For today, links to nine reports: from National Public Radio, Le Monde, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-29-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and SONG entries for today are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JULY 29  IRC head talks about his call to allow more aid as Gaza verges on famine. Reported by Juana Summers, Vincent Acovino and Patrick Jarenwattananon | NPR  Summers speaks with David Milliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, about his call to allow more aid to enter Gaza amid a food crisis on the verge of famine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Global pressure builds on Israel to let more aid into Gaza. Reported by Aya Batrawy and A Martínez | NPR  The U.K. says it plans to recognize a Palestinian state, as global pressure builds on Israel to let more aid into Gaza, where a UN-backed panel warns famine is already unfolding. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JULY 29  A ‘worst-case scenario of famine’ is unfolding in Gaza, a U.N.-backed report warns, by Willem Marx | NPR  A United Nations-affiliated organization that tracks food security worldwide has issued a dire alert confirming that a “worst-case” famine scenario is unfolding across the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 29  France to start airdrops of aid into Gaza on Friday. From Le Monde. France will air-drop 40 metric tons of aid into Gaza from Friday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday, as UN-backed experts warned the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory was slipping into famine. READ MORE . . .

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Fifteen countries back French-led statement calling for recognition of Palestinian state. From Middle East Eye. Fifteen countries have signed a joint French-led declaration, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all captives held by Hamas, and calling for a two-state solution. Alphabetically, they are: Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for report from Middle East Monitor and a second from Middle East Eye.

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FROM JULY 29  Trump says he will partner with Israel to run additional aid centers in Gaza, but details are scant, by Michelle L. Price | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday aboard Air Force One as he returned from a trip to Scotland that Israel would preside over the new food centers “to make sure the distribution is proper.” READ MORE . . .

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UN conference to discuss two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with Middle East expert Jon Alterman about a United Nations conference to advance a two-state solution as a way toward peace between Israel and Palestinians. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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For today, links to seven reports: from the Cradle, Tass, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, National Public Radio, and Kyiv Post; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-29-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and SONG entries for today are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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U.S., UK in secret talks with Ukrainian officials to ‘replace Zelensky’: report. From the Cradle. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service has revealed that U.S. and British officials recently held a meeting in the Alps with top Ukrainian officials to discuss “replacing” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. READ MORE . . .

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Russian troops strike Ukrainian army, mercenaries in 156 areas over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops struck deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 156 areas over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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Russian missiles hit a Ukrainian army training ground, killing at least 3 soldiers, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A Russian missile hit a Ukrainian army training ground, killing three soldiers and wounding 18 others, authorities said, in the latest attack to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 29  Russian airstrike on Ukrainian prison kills 16, Kyiv says. From AFP. A Russian strike on a prison in central Ukraine overnight killed at least 16 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian officials said early Tuesday. Russia launched . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian parliament scrambles for votes to overturn contentious anti-corruption rollback, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Parliament passed a bill stripping the country’s anti-corruption agencies of their independence, to the sound of applause. A week later . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE to listen to report from NPR and, later, read.

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Ukrainian drones targeting Russian state railways, impact summer holiday travelers, by Stefan Korshak | Kyiv Post  Ukrainian long-range strikes have concentrated on Russia’s south-western rail network recently with the primary objective of damaging the Kremlin military supply to its troops in the east of Ukraine. A secondary goal . . . READ MORE . . .

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A link to a song from Apple Records via YouTube; others are accessible by clicking on various website links. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for today are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM 1968  Piggies, by George Harrison, sung by the Beatles | Apple Records  Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt? And for all . . .  Click HERE to listen and scroll down to read.

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Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt? / And for all the little piggies, life is getting worse / Always having dirt to play around in

Have you seen the bigger piggies in their starched white shirts? / You will find the bigger piggies stirring up the dirt / Always have clean shirts to play around in

In their sties with all their backing / They don’t care what goes on around / In their eyes, there’s something lacking / What they need’s a damn good whacking

Everywhere there’s lots of piggies living piggy lives / You can see them out for dinner with their piggy wives / Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon

(One more time)

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For today, links to 12 reports: from the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 7-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE entry for today is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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‘Worst-case scenario of famine’ is happening in Gaza, food crisis experts say, by Sam Mednick and Cara Anna | AP  TEL AVIV — The “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,” the leading international authority on food crises said in a new alert tday, predicting “widespread death” without immediate action. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye and the Cradle.

