October 7, 2024 |
Good morning. We’re covering the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack — as well as Trump’s age, Hurricane Helene’s aftermath and “Megalopolis.”
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| In Ashkelon, Israel, on Oct. 7, 2023. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times |
Many Israeli families were starting their weekend routines — on a Saturday, the Jewish sabbath, one year ago — when the first signs of trouble appeared. Hamas sent explosive drones and fired thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel.
Soon after, militants smashed through border fences out of Gaza and landed in southern Israel on paragliders. They killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds more hostage, broadcasting some of the attacks on social media.
The Oct. 7 attack, among the deadliest acts of terrorism in history, has reshaped the Middle East in the year since. In today’s newsletter, I’ll focus on three main changes: First, Israel has weakened its enemies. Second, Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza and its people. Third, the Middle East is on the precipice of a regional war. At the bottom of the newsletter, I’ve also included links to The Times’s coverage of this somber anniversary.
1. A weakened axis
When Israel went into Gaza, it vowed to destroy Hamas, the Iran-backed group that launched the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has not done so, and U.S. officials are skeptical that it ever will. But the incursion into Gaza has nonetheless devastated Hamas. Israel has killed thousands of its fighters and destroyed much of its weapons stockpiles. Israel has also killed many of Hamas’s leaders, including the head of its political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, while he was in Iran. Many of the group’s previous bases of operations, in Gaza, are in ruins.
Israel has also weakened Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group on its northern border. Hezbollah began firing missiles into Israel the day after the Oct. 7 attack, in solidarity with Hamas. The barrages have forced tens of thousands of Israelis out of their homes in the north. In recent weeks, Israel has become much more aggressive toward Hezbollah; through airstrikes and covert operations, it has killed many of the group’s members and leaders, including its head, Hassan Nasrallah.
Together, these successes have reduced the ability of Israel’s enemies to carry out another attack like Oct. 7.
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| Family members of hostages. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times |
One thing Israel has not accomplished: bringing home all of the hostages. More than 100 hostages, some of whom have died, still have not been returned. A cease-fire agreement to bring them home remains elusive, despite the U.S. and Arab countries’ efforts to negotiate a deal.
2. A humanitarian crisis
Second, the war has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israeli attacks have killed more than 41,500 Palestinians, including both civilians and militants.
Frequent airstrikes have forced Palestinians to cower in shelters and flee their homes. As tanks have rolled into Gaza, survivors have lost family and friends to fighting. Food, water and medical supplies remain scarce, leading to starvation and untreated illness. Entire neighborhoods are now rubble, leaving people without housing and other important infrastructure.
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| In the southern Gaza Strip in November. Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times |
For all of Israel’s military successes, Gaza’s suffering has consumed much of the international attention to the conflict and damaged Israel’s reputation abroad. Israel argues that Hamas is largely to blame for the civilian deaths, because the group deliberately hides in schools, hospitals and other civilian buildings and even uses them as command centers. That forces Israel to strike these places to take out Hamas. Still, many people who see the destruction in Gaza, knowing that Israel has the ability to end the war, demand that Israel do so for the sake of Palestinians.
Biden administration officials argue that Israel has largely achieved its military objectives in Gaza and should reach a cease-fire to return the remaining hostages. Israeli officials say that withdrawing would allow Hamas to rebuild itself.
3. A wider war
What began as an Israeli campaign into Gaza has turned into a multifront conflict between Israel and Iran, which has financed and advised both Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel has also invaded Lebanon, where Hezbollah controls territory, forcing thousands of Lebanese civilians to flee. And Iran has twice fired a barrage of missiles at Israel. Israel promised to retaliate for the second attack, which took place last week.
Israel and Iran do not seem to want an all-out war, but at the same time they both believe that they have to respond to each other’s attacks. Iran wants to assert its influence over the Middle East and demonstrate that it can inflict pain on Israel for strikes on Iran’s allies. Israel wants to show Iran that it can’t fund terrorist attacks on Israel without consequences. Each side hopes that its attacks will get the other to back down, out of fear of what could come next.
The attacks have instead led Israel and Iran to steadily escalate over the past year. Each side seems to want to deter the other, but in practice both are in a cycle of violence that is pushing the region further into war.
More on the anniversary
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| A gathering at the site of the Nova music festival near Re’im, Israel. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times |
- Israelis are commemorating the attacks. People gathered for a ceremony in the Re’im forest, the site of the music festival where more than 380 people were killed.
- A small group of the families of hostages taken by Hamas gathered near Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem. “A whole year in which time has stopped. I’m still on the same day,” one mother said.
- Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has exposed the limits of American influence and highlighted Netanyahu’s staying power. Read an explanation of why the war continues.
- One major difference between the war in Gaza and other conflicts: Palestinian refugees have nowhere else to go. See a video from The A.P. of Gaza City before and after Oct. 7.
