Aid director has dire famine warning for Gaza
Oxfam director Scott Paul warns that famine is "banging down the door" in Gaza. Paul tells CNN there is currently two months of food - enough to feed all of Gaza - waiting at the border, but Israel is restricting the aid distribution. Israel has said it is allowing ample aid into the besieged Palestinian territory but aid agencies and multiple Western nations say the amount of food reaching Gaza's population under strict Israeli control is a fraction of what is needed.
01:42 - Source: CNN
Small Irish town confronts its dark past
Excavations of the remains of nearly 800 babies have begun at a former so-called mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland. At least 9,000 infants and children died in more than a dozen of these institutions over the course of eight decades.
02:11 - Source: CNN
Fire tornado rips through Turkish forest
Turkey's forestry ministry has released video of a fire tornado tearing through the country's woodland. Hundreds of wildfires have gripped Turkey this summer, as well as Greece and other Mediterranean countries.
00:33 - Source: CNN
Concerns grow over Australia's toxic algae bloom
A harmful algae bloom off the coast of South Australia, caused by high sea temperatures and runoff from flooding, is poisoning marine life and depleting oxygen in the water. The Australian government has stated that there is little that can be done to reverse the rapid rate of the climate crisis.
01:10 - Source: CNN
International visitors to US will pay new fee
CNN's Richard Quest explains how the Trump administration enacted a bill that will require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of $250 dollars. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the US.
01:36 - Source: CNN
Mexico City residents furious over gentrification
Mexico City saw its second anti-gentrification protest in less than a month on Sunday with demonstrators furious over rising prices in the city and the record number of foreigners applying for a resident visa. The main nationality of those foreigners seeking to move legally to the nation's capital? The United States of America.
01:11 - Source: CNN
Child flees Israeli strike on Gaza refugee camp
Video shows a child running away as Israeli munitions struck near a UNRWA school in Bureij Refugee Camp behind her.
00:36 - Source: CNN
China cracks down on fake "Lafufu" Labubus
Fake Labubu plush toys, dubbed "Lafufu," have gained popularity due to shortages of the original dolls made by China's Pop Mart.
02:05 - Source: CNN
Jair Bolsonaro denies coup charges as police raid home
Police in Brazil raided the home of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and enforced a ruling from the country's Supreme Court that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle tag. Bolsonaro is being accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election.
01:17 - Source: CNN
Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill
The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports.
01:44 - Source: CNN
Deadly flooding grips South Korea for days
South Korea has been ravaged for days by intense flooding that's left more than a dozen people dead. Reuters reported more than 16 inches of rain fell in one area in just 24 hours, citing the country's Interior and Safety Ministry.
00:48 - Source: CNN
Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world'
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN.
01:33 - Source: CNN
Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike
Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports
00:53 - Source: CNN
Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk
Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines.
00:39 - Source: CNN
Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage
Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium.
00:38 - Source: CNN
How Trump's image is changing inside Russia
Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis.
01:41 - Source: CNN
Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria?
Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes.
01:57 - Source: CNN
Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV
An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists.