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Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine. From Reuters. A worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza and immediate action is needed to end fighting and allow unimpeded aid access, a global hunger monitor warned today, saying failure to act now would result in widespread death. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Eye. 

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Food that Israel allows into Gaza only a fraction of what’s needed, aid groups say. Reported by Emily Feng and Steve Inskeep | NPR  For a third day, Israel will be trucking in and allowing air drops of some food and aid into Gaza during daily 10-hour pauses in the fighting in its war in Gaza. But is this aid enough? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Two prominent Israeli rights groups say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Reported by A Martínez | NPR  Two prominent Israeli rights groups say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. NPR talks with Yuli Novak, executive director of B’Tselem, an organization that tracks human rights violations. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from Middle East Eye.

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Israel rejects claims of genocide in Gaza raised by Israeli rights groups. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli government on Monday rejected accusations by two local human rights groups that it is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the claim “a vile, politically motivated document.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the AP . . . READ MORE . . .

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War scholar discusses why he does not think there is a genocide in Gaza. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, about why he doesn’t think there is a genocide in Gaza. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JULY 28  Trump breaks with Netanyahu over Gaza hunger, shortens deadline for Ukraine ceasefire. Reported by Franco Ordoñez | NPR  In Scotland, President Trump pledges more food aid for Gaza and threatens a tighter deadline for Russia sanctions. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JULY 28  Trump acknowledges ‘real starvation’ in Gaza, urging Israel to let food in. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  As hunger grips Gaza, President Trump acknowledges “real starvation” and calls on Israel to allow “every ounce of food” in. Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, Reuters, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-28-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA entry for today is HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russia kills 27 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats, by Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russian glide bombs and ballistic missiles struck a Ukrainian prison and a medical facility overnight as Russia’s relentless strikes on civilian areas killed at least 27 people across the country, officials said today, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to soon punish Russia with sanctions and tariffs unless . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia closes in on Ukrainian stronghold of Pokrovsk, by Bashir Kitachayev | The Moscow Times  Russia’s summer offensive in eastern Ukraine has zeroed in on Pokrovsk, one of the last major cities in the Donetsk region still held by Kyiv, as Moscow pushes to consolidate control of the entire area. READ MORE . . .

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EU freezes Ukraine aid over Zelensky’s anti-corruption rollback, by Olena Hrazhdan | Kyiv Post  The European Union informed Ukraine’s government on July 24 through diplomatic channels that it was suspending all financial assistance to Ukraine until the independent powers of its anti-corruption institutions are restored. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s live-blogging lawmakers fuel public anger at parliament. From Reuters. KYIV — Swivelling his selfie camera around the floor of Ukraine’s parliament, opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko beamed out a real-time view of colleagues’ fast-tracking legislation. “Friends,” he said in the July 22 broadcast to his more than 2 million social media subscribers, “this is how parliamentarianism is being destroyed in Ukraine.” READ MORE . . .

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

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Ukrainian arms maker unveils new mine-laying drone, by Yana Prots | The Kyiv Independent  Ukrainian ground drone manufacturer Robotic Complexes has unveiled its new Threeminer mine-laying drone, the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform said on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  WEST BANK, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli strikes kill 34 in Gaza after Israel eases some aid restrictions. From AP. Israeli strikes have killed at least 34 Palestinians, health officials in Gaza said, a day after Israel eased aid restrictions due to a worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel on Sunday announced . . . READ MORE . . .

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More aid needed to tackle famine-like conditions in Gaza, say UN agencies. From Reuters. GENEVA — A long-term steady supply of aid is needed to counter the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, UN agencies said today after mounting pressure prompted Israel to ease restrictions . . . READ MORE . . .

