Wednesday Briefing: Israeli officers warn of famine
Good morning. We’re covering a warning about starvation in Gaza and a major U.S. shift on Syria. Plus, a Hollywood takeover at Cannes.
Israeli officers warned that Gaza was on the brink of starvationIsrael has for months insisted publicly that Gazans have enough food, but in recent days, some Israeli military officers have warned their commanders that widespread starvation will hit within weeks, three Israeli defense officials said. The Israeli officers, who monitor humanitarian conditions in Gaza, said that unless the blockade is lifted quickly, many areas will likely run out of food to meet minimum daily needs. On Monday, a U.N.-backed initiative that monitors malnutrition also warned that famine was imminent in Gaza. Context: The warning from inside Israel’s military reveals that parts of the Israeli security establishment have reached the same conclusions as leading aid groups. What’s next: According to three defense officials, the Israeli military leadership has acknowledged the situation’s severity and is exploring ways to restart aid deliveries while getting around Hamas. On the ground: Israeli jets bombarded the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza yesterday in an attempt to kill Muhammad Sinwar, one of Hamas’s last remaining leaders in the enclave.
Trump announced a huge U.S. shift on SyriaPresident Trump is expected to meet with Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Shara, today in Saudi Arabia, a day after he announced that the U.S. would lift its sanctions on the country. The announcement came on the first day of Trump’s Gulf tour, where the U.S. president was treated to a lavish welcome by the Saudi kingdom. Trump said he had decided to lift sanctions on Syria after talking with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said at an investment forum in Riyadh. The end of sanctions represents a sea change for Syria: It would allow for international aid and investment that would help the country recover after nearly 14 years of war. Context: The U.S. imposed sanctions on Syria in response to Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on a 2011 uprising, which became a civil war. Syria’s new leaders and their allies in the Arab world argued that the measures had outlived their purpose. A first: A meeting with Trump would mark a stunning turnaround for al-Shara, who once led a branch of Al Qaeda, but broke ties with the jihadist group in order to moderate his image. Deals: The White House said Trump secured $600 billion in deals with the Saudi government and firms. But details it provided were vague and totaled less than half that number. Our photographer Doug Mills is traveling with the president. He captured these images.
Zelensky urged Trump to attend peace talksPresident Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine appealed to Trump to meet him tomorrow for peace talks in Turkey, after the U.S. president said on Monday that he might. Zelensky said he believed that if Trump confirmed his attendance, it would put pressure on President Vladimir Putin of Russia to do the same. The Kremlin declined to say whether the Russian leader would be at the meeting. “As soon as the president sees it fit, we will announce,” a spokesman said. |
