First Thing: Israel still blocking aid to Gaza as top US official says famine under way

6 months ago 30

Aid workers say ‘very little’ change after Israeli promises to allow more aid into besieged strip. Plus, OJ Simpson’s death prompts varying reactions

Good morning,

A promised increase of aid into Gaza has so far failed to materialise, say aid workers, as the US’s aid chief, Samantha Power, confirmed that famine is beginning to take hold in parts of the besieged coastal strip.

What is the latest with the Hamas-Israel ceasefire negotiations? Hamas has indicated it does not have 40 captives who are still alive who meet the “humanitarian” criteria for a proposed hostages-for-prisoners ceasefire agreement with Israel.

What about Iran’s potential retaliatory strike on Israel? The US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a strike against Israel, by reiterating US commitments to Israeli security. It comes after Israel’s bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus on 1 April, which killed an Islamic Revolutionary Guards general and six officers.

The death toll continues to rise: After Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 200 hostage on 7 October, Israeli military actions have killed about 33,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

How did people react to his death on Thursday? The sports world reacted to OJ Simpson’s death with silence and derision, with the NFL using agency copy and former teams not mentioning Simpson on social media. Elsewhere, people used his passing to talk about domestic violence, race relations, the media and more.

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