- Israelis are trickling back to the villages attacked on Oct. 7 — and facing the traumas of that day once again.
- Seven Times photojournalists who have covered the war in Israel and Gaza share the images that have stayed with them most.
- A year on, many American Jews say the attack drove them to re-evaluate their identities.
More on the Middle East
- The Israeli military said it had sent more troops to Lebanon and conducted airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza.
- A Hezbollah rocket attack injured at least five people in Haifa, northern Israel, CNN reports.
THE LATEST NEWS |
2024 Election
- Donald Trump’s economic plans could increase the national debt and raise costs for most Americans, two analyses found.
- Trump’s speeches have become less focused, longer and angrier, raising questions about his age.
- Polls show that the race remains tight after the vice-presidential debate and a strong jobs report.
- One in five Americans consider themselves rural. Watch the Times reporter Astead Herndon explore how Republicans expanded their advantage among these voters — and whether Democrats can remain competitive.
- The docket for the new Supreme Court term looks fairly routine. That could change quickly if the election results are contested, Adam Liptak writes.
More on Politics
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| Dianne Feinstein’s jewelry. Rachel Bujalski for The New York Times |
- Senator Dianne Feinstein collected jewelry, paintings and political mementos. A year after her death, many of her belongings are on sale.
- The men behind Trump’s cryptocurrency venture are serial entrepreneurs who have left a trail of lawsuits and unpaid debt.
International
- The Russian arms dealer who was traded in a prisoner swap for the U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner is now trying to sell weapons to the Houthis, The Wall Street Journal reports.
- The chief of staff to the new British prime minister, Keir Starmer, resigned. The first months of Starmer’s government have been turbulent.
- Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals, cementing his influence on the group that will choose his successor.
Weather
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| In Asheville, NC. Juan Diego Reyes for The New York Times |
- School closures and trauma in the wake of Hurricane Helene could leave children with lasting emotional and academic setbacks, experts say.
- Conspiracy theories about Helene relief efforts are alarming officials and workers.
- Hurricane Milton is expected to bring significant rain and wind to parts of Florida this week.
Other Big Stories
- A lobbying group backed by the likes of Meta and Google is behind lawsuits that have derailed several states’ efforts to regulate the tech industry.
- Two boys, ages 12 and 13, have been arrested and charged in a street attack on David Paterson, a former governor of New York, and his stepson.
Opinions
Israeli apathy about Palestinian suffering is what allows the far right to control the country, Mairav Zonszein writes.
Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7 woke up American Jews to the different kinds of antisemitism in U.S. society, Bret Stephens writes.
Stephens and Gail Collins discuss Harris and the University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax.
Here are columns by David French on the prophets of Trumpism and Nicholas Kristof on how Biden facilitated war.
Introducing the new Times app, designed to bring you all of The Times, all in one place. Download the app to start exploring.
MORNING READS |
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| A tributary of the Amazon. Raphael Alves/EPA, via Shutterstock |
Drought: To maintain the flow of food and medicine along the Amazon River, Brazil is resorting to dredging.
Weed: Marijuana is widely considered nonaddictive and safe. For some users, these assumptions are dangerously wrong.
Ask Vanessa: “How big should a handbag be?”
Metropolitan Diary: A subway pickle.
Lives Lived: Susie Maxwell Berning was a trailblazing three-time champion of the United States Women’s Open golf tournament, known for her tenacity on the fairway and her grace off it. She died at 83.
SPORTS |
N.F.L.: Dak Prescott redeemed himself after being intercepted twice in the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing a touchdown in the final minute. See Week 5 takeaways.
M.L.B.: The San Diego Padres routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-2 in a shocking playoff game that included an 11-minute delay after fans threw debris onto the field. Read a recap.
N.B.A.: LeBron and Bronny James became the first father and son to share an N.B.A. court in the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason tilt against the Phoenix Suns.
W.N.B.A.: The New York Liberty are clear title favorites after eliminating the Las Vegas Aces, the repeat defending champions, in the postseason semifinals.
ARTS AND IDEAS |
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| Francis Ford Coppola Michael Loccisano/Getty Images |
“Megalopolis” is a movie about a tortured-genius artist who overcomes obstacles to realize his solitary vision — and the product of one. Its director Francis Ford Coppola conceived of the project more than 40 years ago and sold part of his wine business to finance it. Marc Tracy writes that it will be remembered as the latest instance of a Hollywood archetype: the auteurist flop.
More on culture
- Self-empowerment rhymes catapulted GloRilla onto rap’s A-list. With her debut LP, “Glorious,” she shows more sides of her personality.
- “Joker: Folie à Deux,” a musical sequel to “Joker” which stars Lady Gaga, opened to paltry box office numbers and dismal reviews.
THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … |
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| David Malosh for The New York Times |
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Prep meals with this $5 peeler.
Take our news quiz.
GAMES |
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Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — German
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Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch |