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

lousubcap

Monday Middle East update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday vowed to take “whatever action is necessary” to diminish the threat posed by Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader warned that the conflict was entering “a new stage.” Adam Rasgon and Vivek Shankar report for the New York Times.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon today killed over 100 people and wounded 400, Lebanon’s health ministry said. The Israeli military said it is conducting “extensive” air strikes, urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate from areas used by Hezbollah, an IDF spokesperson said. The Guardian reports; BBC News reports.

Hezbollah confirmed its head of military operations, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike on a southern Beirut neighborhood. Lebanese officials say at least 36 people were killed and at least 68 wounded. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

President Biden said yesterday the United States is doing “everything we can” to prevent a wider war in the Middle East. U.S. officials say Washington is “extremely concerned” about the risk of an all-out war, but hopes to rely on increasing Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah to secure a diplomatic deal to return civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. Tara Suter reports for The Hill; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Slain Hezbollah leader Aqil had long been wanted by the United States for his involvement in the bombings of the U.S. embassy in Beirut and Marine Corps Barracks in 1983. Rory Laverty and Dan Lamothe report for the Washington Post.

Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza to besiege Hamas and force the release of hostages. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are estimated to remain in the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two. It is unclear whether, when, or how they would be allowed to return. Mick Krever and Eugenia Yosef report for CNN."

lousubcap

Monday Russia-Ukraine update: (Pretty slim.)

"The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 80 Shahed drones and two missiles at Ukraine overnight into Sunday. Air defences shot down 71 drones while a further six were lost on location because of electronic warfare countermeasures, the statement said.

Ukraine President Zelenskyy arrived in the United States where he will present proposals for peace which he has dubbed a “victory plan” to President Joe Biden, as well as election candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. He spent his first day in the country visiting Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, a Pennsylvania factory that produces 155mm artillery shells.

The U.S. is considering sending Ukraine a medium-range missile for its new F-16 fleet as part of a $375 million military aid package expected to be announced Monday.

The Joint Standoff Weapon, already used by the U.S. Air Force and Navy and a number of allies, can hit targets over 70 miles away, giving Ukraine a major upgrade to the weapons it’s using to strike Russian forces and allowing them to do it at safer distances.

The package, which is still being finalized according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the issue, will also include artillery munitions, rockets and air defense missiles. The people were granted anonymity to discuss the package ahead of the announcement and acknowledged that the contents could still change before the official announcement is made."

lousubcap

Tuesday Middle East update:

"Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah continued overnight as thousands of people fled their homes in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 492 people had been killed and at least 1,600 others wounded, marking the deadliest single day of conflict since the civil war ended in 1990. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel this morning, but the IDF said most were intercepted. BBC News reports; the Washington Post reports. 

The United States is sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East in response to escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Pentagon said yesterday. Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor report for AP News.

France’s foreign minister said his country was requesting an emergency Security Council meeting on the situation in Lebanon, where French troops are located as part of the U.N. peacekeeping force. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

China’s foreign minister told his Lebanese counterpart yesterday that China strongly condemned Israel’s airstrikes and supported Lebanon in safeguarding its security. Separately, Jordanian officials expressed solidarity with Lebanon, calling for U.N. action against “Israeli aggression,” while Turkey said Israel’s attacks on Lebanon “mark a new phase in its efforts to drag the entire region into chaos.” Reuters reports; the Washington Post reports. 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said yesterday that Israel’s July assassination of Hamas’s political leader in Tehran will not go “unanswered.” Pezeshkian said that Iran’s response to the killing was delayed because of U.S. warnings that a Gaza ceasefire deal was imminent, which he called misleading. He also said Iran will back Hezbollah so long as Washington continues to arm Israel. John Hudson and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post." 

lousubcap

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update: (Pretty slim.)

"Russia’s Foreign Ministry said at least 56 civilians had been killed and 266 injured in the seven weeks since Ukraine began its surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine abided by international humanitarian law and did not target civilians. He urged Russia to allow the United Nations and Red Cross access to the area to verify the situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “decisive action” by the United States now could hasten the end of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Zelenskyy is on a visit to the US and trying to secure approval to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons on military targets within Russia. He was speaking after a meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress. He will meet President Joe Biden on Thursday."

lousubcap

Wednesday Middle East update:

"The Israeli military said it was carrying out a new wave of “extensive” strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area. The Lebanese health ministry said 10 people were killed in the latest strikes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired a missile at Tel Aviv early today, the first time the group had targeted the country’s capital. The Israeli military said it intercepted the rocket. BBC News reports; NBC News reports.

Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah over the last week achieved many short-term goals, but there is no clear strategy for restoring calm or returning civilians to the north, according to five current and former senior Israeli officials. Ronen Bergman reports for the New York Times.

President Biden yesterday urged Israel and Hezbollah to step away from the brink of all-out war, arguing in his final speech at the U.N. that there was still time for them to pull back. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Michael Birnbaum, and John Hudson report for the Washington Post.

