Notes

The specter of famine in Gaza. The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification—the organization’s food security monitor—issued its starkest warning yet about Gaza this week: It faces a “worst-case scenario of famine.” According to the IPC report based on data up to July 25, more than 20,000 children have been admitted for acute malnutrition treatment since April, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished. Yet this remains an “alert,” not a formal declaration of famine, because the third criterion—demonstrable deaths from malnutrition—cannot be confirmed.

Meanwhile, a curious split opened between official Israeli and U.S. assessments. When asked about starvation, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters, “The reality is the opposite,” while U.S. President Donald Trump said there is “real starvation” and announced plans for U.S. “food centers”—and that both he and his wife, Melania, have been “deeply affected by the images.” The mechanics of aid distribution add another layer of complexity: The Israeli- and American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it’s distributed over 89 million meals, but aid experts warn most items require water and fuel for cooking—resources that are now largely unavailable.

So what convinced Trump?