'We are coming to have some sun': Parents worry for their newborn in Rafah
Warda Sebata cradles her 4-month-old, Anas, as she walks up a hill perched on top of a tent camp in Rafah to catch some sunlight for her son who has iron deficiency. She worries for his poor health and lack of hospital care amid the war.
"We are coming to have some sun," she told an NBC News crew yesterday. "We go out to bask because the boy still needs to take his vaccination," she added.
The couple were displaced from Khan Younis and have resorted to building a tent in Rafah along the beach to sleep in with their eight children, after tight quarters in her uncle's place that had "no windows or doors" stoked fears of the spread of disease among the youngsters.
"There were many people, many children, and the children breathe. I worried about them; they may be infected with germs. So we built a tent," she said.
But the "freezing" temperatures at night, coupled with the daytime heat in the campsite worry her husband about the well-being of their young son.
"In daylight, a hell, hot you are sitting in a desert, and at night, cold, very cold," he said. "Things are tough."
The couple said that despite their searches at nearby pharmacies and the streets, they have not found a can of milk or drinking water for days. Even sea water is hard to come by, according to Warda's husband.
"We are trying to compensate him little by little. I hope to find the appropriate milk for him," Warda said, referring to taking care of her son amid the dire conditions. "God willing, I will give him the rest of the vaccination, finish everything, and return home."
Israeli opposition leader calls for government to be replaced after contentious meeting
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has called for the Israeli government to be replaced in a post on X today, following reports in the Israeli media of a contentious meeting of the security Cabinet.
"The State of Israel must replace the government and its leader," he said.
Yesterday, in comments aired on Channel 12, he said, "We cannot allow ourselves to conduct a prolonged campaign with a prime minister in whom we do not trust," referring to Benjamin Netanyahu.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urges more empathy for Muslims and Arabs in tech community
Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, has called for more empathy for Muslims and Arabs, especially Palestinians, in the tech community.
Colleagues he's spoken with "feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects," he said in a post on X yesterday.
Altman added: "Our industry should be united in our support of these colleagues; it is an atrocious time." He said he hopes for lasting peace, "and that in the meantime we can treat each other with empathy."
IDF says troops hit more than 100 Hamas targets from the ground, air and sea over last day
Israeli forces struck more than 100 targets in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said today in a statement, as its operation in central and southern Gaza deepens.
It said its troops struck a number of rocket launch sites in Khan Younis and killed a number of operatives in the area.
In Bureij, Israeli ground troops were assisted by an IDF drone as it pursued an enemy squad, it said, adding, "the troops directed an IDF fighter jet that struck the compound where the terrorist cell fled to and killed them."
Iraq to form a bilateral committee to end U.S.-led coalition in the country
The Iraqi government is forming a bilateral committee to prepare for ending the mission of the U.S.-led international coalition in Iraq, a statement from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office said citing him today.
He made the comments one day after a U.S. strike killed a local militia leader in Baghdad, the latest escalation between the West and Iran-backed militant groups in the region.
Blinken to arrive in the Mideast amid tensions with Iran-backed groups
Secretary of State Blinken is set to begin his weeklong Middle East diplomacy tour today, beginning in Turkey, a day after a U.S. airstrike killed the leader of an Iran-backed militia in Baghdad.
Blinken is set to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank, as well as Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement yesterday.
As fears grow over the Israel-Hamas war triggering a wider regional conflict with the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut earlier this week, Miller told reporters that Blinken aims to push Israeli officials on a plan for post-war Gaza.
"You will see us pushing additional steps on what Gaza should look like at the end of the conflict," Miller said. "Those are going to be some of the toughest conversations, of course, but we’re ready to go pursue them."
He also stressed the importance of deterring Houthi attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea.
The tour marks Blinken's fourth trip to the region since Oct 7.
‘Empathetic distress’: Exploring empathy’s limits in times of crisis
Adam Grant, a Wharton School professor, joined "Morning Joe" to discuss his new op-ed on the emotional impact of ongoing conflicts, like Israel’s war with Hamas.
“Empathy is in some ways a renewable resource, but it can be drained very quickly,” he said, explaining how continuous exposure to global crises can lead to “empathetic distress,” causing people to feel overwhelmed and helpless.
Grant differentiates between empathy and compassion, suggesting compassion as a healthier, more sustainable response.
Israeli defense minister outlines plans for war's next phase
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s office released a brief document detailing some of the framework envisioned for “phase 3” of the war, as well as what would happen in post-war Gaza.
According to the document, the third phase of war will focus on “the erosion of remaining terror hotspots in the area.” In north Gaza, that will include raids and special operations, while in the south the military will focus on eliminating Hamas’ leadership.
Gallant’s document reiterates comments from officials that Hamas “will not” be in control of the Palestinian enclave after the war and that Israel will “reserve its operational freedom of action.” It said that Israeli civilians will not be in Gaza and that Palestinian “bodies” will be in charge.
“The entity controlling the territory will build on the capabilities of the existing administrative mechanism (civil committees) in Gaza — local non-hostile actors,” the document said.
Restoration of the strip, the document said, would be led by the U.S. in a multinational task force. Israel sees Egypt as a “major actor” in the post-war plan.
Israeli army movements in Gaza
Israeli army humvees and vehicles move along a dirt road in the Gaza Strip near a position along the border with southern Israel.