The Morning: Gaza’s food crisis

Plus, Evergrande, A.I. and the Super Bowl.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 29, 2024 By David Leonhardt and Lauren Jackson Good morning. We're covering the hunger crisis in Gaza — as well as Evergrande, A.I. and the Super Bowl. Rafah, in southern Gaza. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press 'Almost everyone is now hungry' Mothers in Gaza are struggling to find clean water and baby formula for their newborns. Families are selling their possessions to buy sacks of flour. Some people are eating animal feed to survive. In the northern city of Beit Lahia, Mahmoud Shalabi said his neighbors have brought cattle feed — made of corn or oat — to a mill to grind it into flour. It is barely edible, said Shalabi, 38, whose children are 7 and 9, but is preferable to starvation. "If you find it now," he told us, "you will be able to have something to eat and feed your kids." Famine has become a central concern in the humanitarian calamity in Gaza, with nearly all households regularly skipping meals, according to the U.N. On a per capita basis, Bob Kitchen of the International Rescue Committee said, "It is the most intense hunger crisis I have ever seen." He added: "Almost everyone is now hungry." In today's newsletter, we will explain the crisis in Gaza — and the concern among experts that starvation has again become a tool of war. The siege Gaza's food shortage stems mostly from Israel's blockade, which has been especially intense since October. Gaza is an arid strip of densely populated land where the economy depends on imports to produce enough food. For years, Israel has limited the flow of goods into Gaza, largely to prevent Hamas from gaining access to military supplies. The limits also restricted the entry of food and other basic items. After the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, Israel ordered what its defense minister called a "complete siege" of Gaza. The goal was both to weaken Hamas fighters and to ensure that no military supplies could enter. Israeli officials claim that they are still allowing food and other humanitarian supplies into the enclave, but that aid groups have not distributed them efficiently. On Twitter, Israel's government recently posted a photo of aid trucks sitting idle at Gaza's border and wrote, "Stop spreading accusations and start doing your job." Israel has also accused employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the U.N. agency that aids Palestinians in Gaza, of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks. (On Friday, the U.N. fired several employees of the agency and began investigating accusations that they had participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. Read the latest details.) Still, many human rights experts dispute that inefficient aid distribution is the main cause of the food shortage. Israel, these experts say, has been too slow to inspect supplies and approve them for entry. Only 20 percent to 30 percent of what people need has been crossing into Gaza, according to the World Food Program. "Israel says the reason is security," Stephanie Nolen, who covers global health for The Times, told us. "But the net result is that you can't actually get food in." In a ruling on Friday, the International Court of Justice — an arbiter of international law, based in the Netherlands — found that many people in Gaza have "no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating." The court ordered Israel to allow more supplies to enter Gaza immediately, although the court has little ability to enforce the ruling. Hamas and Egypt also bear some responsibility for the hunger crisis. Western and Arab officials have said that Hamas has kept a large stockpile of food, fuel and medicine for the group's own members to use. Egypt, for its part, shares a border with southern Gaza yet has blocked most Gazans from fleeing the war zone. Egypt's actions contrast with the refugee policies of other border nations during wars, including in Ukraine and South Sudan, where neighboring countries have prioritized civilian lives. Gaza's food situation is dire enough to have become part of the negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages and a possible cease-fire. Officials from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are participating in the talks, and some have grown hopeful that they are close to a deal. (Related: Israel yesterday stepped up efforts to prevent Israeli protesters from blocking aid into Gaza. The protesters say no aid should enter until Hamas releases hostages.) Feckless law Our colleague Stephanie Nolen has noted that the world seemed to be moving away from starvation as a weapon of war in the late 20th century. The tactic was common during World War II, when a Nazi strategy called "Hungerplan" helped kill millions of Soviets and the U.S. military conducted Operation Starvation to block the delivery of food to Japan. In 1998, however, a new statute of international law criminalized the use of civilian starvation as a military tactic. Still, several countries have evidently used the tactic over the past seven years, including Saudi Arabia against Yemen; Syria's own government against its people; and Ethiopia, to fight rebels in its Tigray region. These governments have suffered few consequences. Palestinians accuse Israel of repeating the pattern in Gaza. For more: Stephanie explains the dire — and sometimes lasting — effects of starvation on the human body. News on the war Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan in what the U.S. said was a drone attack from an Iran-backed militia. President Biden vowed to respond to the attack. "Have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing," he said. Biden must decide how far he is willing to go in terms of retaliation at the risk of a wider war, Peter Baker writes. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker, called for the F.B.I. to investigate protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. She suggested without evidence that some activists may have ties to Russia. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS 2024 Election The Biden campaign is banking that fears of another turbulent Trump administration will outweigh worries about the Biden's age. Nikki Haley is trying to diminish Donald Trump without alienating Republican voters. She largely avoids discussion of his legal troubles and focuses on his mental and physical agility. 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Championship: The Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10, thanks to a strong defensive performance that slowed down the Ravens' dynamic quarterback, Lamar Jackson. N.F.C. Championship: The 49ers scored 27 consecutive points in the second half to defeat the Detroit Lions, 34-31, spoiling what would have been the Lions' first Super Bowl berth. Taylor Swift: Yes, the pop star and girlfriend of the Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce will be on tour in Japan. But she can still make the game. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Hieronymus Bosch's "The Conjurer" and an image of Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. Tyler Ross/NBAE, via Getty Images; Hieronymus Bosch The art and absurdity of sports: LJ Rader is the creative force behind the Art But Make It Sports accounts on social media, where Rader — a largely self-taught art aficionado from Upper East Side — uses his gift of instant recall to pair sports photographs with works of art that mirror them. Recently, the N.F.L. tagged him in a post asking him to turn his talents to a photograph of offensive lineman Jason Kelce screaming shirtless and clutching a can of beer at a Chiefs game. Rader's choice: "The Feast of Bacchus" by the 17th century Dutch painter Philips Koninck. More on culture Two environmental protesters hurled pumpkin-colored soup on the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. A federal jury ruled in favor of the celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D in a copyright trial over her tattoo reproduction of a portrait of Miles Davis. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. Pile grated cheese, chiles, red onion and cilantro on toast to make eggs Kejriwal. Navigate awards season with the help of podcasts. Try one of these Stanley tumbler copycats. Get Super Bowl ready with a new TV. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was vulpine. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David and Lauren Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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