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During meeting with UK leader, Trump suggests Israel has responsibility to improve humanitarian aid in Gaza. From AP. President Donald Trump is in Scotland, where he is meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to refine a trade deal the two leaders signed last month. During today’s meeting, Trump said Israel “has a lot of responsibility” for what is happening in Gaza, but . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel to allow limited aid into Gaza as global outcry intensifies. Reported by Hannah Bloch, Eleanor Beardsley and A Martínez | NPR  After days of global outrage at Israel’s restrictions on aid to Gaza, the Israeli military said it would revive aid airdrops. Israel said it is also pausing fighting for 10 hours a day in some areas. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Humanitarian worker confined to northern Gaza describes starvation there. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Amjad Al Shawa, veteran humanitarian worker confined to northern Gaza, about what starvation looks like there and how his own family is struggling. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JULY 27  Intense international pressure for food and medical aid for Gaza as hunger crisis deepens. Reported by Anas Baba | NPR  Prolonged and severe malnutrition is permanently damaging the health of children across Gaza. Doctors warn even if Israel lets in more food now, the damage to children’s bodies can be irreversible. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JULY 27  Negotiations with Israel pointless while Gaza faces famine and genocide, says Hamas, by Elis Gjevori | Middle East Eye  Hamas’s top official in Gaza said on Sunday there is no longer any justification to continue negotiations with Israel while . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel ‘freezes’ plans for concentration camp in southern Gaza: report. From the Cradle. Israel’s so-called “Humanitarian City” project, which was planned to be established on the ruins of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, has been frozen, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported today. . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to a report from Mondoweiss via ScheerPost and to commentary via Z Network; others published material is accessible by clicking on its name below. (WEST BANK 7-25-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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FROM JULY 24  Israel is changing the legal system governing the West Bank to accelerate annexation: report, by Jeff Wright | Mondoweiss / ScheerPost  Israel is accelerating its efforts to cement its permanent control over the West Bank through a number of sweeping legal and institutional changes, according to a new report from Adalah, The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. Titled Legal Structures of Distinction, Separation, and Territorial Domination, it describes . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 26  The unseen war for the West Bank’s future, by Ramzy Baroud | Original to Z Network  Israel is meticulously following a textbook model of instigating unrest in the occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to eight reports: from Reuters, Agence France, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 7-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, WEST BANK and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Trump says he is setting new 10 to 12-day deadline for Russia on war. From Reuters. TURNBERRY, Scotland  U.S. President Donald Trump today increased pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, saying he was setting a new deadline of 10 to 12 days for Moscow to make progress on doing so. He had said earlier today that he was going to shorten a 50-day deadline he had set because . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from AFP, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass.

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Ukraine liberates Kindrativka village in Sumy Oblast amid ongoing Russian offensive, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukrainian forces have retaken the village of Kindrativka in Sumy Oblast, pushing back Russian attempts to advance in the area, a spokesperson for the Kursk military group said on Sunday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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Russian troops liberate two communities in Donetsk region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated two communities in the Donetsk region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio, and to a celebration from Biography.com and the Forward Movement; other published i material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (MEDIA 7-27-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, WEST BANK and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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FROM JULY 27  Tom Lehrer, song satirist and mathematician, dies at 97, by Gillian Flaccus | AP  LOS ANGELES — Tom Lehrer, the popular and erudite song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died. He was 97. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR. 

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FROM JULY 27  Alec Baldwin talks his love for ‘Peanuts’ and the ‘immeasurable’ effects of his trial, by Andrew Dalton | AP SAN DIEGO — Alec Baldwin says the year since his trial suddenly ended with a dismissal has been far better than the few years that preceded it, and the affect that time has had on him has been “immeasurable.” The 67-year-old actor spoke to AP at San Diego’s Comic-Con International, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 23  After much speculation, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham announce ‘Buckingham Nicks’ reissue, by Maria Sherman | AP  NEW YORK — They’re not going their own way anymore. After much speculation, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham announced Wednesday the reissue of “Buckingham Nicks,” more than 50 years after the release of their only full-length album as a duo. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 22  ‘Superman’ flexes its might in second weekend with $57.3 million, by Jake Coyle | AP  NEW YORK — James Gunn’s “Superman” showed staying power in its second weekend at North American box offices, collecting $57.3 million in ticket sales and remaining the No. 1 movie in cinemas, according to studio estimates Sunday. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for July 27 report from AP.

