Image: Najwa, mother of 19-year-old Palestinian Khalil Abu Hamada, who was conceived through IVF and killed in a missile strike in latest Gaza-Israel fighting, holds his pictures at her home in Jabalya refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip August 9, 2022. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

Palestinians in Gaza grieve, assess damage following ceasefire
Reuters

“For many in Gaza, news of a truce between Israel and the Islamic Jihad after the most serious round of violence in just over a year was bittersweet. As families aired laundry on blasted walls and sifted through the rubble to salvage whatever documents and furniture they could find, others laid their loved ones to rest. 'My life ended when he was martyred,' said Najwa Abu Hamada, 45, whose 19 year-old son Khalil was killed when he went out into the street outside their home and a car was hit. Her only child, he was born after 12 years of marriage and five failed IVF attempts.”

It's the Dog Days of Summer:

Summer is tough for non-profits and our cash flow is stretched thin. About 70% of our annual giving comes in at year-end. We're asking any of our supporters who can give to consider giving a donation this summer. Whether you can give $10 or $100 or more - every bit matters in this work for peace and justice. If you're able to commit to giving monthly, your commitment will provide stability to the work of holistic peacebuilding.

Image: Defense Minister Benny Gantz, right, meets with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on May 19, 2022. (Shmulik Almany/GPO)

Pentagon backs off Jerusalem security coordinator downgrade amid lawmaker pressure
Times of Israel

“The US Department of Defense will not downgrade the rank of the military post tasked with bolstering security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, following bipartisan opposition from lawmakers, two Congressional aides said Tuesday (August 9). Pentagon spokesman Rob Lodewick told The Times of Israel last week that his office was going ahead with plans to lower the rank required to be appointed US Security Coordinator, or USSC, in Jerusalem from a three-star general to colonel. The move, planned for the end of the year, was slated to be part of a cost-saving program passed by Congress in 2017, which affected 111 positions across the globe.”

Image: A training exercise for Azerbaijani soldiers near the front line. (New York Times)

Azerbaijan says it crushed Armenia attack near enclave, EU wants end to fighting
Reuters

“Azerbaijan said its forces had crushed an Armenian attack near the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh on Wednesday (August 3), prompting international calls for an end to fighting in a region that has been a flashpoint for 30 years. Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan with Armenian support after a bloody post-Soviet ethnic conflict in the early 1990s. In 2020, Azerbaijan successfully won back part of the territory controlled by the separatists.”