Iran has brokered ongoing covert talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthis to transfer anti-ship missiles to the group, three sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s increasing ties to Moscow. John Irish, Parisa Hafezi, and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters."

lousubcap

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 81 drones and four missiles to attack the country overnight from Monday into Tuesday. The air force said it shot down 66 drones and that it lost track of 13 more in several Ukrainian regions.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence units destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones – six each over the Belgorod and Kursk regions, and one over the Bryansk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the 15-member United Nations Security Council that Russia’s war on Ukraine could not be ended by talks alone and that Moscow had to be forced into peace. Zelenskyy said Moscow was the “sole aggressor” in the war and accused North Korea and Iran of being “de-facto accomplices” for providing Russia with arms."

lousubcap

Thursday Middle East update:

"The United States, its European allies, and several Arab states yesterday unveiled a joint ceasefire proposal to temporarily end the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The deal would see a 21-day pause in the fighting. In a joint statement, President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron called for international endorsement of the plan to “give diplomacy a chance.” Michael D. Shear, Edward Wong, and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the U.N. General Assembly yesterday that Israel cannot widen its war into Lebanon without consequences. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his military to keep fighting with “full force,” an apparent rejection of last night’s ceasefire proposal. “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond,” Netanyahu’s office said. The comments have dashed hopes of a swift peaceful settlement. BBC News reports; James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.

Israel said yesterday it was readying troops for a potential ground incursion into Lebanon, as it called up more reservists. Israeli’s military chief told troops in the north, “You will go in, destroy the enemy there and decisively destroy their infrastructure.” Claire Parker, Lior Soroka, and Suzan Haidamous report for the Washington Post.

Videos show Israeli bulldozers flattening miles of infrastructure and businesses in the West Bank towns of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as soldiers blocking emergency responders, according to a New York Times analysis. Erika Solomon, Lauren Leatherby, and Aric Toler report."

lousubcap

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday his government is considering changing its nuclear weapons use policy, saying it would consider an attack from a non-nuclear state that was backed by a nuclear-armed one to be a “joint attack.” The remarks were an apparent threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Frances Mao reports for BBC News.

Russia is preparing to attack Ukrainian nuclear plants to disconnect them from the power grid, risking “a nuclear disaster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned yesterday at the U.N. General Assembly. Michael Birnbaum reports for the Washington Post. 

Russia “has established a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in the war against Ukraine,” according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents analyzed by Reuters.

The United States will announce over $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine during Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington today, officials say. Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle, and Phil Steward report for Reuters.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had captured the Ukrainian villages of Hostre and Hryhorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, not far from the town of Vuhledar, a longtime Ukrainian stronghold that had a population of 14,000 before the war. The General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces, in a late evening report, said there had been eight armed clashes in the Vuhledar area. Filashkin, the governor for the region, said Russian reconnaissance groups were in Vuhledar, but its forces had not captured the town.

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 28 out of 32 Russian drones and four out of eight missiles during an overnight attack. Four of the missiles targeted the southern region of Odesa, its regional governor, Oleh Kiper, said. One hit an open area causing a fire, while two trucks were also damaged. No casualties were reported."

lousubcap

Friday Middle East update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his team will continue talks with Washington over a ceasefire initiative in Lebanon. In a statement yesterday, Netanyahu said that “Israel shares the aim” of the U.S.-led initiative for a 21-day ceasefire, walking back on previous remarks denying he had a private understanding with Washington about the proposal. BBC News reports; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Israel’s military said it carried out a “precise strike” in Beirut that killed a Hezbollah commander who had “directed numerous aerial terror attacks” against Israel. Hezbollah has confirmed the death. Two people were killed and 15 others injured in the strike, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Victoria Bisset and Bryan Pietsch report for the Washington Post; Jomana Karadasheh reports for CNN.

Netanyahu arrived in New York yesterday, ahead of a speech to the U.N. General Assembly scheduled today. Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators protested in Manhattan against Israel’s war in Gaza and its recent strikes on Lebanon. Alyce McFadden and Gaya Gupta report for the New York Times.

Israel concealed explosives inside the batteries of pagers sold to Hezbollah using technology so advanced that it was virtually undetectable, two Lebanese officials say.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that U.S. support for Israel defending itself “won’t change in the future,” but warned the prospect of an “all-out-war” in the Middle East could be “devastating for both Israel and Lebanon.” Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post; Stephen Castle reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s military said Russian forces fired 78 attack drones and six missiles over various regions during an hours-long attack from Wednesday into Thursday. Air defences destroyed 66 drones and four missiles, it added. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the attack targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces captured Ukrainsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. The town, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of the city of Donetsk, was home to more than 10,000 people before the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy met United States President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden promised that the US would “stand by” Ukraine and that Kyiv would “prevail” in the war that began when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. He also announced a high-level summit of 50 allies of Ukraine would convene in Germany next month.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris also met Zelenskyy and promised her “unwavering” support for Ukraine. She also criticised her Republican rival Donald Trump for what she said was his “surrender” policy on Ukraine. Trump, who has said Ukraine should have “made a deal” with Russia, confirmed he would meet Zelenskyy in New York on Friday."

lousubcap

Saturday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 69 of 73 drones during an overnight Russian attack that included two ballistic and two cruise missiles. About 15 of the attack drones were destroyed on the outskirts and in the capital Kyiv, the military said.

Russia claims it has captured the village of Marynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where its forces have been pushing towards the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine’s General Staff neither confirmed nor denied the capture of Marynivka, but noted that the village was among nearly a dozen localities where Russian forces had “received a fierce rebuff”. It said two Russian attacks in the area were continuing, and fighting in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors was the most difficult."