International

A significant problem is now affecting humanitarian aid convoys trying to deliver essential goods to the starving population of Gaza: attacks by organized groups looking not for flour or medicine, but for cigarettes hidden in the cargo. In the tightly restricted Gaza Strip, where Israel meticulously inspects every incoming truck, cigarettes have become extremely rare, often selling for $25 to $30 apiece. Smugglers in Egypt have hidden them in sacks of flour, diapers and even watermelons donated by the United Nations, according to aid agencies and Israeli officials who shared information with The New York Times. Aid trucks headed to…

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital on Monday underscored the escalation of attacks on medical facilities, vehicles and workers in the country. The incident is in line with World Health Organization (WHO) data indicating a potential increase in Ukrainian casualties from such attacks in 2024 compared to the previous year. Before the attack on Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, WHO had reported 18 deaths and 81 injuries from more than 175 attacks on health infrastructure in Ukraine during the first half of 2024. In addition, 44 attacks on medical vehicles were recorded. In 2023, WHO documented 22…