” by the video. “This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts,” one U.S. official said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

The Biden administration has delayed moving forward with the sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel, even after congressional leaders agreed to allow the deal to proceed, U.S. officials said. “We are looking tactically at the timing. It is not a question of whether. It is a question of when,” a State Department official said. The White House has declined to comment. Jared Malsin and Nancy A. Youssef report for the Wall Street Journal.

Israel’s use of heavy bombs raises “serious concerns” under the laws of war, the U.N. human rights office said today. In a new report, OHCHR provided details of “six emblematic attacks by the IDF in Gaza last year that led to high numbers of fatalities,” concluding that “the IDF may have repeatedly violated fundamental principles of the laws of war.” "

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Wednesday Russia-Ukrine update:

"Defying Western sanctions, Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic pact today pledging to back each other in case of a military attack. Meanwhile, the State Department yesterday accused North Korea of “unlawfully transfer[ing] dozens of ballistic missiles and over 11,000 containers of munitions to aid Russia’s war effort.” Michelle Ye Hee Lee reports for the Washington Post; Reuters reports.

Ukrainian forces launched an overnight drone attack that set several oil storage tanks ablaze in southern Russia’s Rostov region, defence sources in Kyiv told the AFP and Associated Press news agencies. The local governor, Vasily Golubev, said there had been a fire at a storage facility, while a video from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations showed thick smoke and flames billowing out of what appeared to be multiple oil storage tanks in an undisclosed location.

Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said the country would face rolling electricity blackouts on Wednesday to try and ensure supplies after a string of Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants.

Ukraine’s Air Force said air defence systems destroyed all 10 drones that Russia launched overnight targeting the regions of Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk. There were no reports of damage or injuries."

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The latest Houthi update:

"A Liberian-flagged, Greek owned-and-operated bulk carrier sank in the Red Sea days after an attack by Yemen’s Houthis believed to have killed one sailor on board, authorities said today. The Houthis, quoting foreign media outlets they control, acknowledged the sinking. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News."

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Thursday Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah update:

"Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly clashed with his coalition partners yesterday. In a statement, Netanyahu demanded that they “get a hold of themselves” and “put aside all extraneous interests” to focus on the war. The New York Times reports.

Israeli officials held a secret meeting in Qatar earlier this week to try bridge the gap between the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal and Hamas’s requested amendments, the Saudi-owned Elaph news outlet reported. Citing an unnamed official familiar with the negotiations, Elaph reported that the meeting focused largely on fine-tuning technical details, such as the number of living hostages that will be released in the first phase, and how long it will last. The Times of Israel reports.

Israel cannot defeat Hamas without installing a new administration in Gaza, the IDF’s chief spokesperson said yesterday. “The idea that it is possible to destroy Hamas, to make Hamas vanish — that is throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, adding, “If we do not bring something else to Gaza, at the end of the day, we will get Hamas.” Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.

The U.S. military’s floating pier in Gaza is expected to resume operations today, according to two U.S. officials. The pier was re-attached to the shore yesterday after being removed last Friday due to poor weather conditions, the officials said. Reuters reports; Hayley Britzky and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN.

Hezbollah:

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah warned of a war “without rules or ceilings” in the event of a full-scale Israeli offensive against the group. Hassan Nasrallah also threatened that Cyprus, which has a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Israel, could become a target if it allowed Israel to use its territory in a potential conflict. Cyprus’s president said in response yesterday evening, “Cyprus remains uninvolved in any military conflicts.” Peter Beaumont and Helena Smith reports for The Guardian; CNN reports.

“Operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved” by top Israeli generals on Tuesday, the IDF said, following the recent intensification of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah. Separately, Hezbollah yesterday announced the deaths of three fighters and said it had fired dozens of rockets and shells at Israeli forces in response. Emanuel Fabian reports for The Times of Israel; Rory Jones reports for the Wall Street Journal; "

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Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"At least two people were injured and residential buildings were damaged in Ukraine’s western region of Lviv after a wave of Russian drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure over six regions of the country. The air force said it destroyed 19 out of 21 drones launched by Russia.

Ukraine’s military said Russian forces had “intensified” their assaults near Toretsk on the front line in the eastern Donetsk region and “launched five assault operations at once”, targeting surrounding towns and villages. The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces had “improved” their positions around Toretsk, which had a population of about 32,000 people before the war.