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Bach celebrated. From Biogrphy.com / Forward Movement. The revered baroque-era composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born 340 years ago this past March but is celebrated today every year on this day by Episcopalians of the Forward Movement stripe. His music, often from a Brandenburg concerto, is heard daily on phones before someone finally picks up, as well as on radio and TV. Click HERE for bio, HERE for today’s Day by Day readings, the last being about Bach, and HERE for an appreciation by Roger Hutchison.

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For today, links to 14 reports: from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Press, Middle East Eye, and Anadolu Ajansi; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-26-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  MEDIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Doctors warn that children in Gaza have suffered irreversible damage from starvation. Reported by Anas Baba and Emily Feng | NPR  Prolonged and severe malnutrition is permanently damaging the health of children across Gaza. Doctors warn even if Israel lets in more food now, the damage to children’s bodies can be irreversible. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal’ aid as hunger grows, by Wafaa Shurafa, Tia Goldenberg and Samy Magdy | AP  DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military today began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger. The military said the “tactical pause” in three areas . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Jordanian, Emirati planes drop 25 tonnes of aid over Gaza. From AFP. AMMAN — Two Jordanian and one Emirati plane dropped 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip today, the Jordanian army said in a statement. READ MORE . . .

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Several Egyptian aid trucks carrying relief supplies enter Gaza via Rafah crossing, by Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Ajansi  ANKARA — Several Egyptian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing this morning carrying essential relief items, including food and infrastructure supplies, according to Egyptian media. READ MORE . . .

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Government media office: Gaza needs 600 aid trucks daily. From Middle East Eye. “The Gaza Strip needs 600 relief trucks daily and 250,000 cartons of formula monthly for infants,” Gaza’s government media office said in a statement. “The radical solution is to open the crossings and break the siege immediately.” READ MORE . . .

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Humanitarian truce means nothing without immediate lifesaving action: Gaza Health Ministry, by Ikram Kouachi | Anadolu Ajansi  ANKARA — Gaza’s health chief today warned that the current humanitarian truce would be meaningless if not used to save lives, stressing that inaction and delay have deadly consequences. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JULY 26  How can hunger conditions improve in Gaza? A humanitarian expert weighs in. Scott Simon of NPR asks the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Shaina Low about conditions in Gaza and calls for Israel to end its blockade there. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JULY 26  The people of Gaza are starving and hopes for a temporary ceasefire dashed. Reported by Emily Feng, Scott Detrow and Megan Lim | NPR  More than two million people living in Gaza are starving and hopes for a temporary ceasefire have been dashed after the U.S. accused Hamas of negotiating in bad faith. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JULY 26  4 things to know about Gaza right now amid warnings of ‘mass starvation’ risk. Reported by Scott Neuman and Anas Baba | NPR  Hunger and disease continue to stalk Palestinians in Gaza, and aid organizations are warning that children are at greatest risk of starvation. The latest dire warnings come as Israeli attacks have . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JULY 26  Frustration, Gaza alarm drove Macron to go it alone on Palestine recognition, by John Irish and Michel Rose | Reuters  PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would become the first Western member of the United Nations Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September has caused diplomatic ructions from . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for second July 26 report from Reuters.

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FROM JULY 26  Israel says it is considering alternatives to ceasefire talks with Hamas, deepening uncertainty, by Samy Magdy and Wafaa Shurafa | AP  CAIRO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams . . . READ MORE . . .

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Vatican calls for global push for 2-state solution as death toll in Gaza continues to rise, by Melike Pala | Anadolu Ajansi  BRUSSELS — The Vatican on Saturday called on the international community to work actively toward a two-state solution, saying the worsening crisis in Gaza has made the need for a just and lasting political resolution urgent. READ MORE . . .

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