00:30 - Source: CNN
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USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
ICE's threat to classrooms
Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Do you know what "MKT" means on a menu? ICE deported these teenagers and children in immigration raids Martir Garcia Lara's seat in his fourth grade classroom was empty May 29. His classmates in Torrence, California, went on with the school day. He likely won't return to school this fall: Martir is one of at least five children and teens who have been rounded up by ICE and deported from the United States with their parents since the start of President Donald Trump's second presidential term. More immigration coverage from USA TODAY: Farmers say few native–born residents will pick fruit or tend cows. The agriculture worker visa program can be costly, burdensome and limited. And they say Congress has failed to act for years. Suspect faces terror charges in Michigan Walmart stabbing Authorities said they will file terrorism and attempted murder charges against a Michigan man accused of wounding 11 people in a stabbing rampage at a local Walmart. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said July 27 that bystanders were "absolutely instrumental" in preventing further injuries after the attack began July 26 at about 4:43 p.m. − a busy time for the sprawling store. One of the citizens who stepped in was armed with a gun, Shea said. One witness said she saw three people with stab wounds as she fled the store. There was 'blood everywhere,' she said. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. Hurricane season warning signs are piling up The hurricane map in the Atlantic Ocean may be quiet now, but forecasters say that may not last much longer as several signs point to an uptick in activity across the basin. With three named tropical storms (Andrea, Barry and Chantal) so far, the number of storms is actually above average for this time of year. During this past week, water temperatures have surged to the 7th warmest in the satellite record (back to 1981), running only slightly cooler than 2017 and 2005 at this point in the season. At the same time, experts say the belt of water just north of the tropics has cooled since the start of the season, creating a more conducive orientation that favors rising air and storminess in the tropical Atlantic. Here are more signs pointing to a rough hurricane season. Israel pauses some military action in Gaza as starvation spreads Beginning Sunday, Israel will pause military action for hours each day in parts of Gaza and increase aid drops in the enclave, as the country has faced an international uproar over reports and images of starving Palestinians. Aid groups have criticized Israeli leaders for months over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The country cut off supplies to the region at the start of March before reopening aid lines – with new restrictions – in May. Where are ceasefire talks? Today's talkers Which football helmet should I buy my child? Have you ever wondered about the force of a hit to the head your kid sees in practice and in games, and how their helmets are tested to protect from them? The question seemed simple enough. Until a Virginia Tech athletics equipment manager and his colleagues delved deeper into it in 2009, leading to the development of Virginia Tech's Helmet Lab that today has national acclaim for its testing and studies. Just recently, the lab updated its rating system with new thresholds for those used in varsity and youth football and by bicyclists. No helmet is concussion-proof, the lab says, and any athlete can sustain a head injury. But the experts identified the helmets that best reduce your chances. Photo of the day: Kelly's prancing PK Chloe Kelly made her trademark prancing run-up before firing the decisive spot-kick as England defeated Spain, 3-1,in a penalty shootout to win Euro 2025 on Sunday, successfully defending the title they won three years ago. The enthralling game ended 1-1 after extra time — and Princess Charlotte cheered on the Lionesses. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
Politico
26 minutes ago
- Politico
2 cases of eminent domain
Good Monday morning! I'm back after a week's vacation. Thanks to my colleagues for filling in here. I went to Buffalo for a bit. Jealous? If you knew what beef on weck tastes like, you would be. I avoided working on a busy week. I missed my 10th anniversary writing this newsletter, the lieutenant governor choices as well as the hubbub over Habba. But at least right before I left I laid out a scenario that wound up taking place. It looks like Habba's back in now, barring a court challenge. But I'm still not completely sure. So stay tuned. But for now, I want to riff on two big New Jersey stories, one of which became national news and a cause celebre on the right, and one that has gotten very little amplification outside of the state. Late last week, CNN became the latest national news outlet to feature the saga of the working farm in Cranbury, surrounded by warehouses, that the Democratic-led town wants to seize to meet its state-imposed affordable housing mandate. This controversy has been reported on for a couple months, making waves on the right — but drawing protest from at least one New Jersey environmental group as well — and even caught the attention of the Trump administration. I get it. Even if the fact that the owners of this 175-year-old 'family farm' actually live in