8 Reasons To Be Hopeful.

The die is cast.

“News Items is invaluable.” — Dina Powell McCormick.

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1. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told ministers this week that he will seek cabinet backing for a plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite objections from within the Israel Defense Forces. According to reports in Hebrew media, several ministers said Netanyahu used the term “occupation of the Strip” in private conversations describing his vision for the expansion of military operations in Gaza — a notable shift in tone as the government prepares to discuss the future of the Gaza campaign. The Ynet news site quoted a senior official close to the premier as saying, “The die is cast — we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip.” (Source: timesofisrael.com)

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2. Russia has pulled out of a treaty prohibiting the deployment of short and medium-range nuclear missiles, warning the West to “expect further steps”. As missiles continued to rain down on Ukraine, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, blamed Nato countries for their withdrawal from the Cold War-era agreement. Medvedev, who has been exchanging barbs on social media with Donald Trump, made his comments after Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow no longer considered itself bound by the moratorium on the deployment of short and medium-range nuclear missiles. “The Russian foreign ministry’s statement on the withdrawal of the moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range missiles is the result of Nato countries’ anti-Russian policy,” Medvedev posted in English on X. “This is a new reality all our opponents will have to reckon with. Expect further steps.” (Source: telegraph.co.uk)

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