Rostov regional governor Vasily Golubev said a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil terminal in southern Russia continued into a second day despite firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the flames. The facility was struck on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed on a new comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years. Putin thanked Kim for his “unwavering” support in Ukraine, while Kim promised “full support and solidarity” for the Russian invasion."

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Friday Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah update:

U.S. officials are concerned that Lebanon’s Hezbollah could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses, including the Iron Dome, in the event of an all out war. Israel has also communicated these concerns to Washington, the officials said, adding that Israel has said it is planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group. Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler report for CNN.

Israel’s energy minister yesterday threatened a “power outage for months” in Lebanon if the Israeli electricity grid was disabled for even a few hours by Hezbollah. The chief executive of the government company responsible for managing the electric grid had earlier said that Hezbollah “could easily bring down the electricity grid in Israel.” The New York Times reports.

Israeli forces stepped up bombardment across the Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter combat with Hamas fighters, local residents and the Israeli military said. Residents reported that the Israel military appeared to be attempting to complete its capture of Rafah, while the IDF said today its forces were conducting “precise, intelligence-based” actions in the region. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.

The White House and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday sparred over his complaints about U.S. support. John Kirby said there was “no other country that’s done more, or will continue to do more, than the United States to help Israel defend itself,” adding that Netanyahu’s comments were “deeply disappointing and certainly vexing to us.” Daniel Victor and Erica L. Green report for the New York Times.

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Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The United States will boost Ukraine’s air defense munitions by pausing planned exports to its allies and partners, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. “We have, of course, informed all the affected countries that we are taking this extraordinary step,” Kirby said, adding, “The response we got was broadly supportive … because they know how serious the need is in Ukraine.” Alex Horton and John Hudson report for the Washington Post; Nancy A. Youssef and Gordon Lubold report for the Wall Street Journal. 

The United States signaled that it has expanded its policy to allow Ukraine to counterstrike into Russia. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS News on Monday that the agreement with Ukraine to fire into Russia extends wherever Russian forces are engaging in cross-border attacks into Ukraine, not just in the Kharkiv region as was previously determined. Haley Britzky and Natasha Bertrand report for CNN.

The Russian military appears to have unleashed a new weapon on Ukraine for the first time on Thursday in northeastern Kharkiv. It's a 6,600-pound, air-launched glide bomb known as the FAB-3000 UMPK. It’s part of a wider Russian effort, as David Axe of Forbes wrote in March, to bolt “pop-out wings and satellite-guidance kits to 1,100-, 2,200- and 3,300-pound dumb bombs” from the Kremlin’s stockpiles. (The designation refers to the updated universal planning and correction module.)

According to footage posted online, the bomb exploded near “the end of a building used by the Ukrainian army as a temporary deployment point,” the Kyiv Independent reports. And while it seems to have failed to strike precisely as intended, it nonetheless appeared to leave a wide zone of destruction. 

Russian missile attacks Thursday forced rolling blackouts across Ukraine, and have “knocked out half of Ukraine's energy generating capacity since March,” Reutersreported from Kyiv. The Associated Press has more on the topic, reporting Friday from the capital. 

Developing: Ukraine says it struck four Russian oil refineries with drones overnight Thursday. That included the Afipsky, Ilsky, Krasnodar, and Astrakhan facilities, Reuters reports. “The damage of these refineries will significantly complicate the logistics of fuel oil supply, making it more expensive and time-consuming, as it will have to be delivered from other refineries," a Ukrainian source told the wire service."

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Monday Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah update:

"Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the “intense phase of the war with Hamas is about to end,” and that the military’s focus could then shift to the Israel-Lebanon border. He added, “It doesn’t mean that the war is going to end, but the war in its current stage is going to end in Rafah.” Netanyahu also said he is ready to make “a partial deal” with Hamas to release some hostages, but repeated his stance that the war will continue after a ceasefire “to achieve the goal of eliminating” Hamas. Hamas replied to Netanyahu’s remarks, saying his bid for a partial deal was a “clear rejection” of the proposal advanced by President Biden. Lauren Izso and Mohammed Tawfeeq report for CNN; Chantal Da Silva reports for NBC News.