New Mexico and lease it to farmers — something usually buried in stories about it, if mentioned at all — it's hard to be on the side of a government seizing some of the last farmland in the Central Jersey suburbs. Meanwhile, in deep red Toms River, the mayor is beginning to back off his plan to seize Episcopal church-owned property it wanted to use for a 17-bed homeless shelter to instead build things like recreational fields and pickleball courts. This story was well-covered by the New Jersey press, especially the Asbury Park Press. And there was lots of protest. But while it got some national coverage, it didn't generate the same online outrage, and no one from the Trump administration weighed in. Why? Well, those more cynical than I might believe that the outcry over the Cranbury farm was less about ideological objections to the government seizing private property and more about ideological objections to the use of that property. Just imagine if a liberal government tried to seize a conservative church's property to build a recreational facility. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY Out of state for vacation until Aug. 12. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'You can't edit history; people remember it. If something's true, you can't sue for defamation, which requires something to be false. … It's not false, it happened.' — Bruce Rosen, attorney for Red Bank Green reporter Brian Donohue and publisher Kenneth Katzgrau, on a since-dropped municipal complaint from a man who had demanded they remove mention of his expunged arrest from a police blotter they published in 2024. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Bill Bradley, Ed Farmer, Yvonne Lopez WHAT TRENTON MADE IF IT KILLS THEM — 'NJ Transit budget has record $1.4B in state aid. Will next governor continue that?' by The Record's Colleen Wilson: NJ Transit's budget for the fiscal year that started July 1 is 5% larger than last year's, rising by $152 million to $3.2 billion. For the last five years, NJ Transit has relied on federal aid stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic to help close revenue gaps in its operating budget, but the 2026 fiscal year — which runs July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026 — is the first time since the pandemic that the federal COVID aid is no longer available. The new corporate transit fees will help fill that void. NJ Transit is expected to receive about $1.4 billion in state aid this coming year — a historic amount that is nearly double the state assistance received last year … Investing in public transit — and expanding service — more than pays for itself, said a report published in June by the Regional Plan Association. For every $1 invested in NJ Transit, the system returns nearly $5 in economic, environmental and social benefits for those who use public transit and those who don't, the report found … Zoe Baldwin, vice president of state programs at the Regional Plan Association, an independent nonprofit civic organization, said she hopes the report helps reframe the conversation around how the governor and Legislature fund NJ Transit.' IT'S LEGAL TO BECOME FERTILIZER, BUT NOT FERTILIZER FOR A BACKYARD WEED PLANT — 'Would you turn your body into garden soil? Human composting is coming to N.J.,' by NJ Advance Media's Jackie Roman: 'The house plants in Dianne Thompson-Stanciel's Tinton Falls home are thriving with the help of a new compost. The leaves on her monstera deliciosa are a bright evergreen, their vines climbing taller than ever before. Her once stubborn peace lily is now vibrant and glossy. Despite the flourishing greenery, Thompson-Stanciel said she doesn't have a green thumb. 'That's all Ken,' she said. When her late husband Kenneth 'Ken' Stanciel Sr. died in February, his body was flown across the country to one of the few companies certified in natural organic reduction, often referred to as human composting … Soon, New Jersey residents won't have to board a flight post-mortem if they want their remains turned into compost. The practice could be coming to the Garden State under legislation that passed the Senate and Assembly in June … If approved, New Jersey would join 13 other states that have legalized human composting since 2019.' — 'N.J. has thousands of bridges — almost 400 of them are structurally deficient, but officials say they are not unsafe' — 'Hudson electeds and commuters decry PATH delays at Port Authority meeting' — 'Top N.J. students would automatically get into colleges under plan to stop 'brain drain'' — 'LG race will put at least one job in play' TRUMP ERA DIX MOVE — 'N.J. Reps. Conaway, Norcross blast lack of transparency in plans to use Joint Base MDL as immigrant detention center,' by WHYY's P. Kenneth Burns: 'It's been more than a week since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed the Reps. Herb Conaway Jr. and Donald Norcross that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey will serve as a detention center for undocumented immigrants. The two New Jersey representatives toured the military base Friday morning and criticized the Pentagon for not alerting authorities at the base about their plans or sending them any details. 