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A year ago, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. This was the worst incident for Jews since the Holocaust. A further 251 people were taken hostage. In the ensuing months, Israeli military offensives in Gaza have devastated the densely populated coastal region, killing around 42,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
As Israel marked the day with vigils and protests across the country, Hezbollah rockets hit Haifa, Israel’s third largest city, in response to Israel’s Beirut shelling, injuring five people. A new division of the Israeli army has been sent to southern Lebanon, raising questions about the scope of Israeli operations in the country.
One year later, how many hostages will remain in Gaza? About 100 hostages have not yet returned home. The release of 117 hostages early in the war, including 105 in exchanges during a short ceasefire in November 2023, raised hopes, but as the offensive drags on, no one is alive during the Israeli operation. More hostages were found dead than people. A year later, some families have just learned that their loved ones were killed in the first attack and whose remains still remain in Gaza.
How are hostages’ families coping? “Enough is enough. One year is too long. I can’t take it anymore,” Aviva Siegel said. He was held hostage for 51 days before being released, and his husband, Keith, remains in captivity. For the families of the six Thai migrant workers still detained, the lack of news is unbearable.
What is happening in Gaza? The IDF forces the estimated 300,000 remaining residents of the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate south to the so-called humanitarian zone of al-Mawashi, where an estimated 1 million displaced people have taken refuge. I called out.
What will the situation be for Palestinians in Gaza a year from now? Medical workers volunteering in Gaza say that in addition to the airstrikes and military operations that have destroyed much of the territory, malnutrition is a major problem, as well as poor sanitation and limited access to water. states. Medical supplies have been difficult to obtain, with health workers reporting working without essentials such as surgical gowns and gauze. Polio vaccinations began last month, but the cruel reality is that some children vaccinated in the morning are considered victims by the evening, one doctor said.
How are people around the world celebrating their first anniversary? From London to Berlin to Tokyo, people are erecting monuments to honor the memory of those killed in the October 7 attack and taking to the streets to protest Israeli military offensives in Gaza. Cities and campuses in the United States are on high alert in preparation for riots.
Still feeling the effects of Hurricane Helen, Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton.
Days after Hurricane Helen devastated much of Florida, the state is preparing for Hurricane Milton to hit western Florida by midweek. Milton was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday, and Florida expanded its state of emergency.
Are Floridians evacuating? Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie is urging residents to prepare for “probably the largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017.” More than 6.8 million people were evacuated to Irma. Pinellas County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for six hospitals, 25 nursing homes and 44 assisted living facilities (approximately 6,600 patients total), and Pasco County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for all residents in low-lying areas or areas at risk of flooding. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for the area, effective at 10 a.m. Monday. .
What is Gov. Ron DeSantis saying? As 4,000 National Guard troops assist state workers clearing debris, DeSantis said Florida troops sent to North Carolina in the aftermath of Helen will be in the state preparing for Milton. instructed to return. “We will respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” the governor said. “Everything is full steam ahead.”
In other news…
Today’s stats: At least 200 people remain missing after Hurricane Helen
More than a week after Hurricane Helen made landfall in the southeastern United States, killing at least 230 people, search and rescue efforts continue for hundreds of people missing. Across six states, devastated communities are picking up the pieces, but the scale of the destruction remains unclear.
What are the long-term effects of Helen? Experts believe the impact of infrastructure damage and widespread misinformation will plague communities for years, if not decades. are. Mold and standing water are likely to increase asthma flare-ups and breathing problems, while hygiene concerns are growing in other areas without running water, including the spread of viruses such as hepatitis A and stomach bugs. There is.
How are local communities working together to close the gap? As some residents are dissatisfied with the federal and state governments’ response, mutual aid organizations are turning to communities to provide them with the non-perishable food and power generation they need. The company is stepping up its efforts to provide menstrual products, menstrual products, and baby products.
Don’t miss: Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans reflect on one year since Middle East conflict
One year after the October 7 attacks, Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans are caught up in a crisis unfolding half a world away, cutting across generations and political divides. As Jewish Americans grapple with anti-Semitism, “people are holding me accountable for the Israeli government,” said Lee, 30, whose uncle and aunt were killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack. Silvert said – Palestinian Americans are still in Gaza waiting in fear to hear from their relatives. “Since the Israeli attack on Gaza, I have lost 20 relatives,” said Dr. Emad Shehada, 48.
President Trump’s media strategy has evolved this election cycle to match the current state of right-wing media. Fox remains a strong news source, but it’s not Trumpian enough for the most MAGA supporters, despite the embrace of election denialism by some of its hosts. As more and more conservatives flock to far-right influencers and lesser-known news organizations built around Trumpism, the former president’s grip on right-wing media continues to grow, as a divided America grows stronger. The bubble we live in becomes an echo chamber.
Climate check: The world’s rivers are drying up
In 2023, the world’s rivers will dry up at the highest rate in 30 years, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). As in the previous two years, more than 50% of the world’s river basins were in abnormal conditions in 2023, with most in the red, particularly in large areas of North, Central and South America. On the other side of the world, in Asia and Oceania, below-normal conditions occurred across much of the vast Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Mekong river basins.
WMO Director-General Professor Celeste Sauro said: “As a result of rising temperatures, the water cycle is accelerating. Water flows are also becoming increasingly erratic and unpredictable, leading to serious problems of too much or too little water. We are facing a problem.”
Finally: “My disability is the least interesting thing to me.”
Actor Adam Pearson was born with neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic disorder that causes benign skin tumors all over the face. However, he didn’t let that stop him from pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. Pearson got her first big break in 2013 when director Jonathan Glazer cast her in the film Under the Skin, even though she had no prior acting experience. Over the next ten years, he grew his career and appeared in A Different Man, co-starring Sebastian Stan.
“I never thought that disabled people weren’t allowed to be in movies, because I’d never seen disabled people before. Until recently, I won an Oscar for playing a character with a disability. There were only two actors with disabilities,” Pearson said. “And I said, ‘That’s pretty awful, isn’t it?’
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