A far-right Israeli official described a secret government bid to cement control of the occupied West Bank. At a private event earlier this month, Bezalel Smotrich told settlers about a covert effort to irreversibly change the way the territory is governed to secure Israel’s control over it, without being accused of formally annexing it. In a taped recording, Smotrich can be heard suggesting the goal was to prevent the West Bank from becoming part of a Palestinian state. Natan Odenheimer, Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant arrived in Washington yesterday for meetings with U.S. officials amid increasing concern that border clashes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah could escalate into all-out war. Hezbollah released a video on Saturday threatening to attack key Israeli buildings if a full-scale conflict were to break out in Lebanon. Sarah Dadouch, Kyle Melnick and Niha Masih report for the Washington Post."

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Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russia blamed Washington and Kyiv equally for a missile attack on Crimea in which U.S.-supplied missiles killed four people and injured 151. The defense ministry also said that U.S. specialists set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of U.S. intelligence, meaning the United States was directly responsible. Russia has summoned the U.S. ambassador and today vowed retaliation for the strike. Yohannes Lowe reports for The Guardian; Yuliya Talmazan reports for NBC News.

Ukrainian energy facilities came under a “massive” overnight attack from Russia, Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Saturday, describing it as the eighth time Russia has launched an attack on energy infrastructure facilities in the past three months. Later on Saturday, officials in Kharkiv said Russian strikes killed three people and injured at least 18. Jacqueline Howard reports for BBC News; Leonie Cater reports for POLITICO.

Ukraine’s energy operator, Ukrenergo, said that rolling electricity blackouts would be imposed nationwide throughout Monday because of increased Russian attacks on power stations.

The Ukrainian Navy released photos that it said confirmed the destruction of a warehouse that Russia was using to launch and store Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Navy officials said training instructors and cadets were killed in the attack on Friday night in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. Moscow has not commented on the reports, although officials said air defences shot down several drones in the region overnight on Friday."

lousubcap

Tuesday Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah update:

"Israel’s Supreme Court ruled today that ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must immediately conscript into the Israeli military and are no longer eligible for substantial government benefits. The decision, which follows years of controversy, could result in ultra-Orthodox lawmakers pulling out of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and collapsing the government. Shira Rubin reports for the Washington Post.

The United States has warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah that it cannot restrain Israel if escalation continues, according to three sources. During his meeting with the Lebanese speaker of parliament in Beirut, President Biden’s envoy Amos Hochstein asked for the message to be relayed to Hezbollah that Washington does not control Israel and would not be able to stop it from invading Lebanon if the group continues its attacks. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"E.U. countries yesterday approved a first tranche of up to €1.4 billion (U.S. $1.5 billion) in military aid for Ukraine from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, according to four diplomats. While Hungary vetoed the plan, E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the E.U. will use a “legal procedure” to get around Hungary’s blockage. Jacopo Barigazzi reports for POLITICO; Joe Barnes reports for The Telegraph.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday removed one of his top generals amid public criticism that the commander’s decisions had resulted in excessive casualties. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times.

The Pentagon said yesterday that Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions after the Kremlin directly blamed the United States for a deadly attack on Crimea that it said was carried out with U.S.-supplied weapons. Reuters reports. (More below).

The Kremlin warned the United States of “consequences” and summoned its ambassador after a Ukrainian attack on Moscow-annexed Crimea killed four people. Russia said the attack was carried out with US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles and claimed Washington bore responsibility.

In response to the Russian claims, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States regretted any civilian loss of life and that Russia was to blame for the war. “We provide weapons to Ukraine so it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression — that includes in Crimea which, of course, is part of Ukraine,” Miller told reporters. Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said that Ukrainians “make their own decisions”."

fishlessman

it wasnt me.....good excuse for 5 year old boys and world leaders

lousubcap

An interesting perspective on the upcoming debate:

Haberman predicts Trump will be ‘very mean’ to Biden in debate

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4739228-maggie-haberman-donald-trump-joe-biden-2024-debate-cnn/?email=dd294cf2aa830e38ac73761bb083db8a331ad6df&emaila=18ef3a9b5c0145ffffb137da176e4b62&emailb=bd7105ec6726d92e4d8a722bb54636a5c7d880e28c74730477aae05864595e03&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=06.25.24%20Campaign%20Report%20EC%20TM

dbCooper

My grandpa taught me how to handle bullies while I was in grade school, a solid punch to the face.  Figuratively, as literally is off the table, that should be Biden's response should the situation occur.