'In fairness to the commanders on the base, they are as much in the dark as we are about what may happen,' said Conaway, whose district includes MDL. Hegseth told Conaway last week that MDL and Camp Atterbury in Indiana were approved for 'temporary use' to house immigrant detainees. Norcross, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Conaway were critical of the lack of communication and transparency from the Trump administration on their plans to use the base.' HAS CIATTARELLI FOUND ANYTHING ON WHICH HE DISAGREES WITH TRUMP YET? — 'Picatinny Arsenal could lose 1,000 jobs in Army restructuring, NJ Dems, GOP warn,' by The Daily Record's William Westhoven: 'A federal proposal to enact a 'strategic transformation' of the U.S. military has drawn sharp criticism from both Democratic and Republican leaders in New Jersey, who fear the changes could cut operations and as many as 1,000 jobs at Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County. The reactions to what is known as the Army Transformation Initiative started at the top with Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, but also include Republican leaders such as state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco. 'Beyond its critical national defense mission, Picatinny serves as a major economic engine for our region and the state, providing high-quality careers for thousands of New Jerseyans,' Bucco, whose district includes Picatinny, said in a joint news release with Murphy on July 22.' — 'What Makes Jersey Run: Gov. Tom Kean chats about Trump, Christie, Ciattarelli, the GOP …' — 'Tom Kean Jr.'s 'big bill' vote hurts N.J. — and his father's legacy | Opinion' R.I.P. —'Army ROTC cadet from Ridgewood dies during training in Kentucky' LOCAL JAIL FAIL — 'Union County says migrant jail 'off the table' for old county lockup,' by New Jersey Monitor's Dana DiFilippo: 'Union County's manager said officials will not permit the county jail to be used for immigrant detention, ending months of speculation and community concern that the largely shuttered property would be sold to a for-profit prison company for immigration enforcement. County Manager Edward Oatman said officials never intended such a use when in March they authorized a request for proposals to repurpose the old jail. They merely aimed to evaluate potential uses for the property, he added. 'While one inquiry did reference the possibility of detention-related use, we quickly recognized that such a direction would not align with Union County's values,' Oatman said in a Thursday statement.' DO IN AC — 'What will New York City casinos mean for Atlantic City?' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'A moment Atlantic City has long feared is drawing nearer: Gambling companies have submitted eight bids for the three licenses expected to be awarded in or near New York City by the end of this year. But lost in the general anxiety over what three new casinos on New Jersey's doorstep might do to Atlantic City's casino industry is this fact: Four of the eight proposals for New York come from companies that already operate casinos in Atlantic City. In effect, they are bidding to compete against themselves. So The Press of Atlantic City asked: If you get a license for a New York casino, will you commit to keeping your Atlantic City casino(s) open? Two said they would: MGM Resorts International, which owns Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, and Bally's Corp. … Two others would not say: Caesars Entertainment, which operates three Atlantic City casinos — Tropicana, Caesars and Harrah's Resort — and Hard Rock International, which owns Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.' REPUBLICAN SCHILL — 'Hudson County Republican party welcomes Sheriff Frank Schillari to the team,' by Hudson County View's John Heinis: 'The Hudson County Republican party is welcoming outgoing Sheriff Frank Schillari to the team after he left the Democratic party on Tuesday. 'This is more proof both that the GOP is the big tent party of, by, and for Americans and that we are the law and order party,' Hudson County GOP Chair Jose Arango said in a statement … His remarks aren't shocking, given that he already informally welcomed Schillari to the party via a Facebook post, as did 9th District GOP congressional candidate Rosie Pino, on Wednesday, shortly after Schillari switched parties.' BUT A UNITED VAN LINES STUDY SAID… — 'Overcrowded N.J. school district is spending $9M to block more apartments from being built,' by Nyah Marshall: 'A vacant lot, once slated for apartments, will be purchased by the Edison Township Board of Education for $9 million in an effort to combat overcrowding in the district's schools. The 9.5-acre site, located at 430 Talmadge Road, has been under consideration by the district for five years. Developers had proposed building 250 apartments on the land, but school officials warned the project would worsen the district's overcrowding issues by bringing more families into the town. On Tuesday, the Edison Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution to move forward with purchasing the site. According to the resolution, the board 'intends to utilize the property for an athletic field or other school purposes.' R.I.P. — 'Donald Bradley, former Newark council president, dies at 91,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'Former Newark City Council President Donald Bradley, who represented the city's South Ward from 1989 to 2006, died yesterday. He was 91. During his seventeen years as a councilman, Bradley advocated for increased facilities for teenage drug treatment programs, expanded senior housing, and more youth centers in New Jersey's largest municipality. He served as council resident from 1992 to 2006. Bradley was appointed to the council in January 