A QUICK LOOK BACK AT THIS WEEK’s BIGGEST STORIES

🇵🇱 Poland’s NATO Chief Warns of Russian Threat Amid Middle East Turmoil
Indus Daily |

Poland’s top NATO commander, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, has raised alarms over Russia’s growing military assertiveness, warning that Moscow could target NATO’s eastern flank within three years. His remarks come as global attention pivots to the Middle East, where Israel’s war on Hamas continues to destabilize the region.

Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns met with leaders from Israel, Egypt, and Qatar in an urgent bid to broker a ceasefire and hostage deal. The talks reflect mounting international pressure to end the Gaza conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives and deepened geopolitical fault lines.

In a dramatic escalation, NATO jets and air-defense systems were scrambled Tuesday night to intercept and destroy Russian drones that penetrated deep into Polish airspace—marking the most serious violation since the Ukraine war began three years ago

Poland confirmed at least 19 drone incursions, prompting Warsaw to invoke NATO’s Article 4, demanding urgent consultations on regional security B. The drones, some reportedly launched from Belarus, were shot down by a multinational NATO force including Polish F-16s and Dutch F-35s

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the incursion as “reckless and dangerous,” while Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “an act of aggression” and warned that this breach “changes the political situation”

Israel struck a building where Hamas leaders were meeting in the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar on Tuesday, in a dramatic escalation of the war that started after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack, which killed at least five lower-ranking Hamas members and a member of Qatar’s security forces, came as Israel ramped up its offensive to take over Gaza City.
Here is a look at how the strike shows the limits of Israel’s quest to vanquish Hamas. Read our analysis of what the attack means for the region. And in Israel, soldiers increasingly refuse to serve in the war in Gaza.