Diminished Hamas switches to full insurgent mode in Gaza Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel's attempts to take control of Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters. The enclave's ruling group has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to three senior U.S. officials familiar with battlefield developments, down from American estimates of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign. Hamas fighters are now largely avoiding sustained skirmishes with…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Kremlin warns West over providing long-range weapons to Ukraine The Kremlin said on Thursday that Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons to strike Russian territory will have to reckon with Russia, after President Vladimir Putin said he was considering arming the West's enemies in retaliation. Speaking with senior editors of international news agencies in St Petersburg on Wednesday, the Russian leader said Moscow was thinking about providing advanced long-range weapons - of a similar nature to those the West is giving Ukraine - to the West's adversaries around the world. Putin in his comments mentioned long-range missiles being…

Israel says jets strike school containing Hamas compound, Gaza media says 27 killed Israel targeted a Gaza school on Thursday that it said contained an Hamas compound, killing fighters involved in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the eight-month war, but Gaza media said the strike killed at least 27 people seeking shelter. Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office, rejected Israel's claims that the U.N. school in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, had hidden a Hamas command post. "The occupation uses lying to the public opinion through fabricated stories to justify the brutal crime it conducted against…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Putin outlines Russian response to long-range strikes Russia is considering “asymmetric” measures against Kiev’s sponsors due to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied weapons against its territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The Russian leader’s remarks came at a meeting with heads of international news agencies on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). “We have no illusions in this regard,” Putin added, repeating his prior comments that Ukrainian troops might be pulling the trigger but the US and its allies are providing the intelligence and targeting information. Russia will respond by boosting air…