1989, four days after Donald Payne, Sr., resigned to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.' — '[Hawthorne] just joined suburbs fighting state's affordable housing law' — 'HCDO Chair Guy slams Schillari for joining GOP: Democratic 'voters rejected him'' — 'Camden's new high school uniform policy bars students from wearing all black, and not everyone is happy' — 'Ex-cheerleader sues [Elmwood Park] school district over years of alleged bullying' — 'Red Bank: Mayor ousts Viscomi from library board for deportation comment' EVERYTHING ELSE TURF WAR — 'Plastic turf fields are taking over America,' by The New York Times' Ken Belson and Hiroko Tabuchi: 'The debate over whether to install turf over grass fields has become a referendum on sports, health, the environment and the use of scarce public resources … The rift has been particularly intense in Ridgewood, N.J., a bedroom community of 26,000 residents and about 15 miles west of Manhattan. Disputes over turf have spilled onto local blogs and into public meetings, where some of the village's powerful youth sports leagues — there are at least 10 — have lobbied for replacing grass fields at schools and parks with synthetic turf to give their athletes more chances to play, rain or shine. 'It is a sports-crazed town with lots of sports-crazed, Type A parents and sports-crazed, Type A kids,' said Mark Sullivan, a Ridgewood resident who coached softball and baseball, which his daughter and son played … Scientists have presented their findings about the chemicals in the fields to village officials. And one turf critic, a beloved girls' soccer coach in Ridgewood, said she had been fired for speaking out about its health and environmental risks … New Jersey has been a focus for the industry … Over the past decade, Ridgewood's Village Council has gone from skeptical to gung-ho … Lorraine Reynolds, who opposed turf fields during her five years on the Council before she left in June, said that 'the sports leagues are a powerful lobby.'' DIENERS — 'Diners are closing amid high costs and changing culture. What's next for the Jersey icon?' by The Record's Matt Cortina: 'On appearances, Nick Kallas would seem to be bullish on diners. The Broad Street Diner in Keyport, which he owns with his wife, Maria, was named one of the best in the country last year by Time Out, and the pair recently bought and renovated the Roadside Diner in Wall … But Kallas is also realistic about the challenges of running a diner in 2025: Costs are high and consumer habits are changing. 'Business, listen: It's … We're doing OK,' said Kallas. 'There's not much left anymore, between the rise of utilities and the cost of food prices. We're surviving, but it's just a paycheck.' New Jersey is considered the diner capital of the world, but the challenges Kallas alludes to may be leading to the demise of the diner as we know it. Owners are curtailing their hours, wait lines are thinning, menu prices are increasing and, anecdotally, some say quality is dipping. And diners are closing: Though we still have hundreds in operation, as many as 150 diners have closed in New Jersey in the last decade.' — 'N.J. woman's rare 1-in-700,000 birth needed an assembly line of nurses'
CBS News
36 minutes ago
- CBS News
Israel says it's begun daily pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza to let aid in
The Israeli military began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day as part of a series of steps that it says would give the United Nations and other aid agencies secure land routes to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The Israel Defense Forces said it would begin a "tactical pause" in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid" entering the Gaza Strip. It said the pause would begin every day at 10 a.m. local time, effective Sunday, and continue until further notice. "Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. Israel said Monday that more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the U.N. and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip, French news agency AFP reported. The military early Sunday carried out aid airdrops into Gaza, which included packages of aid with flour, sugar and canned food, "as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip," the IDF posted on Telegram. Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence for that claim. Images emerging from Gaza in recent days of emaciated children have fanned global criticism of Israel, including from close allies, who have called for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has spawned. "What's happening in Gaza right now is appalling. Gaza is now in the brink of a full catastrophe, and we've been working out, over the months, to try and relief (sic) the sufferings of the Palestinian people," French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot said Sunday on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." The United Nations' food agency welcomed the steps to ease aid restrictions, but said a broader ceasefire was needed to ensure goods reached everyone in need in Gaza. "Welcome announcement of humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow our aid through," U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said on X. "In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window." The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said on Sunday that hospitals recorded six new deaths due to malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including