The Morning: Hunger in Gaza

Plus, the Fed, Paramount and Hulk Hogan.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 25, 2025 Good morning. Here's the latest: Jerome Powell: In front of cameras, the Fed chair refuted President Trump's claims. It's something Trump's own advisers rarely do. Media: The F.C.C. approved the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance. As part of the deal, the company will install an official to monitor bias at CBS's news division. Hulk Hogan, whose flamboyance and star power turned professional wrestling into a multibillion-dollar industry, died at 71. More news is below. But first, we explain the state of Gaza. Near Gaza City. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times The hunger By Lauren Jackson I am a writer for The Morning newsletter. For nearly two years, people in Gaza have faced death by airstrikes, tanks and bullets. Now, many are facing a slower, quieter end: They are dying from starvation. It's a crisis that Gaza's few remaining functional hospitals can't treat. "There is no one in Gaza now outside the scope of famine, not even myself," Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, who leads the pediatric ward at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, told my colleagues. "I am speaking to you as a health official, but I, too, am searching for flour to feed my family." As Gaza faces a looming famine, its social order is breaking down. Looting is rampant. Chaos surrounds the enclave's few aid delivery sites. Israeli troops have opened fire on civilians waiting for food, again and again. The United Nations says that more than 1,000 people trying to get food have been killed since May. After 21 months of devastating war in Gaza, it can be difficult to discern when conditions there have meaningfully shifted. But Times correspondents are clear: Gaza is descending into anarchy. It's a crisis that appears unlikely to abate soon, as Israel and the U.S. said yesterday that they would withdraw from cease-fire talks with Hamas. Below, we explain what is happening. An ongoing crisis Hunger in Gaza is not new. Israel's blockade — its ability to control what is allowed into the enclave — has been a source of tension for nearly two decades. Throughout the war, international aid agencies have accused Israel of not allowing enough food into Gaza. Israel says Hamas diverts supplies for its own purposes and aid groups mismanage shipments. The Times has been unable to verify Israel's claims that Hamas is diverting large amounts of aid to itself. The claims are difficult to confirm because Israel does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza unaccompanied. And Gaza-based journalists are themselves struggling to find food. But our reporters have heard from Gazans in recent weeks that they are at risk of starving to death. A mother of six children, two of whom suffer from cerebral palsy and severe malnutrition. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times The past few months have pushed Gaza to a new level of distress. The World Food Program, part of the United Nations, said this week that the crisis in Gaza had reached "astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row." The war has decimated Gaza, but the hunger crisis has grown worse for a few reasons: Blockade: For months this past spring, Israel banned food, fuel and other supplies from entering Gaza. Israeli officials said the policy was intended to force Hamas to release the hostages it took during its terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. That didn't happen. Hunger quickly spread, and Israel's allies, including Britain, France and Canada, condemned the blockade. Pope Leo also called for more aid. Aid delivery: When Israel allowed aid to enter Gaza, it did so on new terms. The Israeli military empowered private, mostly American, contractors to deliver supplies. The rollout was chaotic. People had to walk for miles in the dark. They jostled and fought for food. In the chaos, Israeli soldiers have repeatedly opened fire on people near aid delivery sites — killing dozens on multiple occasions. An untenable situation Now, Gaza faces anarchy. Gazans have been forced repeatedly from their homes and are unable to work without a functioning economy. They are dependent on the limited aid entering the enclave to survive. And in the daily fight for food and water, Gaza's most vulnerable civilians — the young, the old and the sick — are losing, doctors say. Mohammed Almadhoun, who works for the nonprofit Medical Aid for Palestinians, shared images of the emaciated rib cages of boys he'd treated. "On their luckiest day, they just have dry bread and tea," he said. This was avoidable. Experts have warned for a year and a half that "Israel's failure to plan for a power transition in Gaza" would make it harder to deliver aid, Patrick Kingsley, our bureau chief in Jerusalem, said. And without a plan for who should take over, it's unlikely the crisis will abate soon, Shira Efron, an expert on aid systems in Gaza, told Patrick. Israel and Hamas had been locked in negotiations without a breakthrough in sight. As American and Israeli representatives now step back from the talks, more than two million people in Gaza will continue to search for food — and hope it doesn't run out. More on Gaza Some of Israel's closest allies have criticized its restrictions on aid to Gaza in recent days. Australia's prime minister said the situation has "gone beyond the world's worst fears." President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state. That would make France the first of the Group of 7 major industrialized nations to do so. TRUMP AND THE FED The renovation site at the Federal Reserve.  Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times It was a surreal scene at a construction site at the Federal Reserve's headquarters in Washington yesterday as President Trump and Jerome Powell stood next to each other in hard hats. Trump's visit appeared to be part of his campaign against Powell, the chair of the central bank, whom Trump has attacked for his unwillingness to lower interest rates. Recently, Trump's attacks on the Fed have targeted the construction project, which has run over budget. Yesterday, Trump went so far as to suggest that the project's cost may be fraudulently inflated. Powell, however, stood his ground and fact-checked Trump in front of the cameras. Trump vs. Powell By The New York Times Trump's relationship with Powell has been rocky, but his criticisms have escalated this year, in both pace and intensity. Since April, Trump has publicly insulted Powell or called for his resignation more than 40 times. By The New York Times Read about some of the other attacks — and our analysis of how their relationship has soured. THE LATEST NEWS Epstein Investigation Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in an undated photo. Agence France-Presse, via US District Court for The Southern District of New York This past spring, hundreds of F.B.I. and Justice Department officials scoured the Epstein files. They were looking for something — anything — that could satisfy angry Trump supporters. Yesterday, top Justice Department officials interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein's who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. The long history of the right's obsession with child trafficking means it won't be easy for Trump to make this story disappear, Jia Lynn Yang writes. Late night hosts joked about Epstein. Politics White House officials have already cut deals with Columbia and Penn. The administration hopes that Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Cornell and Northwestern will be next. An appeals court struck down a California law that required buyers of ammunition to pass a background check. Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania accused Zohran Mamdani of failing to condemn "blatantly antisemitic" remarks by "extremists," wading into a party-wide debate over the Democratic mayoral nominee and his views on Israel. Immigration The Justice Department sued New York City over its sanctuary policy. The Trump administration negotiated the release of a convicted murderer in Venezuela as part of a large prisoner swap. He is now on American soil. A Venezuelan migrant took the first steps to sue the U.S. for what he said was his wrongful detention and removal to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Hulk Hogan Hulk Hogan David Brewster/Star Tribune, via Getty Images Hogan was known for his horseshoe mustache, colorful bandannas and massive biceps (which he called "24-inch pythons"). See photos from his wrestling career. After his wrestling days were over, he became a vocal supporter of Republican politics. He spoke last year at the party's convention in Milwaukee, tearing off his shirt to reveal a Trump/Vance shirt underneath. (Here's a video.) Other Big Stories Donations to NPR, PBS and local stations across the country have surged after Congress cut roughly $535 million of their funding. More than 100,000 people are fleeing fighting at the border between Cambodia and Thailand, and at least 16 people have died. The area has been contested for years because it's home to ancient temples. THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you're right. (The link will be free.) After the death of Ozzy Osbourne, which famous rapper visited a vigil in Birmingham, England — the singer's hometown — and poured tequila in his honor? Snoop Dogg Drake Kendrick Lamar Megan Thee Stallion OPINIONS The problem with naming sports teams the Redskins or the Indians isn't in the wording. It's in the choice to use a human group as a mascot at all, John McWhorter writes. Here is a column by David Brooks on ambition. Sign up for the Evening newsletter. Catch up on the biggest news, and wind down to end your day. Get it in your inbox MORNING READS Reykjavik, Iceland. Hilary Swift for The New York Times 36 Hours: Thinking of visiting Reykjavik, Iceland? Here is a guide to making the most of the quirky, surprisingly cosmopolitan outpost on the edge of the Arctic. No goodbyes: When therapists die unexpectedly, the shock to patients can be devastating. The Met Gala effect: Faced with federal funding cuts, institutions are staging elaborate parties to draw donations from the superrich. Smooth jazz: Chuck Mangione was a pioneer of the genre, a hitmaker whose "Feels So Good" reached the Top 10 and a master of the fluegelhorn whose cotton-candy hooks could bore into listeners' senses. He died at 84. SPORTS N.C.A.A.: Trump signed an executive order addressing the employment status of college athletes. Tennis: Venus Williams, who is 45, made her return to tennis at the Citi Open. She lost a Round of 16 matchup 6-2, 6-2 to Magdalena Fręch of Poland. ARTS AND IDEAS In Palma, Spain. Imago/Nicepix World, via Reuters "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." The audio from an ad for a British tour operator has gone viral on TikTok. It's being used ironically to joke about situations that are decidedly not holiday-like, including when a flooded subway station leaked rainwater across the floor of a train car. See the videos here. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Improve your burger technique with these tips from Kenji López-Alt. Use better washing machine settings (you're probably doing it wrong). This was the most-clicked link in The Morning yesterday. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was infallibly. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. 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. 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