 |
| Meals provided to Palestinians in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, last month. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times |
Israeli officers warned that Gaza was on the brink of starvation
In public, Israel has insisted for months that Gazans have enough food. But in recent days, some Israeli military officers have privately warned their commanders that widespread starvation will hit within weeks, three Israeli defense officials said. Their analysis is in line with the conclusions of leading aid groups.
The Israeli officers, who monitor humanitarian conditions in Gaza, said that unless the blockade was lifted quickly, many areas were likely to 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.
What’s next: The Israeli military leadership is exploring ways to restart aid deliveries while getting around Hamas, insiders said. Israel has vowed to dramatically expand the war to destroy Hamas and bring back the remaining hostages — two goals that more than 19 months of war have yet to achieve.
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.
 |
| President Trump began his Gulf visit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Doug Mills/The New York Times |
Trump announced a huge U.S. shift on Syria
President Trump is expected to meet with Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Shara, today in Saudi Arabia, a day after Trump announced that the U.S. would lift its sanctions on the country. 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 14 years of war.
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. Those sanctions had previously been imposed in response to Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on a 2011 uprising, which led to a civil war.
Our photographer Doug Mills is traveling with the president. He captured these images.
Deals: The White House announced that Trump had secured $600 billion in deals with Saudi firms and the kingdom’s government. But details it provided were vague and accounted for less than half that number.
More U.S. political news:
| A damning new book about Joe Biden depicts an aging president surrounded by family and aides who enabled his quixotic resolve to run for a second term. |
| The Trump administration canceled $450 million in grants to Harvard, in addition to $2.2 billion it had already frozen.A federal judge opened a path for the Trump administration to move forward with deporting a Venezuelan man under a wartime law, cutting against three other recent rulings. |
| Ukrainian soldiers in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine last month. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times |
Zelensky urged Trump to attend peace talks
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine appealed to President Trump to meet him tomorrow for peace talks in Turkey, after the U.S. president said on Monday that he might attend. Zelensky said he believed that if Trump confirmed his presence, 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.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
 |
| A house damaged by Pakistani artillery shelling in Jammu, in the part of Kashmir controlled by India, on Sunday. Atul Loke for The New York Times |
| India-Pakistan: Military leaders from both countries held talks intended to extend a tenuous cease-fire. China: President Xi Jinping told Latin American officials in Beijing that he wanted to expand cooperation on technology. Germany: The country is banning a far-right group that refuses to recognize the German state and that has issued its own currency, ID cards and even license plates. Britain: A man who served 38 years in prison for murder had his conviction overturned after forensic evidence was found not to match his DNA. Travel: Border detentions and confusion over visas for the U.S. are deterring international visitors. That could cause a $12.5 billion loss. Gender: Boys’ educational achievements, mental health and transitions to adulthood indicate that many are not thriving. Vatican: The new pope’s identity was deeply molded by a tight-knit community with fewer than 3,000 members: the Order of St. Augustine. Royals: Kate Middleton made a surprise appearance at a prestigious fashion event, as she increases her public engagements after her cancer treatment last year. U.S.: The Menendez brothers were resentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, setting the stage for their possible release. Leisure: Oliver Widger quit his job, cashed in his 401(k) and bought a boat. Now he and his cat, Phoenix, are sailing around the world. |
Business & Economics
| Germany: Surveys indicate that manufacturers are pulling back from U.S. investments, and businesses with factories on American soil are gloomy about their futures. Tesla: The chair of the board, Robyn Denholm, made $198 million in the past six months selling stock of the automaker that she earned for serving on the board. Markets: A boomerang month for the stock market, which is now higher than before President Trump’s tariffs sent share prices into a tailspin, is flummoxing investors. Cybersecurity: The British retailer Marks & Spencer last month experienced a cyberattack that left it unable to process online orders for weeks. Fashion: Pandora, the world’s largest jeweler, said that it had “battle-ready” plans to weather the trade war. |
Entertainment News
| Kim Kardashian: The reality TV star testified in a Paris court about how she was tied up at gunpoint in 2016 as jewelry worth millions was stolen. Gérard Depardieu: The French actor was convicted of sexually assaulting two women on the set of a film in 2021. Sean Combs: Casandra Ventura, the music mogul’s former girlfriend, testified that he had physically abused her and coerced her into sex with male prostitutes. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Lacrosse: The sport returns to the Olympics in 2028 on U.S. soil. But organizers won’t let Indigenous teams compete, even though their ancestors invented the game. Formula 1: Max Verstappen may be the best driver in the sport. Right now he is stopping McLaren from domination. Cricket: Now that Virat Kohli has announced his retirement, we took a look back at the athlete who made one billion Indian cricket dreams come true. Soccer: Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in Real Madrid’s history, is leaving the club. Here’s why. |
| MORNING READ |
Joe McCallen has driven 100,000 miles of Midwest and East Coast roads across three years in his Google Street View car, helping to fill out an interactive world map that covers millions of miles over 110 countries.
“I love doing it,” McCallen, 63, said. “The places you go to, the people you see. Stuff you just can’t write.” Our reporter went along for the ride.
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
A Hollywood takeover at Cannes
The lineup for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which began yesterday, has so many English-language films that it could be mistaken for a Hollywood event.
The biggest premieres include “Die, My Love,” with Jennifer Lawrence, above, and Robert Pattinson, and the Spike Lee film “Highest 2 Lowest.” Several actors, including Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson, will be presenting their directorial debuts. Here’s what to watch.
Button up: The “naked dress,” a Cannes mainstay, is getting covered up with the introduction of a new dress code.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Cook: Spinach borani is a classic Iranian yogurt-based dip.