two children. The organization said at least 133 people, including 87 children, have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip. Israel said the new measures were taking place while it continues its offensive against Hamas in other areas. Ahead of the pause, Palestinian health officials in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in separate attacks. "This (humanitarian) truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives," said Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, who called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition. "Every delay is measured by another funeral." Trucks loaded with aid from Egypt and Jordan are headed for Gaza amid Israel's "tactical pause." The Egyptian Red Crescent dispatched more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 tons of food supplies, including 840 tons of flour and 450 tons of assorted food baskets, toward the Kerem Shalom crossing. Photographers in Gaza captured the first images of trucks carrying aid entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing in Rafah, Egypt. Jordan's security agency posted a video on social media purportedly showing a line of aid-loaded trucks moving toward Gaza. "We actually have 52 tons of humanitarian help stuck in El-Arish in Egypt, a few kilometers away from Gaza," Barrot said Sunday. "So we're exploring all options to seize the opportunity offered by the Israeli government by opening the skies of Gaza, but we call for immediate, unhindered, and massive access by all means of humanitarian help to those who need it most." The UN's World Food Program said it welcomes Israel's move and that it has enough food to feed the entire population of 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza for nearly three months. In a statement, it said that a third of Gaza's population were not eating for days and nearly half a million were enduring famine-like conditions. It said it hopes that Israel's assurances for secure corridors will "allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays." However, the WFP reiterated that a ceasefire is "the only way for humanitarian assistance to reach the entire civilian population in Gaza with critical food supplies in a consistent, predictable, orderly and safe manner." Israel's decision to order a localized pause in fighting came days after ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. On Friday, Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks with the militant group. Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused to agree to. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said that Israel's change of tack on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgement that there were starving Palestinians in Gaza and that the move was meant to improve its international standing and not save lives. He said that Israel "will not escape punishment and will inevitably pay the price for these criminal practices." The Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 11 people and wounded 101 as they were headed toward a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution site in central Gaza. GHF, which denies involvement in any of the violence near its sites, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The military said it was looking into the report. Elsewhere, a strike hit a tent sheltering a displaced family in the Asdaa area, northwest of the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least nine people, according to Nasser Hospital. The dead included a father and his two children, and another father and his son, the hospital said. In Gaza City, a strike hit an apartment late Saturday in the city's western side, killing four people, including two women, said the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. In Deir-al-Balah early Sunday, a strike on a tent near a desalination plant killed a couple and another woman, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. However, it usually blames Hamas for civilian casualties, saying the Palestinian militant group operates in populated areas. The military announced Sunday that another two soldiers were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since Oct. 7, 2023, to 898. The war began with Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Hamas still holds 50 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. The Israeli military has intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory, detaining 21 international activists and journalists and seizing all cargo, including baby formula, food and medicine, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Sunday. The coalition that operates the vessel Handala said the Israeli military "violently intercepted" the ship in international waters about 40 nautical miles from Gaza, cutting the cameras and communication, just before midnight Saturday. "All cargo was non-military, civilian and intended for direct distribution to a population facing deliberate starvation and medical collapse under Israel's illegal blockade,'' the group said in a statement. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on X early Sunday that the Navy stopped the vessel and was bringing it to shore. It was the second ship operated by the coalition that Israel has prevented in recent months from delivering aid to Gaza, where food experts have for months warned of the risk of famine. Activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship Madleen when the Israeli military seized it in June.
