Biden says that aid could arrive in Gaza in the next day or two

Palestinians in Gaza, and Israel, as a United Nation, warned Israel in the wake of the Rafah Explosion: Israel and Israel are concerned

For Palestinians to leave Gaza, they have to go to the Rafah crossing. Food, water and medicine are already extremely scarce in Gaza, and the dire conditions have worsened in the last week. Hospitals are struggling to care for injured children, who are often penniless, and have no electricity.

Biden’s team has been pressing Israel and Egypt to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza — and to let civilians out. Kirby was optimistic that something would happen soon in Tel Aviv.

Biden also hopes to get more information about efforts to locate and free hostages taken during the attacks, a handful of whom are believed to be American citizens. Biden will meet with people who lost loved ones during the attacks, as well as first responders, Kirby said.

At the same time, Biden has pledged support for Israel in its war against Hamas, and is expected to ask Congress later this week to provide funding for additional military aid to Israel.

“He’ll be asking some tough questions – he’ll be asking them as a friend, as a true friend of Israel but he’ll be asking some questions of them,” Kirby said.

Biden said in a statement that he was “outraged” and “sad” by the explosion at the hospital. “The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during conflict and we mourn the patients, medical staff and other innocents killed or wounded in this tragedy.”

Biden and Netanyahu talked after the hospital explosion. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that Israel had “categorically and stridently denied” responsibility.

Abbas called for three days of mourning after he canceled his meeting with Biden. The visit was postponed by Biden after he talked to the king.

The Israel–Israel Abundance Deal after the Gaza Unexploded Explosion: Why the White House isn’t releasing public information about the trip

The explosion sparked protests across the region, including in the occupied West Bank, where three Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces overnight.

The deal was announced by President Biden late Wednesday after a visit to Israel, during which he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and later spoke by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The trip became more risky after the Gaza hospital explosion, which killed hundreds of people. Biden had initially planned to stop in Amman, Jordan after Tel Aviv to meet with three key leaders about humanitarian aid for Gaza. But that part of the trip was called off.

But Biden has visited war zones before, including a trip to Ukraine in February. The travel was not publicly revealed until the president arrived in Kyiv.

The risks of traveling to the region are why the White House is not giving public information about the trip. During Blinken’s visit to Tel Aviv, sirens went off as a warning of new rocket attacks, and the secretary was moved to a bunker for about five minutes.

The Gazan crisis as a test for U.S. diplomacy: A report from the UN and a warning from the United Nations

There is hope that 20 trucks of aid can enter Gaza on Friday, after roads have been repaired. Dozens of trucks will be on stand-by until another agreement is reached.

The United Nations says that there are some 3000 tons of food, water and medicine waiting to enter Egypt at the Rafah border crossing.

No one knows if any fuel will be included in the shipment. With Gaza’s main power plant unable to operate, aid groups say fuel is badly needed to power desalination and wastewater plants, along with hospital generators.

As many as 600 U.S. citizens are thought to be trapped in Gaza, U.S. officials say, but it was unclear whether any people would be allowed out if the border opens on Friday.

For 13 days, Israeli airstrikes have pummeled the Strip, leveling buildings and damaging infrastructure. More than 1 million Palestinians — roughly half of the territory’s population — are estimated to have left their homes to seek shelter in central or southern Gaza, according to the United Nations. Palestinian officials say that Israeli airstrikes have destroyed more than 4,800 residential buildings in Gaza and damaged more than 120,000 housing units.

The UN Secretary-General called for a cease- fire in order to facilitate Hamas’s release of hostages and to allow unrestricted access to aid.

Guterres is expected to arrive in Cairo Thursday as part of a wave of diplomatic efforts to address the crisis; British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was set to arrive in Israel Thursday to meet Netanyahu, and French leader Emmanuel Macron was expected to follow in the coming days.

Up First Briefing: Gaza Aid Deal: Preventing Catalytic Converter Theft in the House of Representatives Against Rep. Jordan

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

In a second vote, House Republicans again rejected Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as the new speaker. The GOP’s opposition to his nomination grew by 22.

The average American family’s net worth increased by over three-fifths over the last five years, according to a new Federal Reserve survey. Since the surveys began, it’s been the biggest jump the agency has seen. The wealth gap narrowed between the rich and poor. The gains could be tied to the government’s temporary COVID relief measures.

Natalee Holloway’s family finally knows what happened to her 18 years after the American teen disappeared on a high school graduation trip in Aruba. Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty to her death. As part of the plea deal, he agreed to tell Holloway’s mother, Beth, how her daughter died and where her body was stashed.

Source: Up First briefing: Gaza aid deal; preventing catalytic converter theft

How to Protect Your Car: The Stories of a Star Trek Knudsen Escape, and an Astrophysicist of Color

The National Insurance Crime Bureau states that the number of catalytic converter theft has risen in the last year. They’re located underneath cars and help them clean exhaust. Thieves are after them because they are made of expensive metals. It will cost thousands to replace one. Here’s how to protect your car:

When she was in a rural town, NPR scientist in residence, Regina G. Barber used TV as an escape. Star Trek is a TV show. She liked The Next Generation a lot. Her dad, also a Trekkie, pointed out the morals in each episode and taught her to value diversity. Barber writes about how this helped build the foundation for her sense of social justice as an astrophysicist of color.

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