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Israel has voted to halt all operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the country, which could worsen the already-severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset, is the only legislative body in the country, giving it the power to enact or repeal any law. The Knesset needs a simple majority to make these decisions, meaning that at least half of of the 120 members of the body need to vote a certain way to make something happen. Yesterday, the Knesset voted to ban all UNRWA operations in Israel within 90 days, comparing the United Nations-run organization to Hamas in a public statement regarding the new law. The parliament actually passed two separate laws: one stopping all UNRWA activity in Israel and another banning all Israeli officials from communicating with UNRWA. The new laws also reverse a mandate put in place in 1967 following a treaty after the Six Day War; that mandate allowed UNRWA to operate within Israel, but it has been repealed after yesterday's vote. UNRWA's assistance is crucial to the health and safety of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East-- it serves almost 6 million Palestinians across Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. 1.7 of those 6 million are located in Gaza, which is currently under attack by Israel, who are set on eliminating Hamas, while another 871,500 live in the West Bank and Jerusalem. UNRWA has been working to supply aid to the Palestinians displaced by Israel's creation since 1948, and the organization provides necessities like food, water, medical supplies, and education. Unfortunately, the establishment has paid a high price: over the past year, over 233 UNRWA workers have been shot by Israeli forces or killed in airstrikes, including a strike on the UNRWA-run Asma school west of Gaza City. However, Israel has long believed that UNRWA is infiltrated by terrorists from Hamas and are working to educate Palestinians to hate Israel. Israel had evidence for their claims, though: the UN discovered that nine staff members of UNRWA were possibly involved in last year's October 7 attack and had been fired, and several Hamas operatives killed by Israeli forces were found to have UNRWA jobs. Eventually, with the support of the Knesset, Israel managed to pass the legislation banning UNRWA in the country, which will take effect in around 90 days. Many world leaders have condemned the decision, including the United States, one of Israel's biggest allies. The State Department strongly advised Israel to strike down the new law, but Israel countered by confirming that the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza would not be affected in any way-- they were simply stopping UNRWA from operating on Israeli land. However, the United States responded by stating that banning UNRWA in Israel would drastically affect the organization's ability to operate, a nd Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have taken similar views to the legislation. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): A male swan is called a cob. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We do what we have to so we can do what we want to. (James Farmer) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Disbursement (noun)- A disbursement is a payout of money from a fund that has been created for a special purpose. Disbursement can also refer to the money that is paid out. In a Sentence: The company has made large disbursements for research.

At least 126 people are dead in the Philippines as the initial effects of Tropical Cyclone Trami start to surface, and it will take the island nation some time to recover from this devastating natural disaster. Trami began in the western Pacific as a tropical depression and quickly moved westward, strengthening extremely slowly in cool waters. As it approached the Philippines, it took a turn northward and slowed down, heading towards Luzon, the country's largest and most-populous island. In case you missed it, Trami made landfall midday on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain to Luzon. Flooding trapped people on roofs and in cars, and some people were forced to get around using boats. The storm dumped around 8 inches of rain across the island of Luzon, including the Philippine capital of Manila and the country's most-populous city of Quezon City. Reports showed that flooding in some areas had exceeded 10 feet after rivers had overflowed, filling villages and towns with muddy, brackish water and washing away roads, homes, and businesses. Officials stated that other areas had received more than two months' worth of rain in just 24 hours, which was much more rain than they had prepared for. Schools and offices were closed ahead of the landfall, and thousands of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas. A large portion of Luzon is extremely low-lying, making it susceptible to flooding, while the other part of the island is more mountainous, making it susceptible to dangerous landslides and mudslides. The original death toll was under 10, but it was expected to rise steeply-- unfortunately, it did. The death toll passed 120 yesterday; sadly, it is still rising, and could exceed 200 in the coming days. Most of the victims of the storm died after being washed away by the thick cascade of mud flowing through villages and towns, although several also died in landslides. Tropical cyclones in the Philippines are especially dangerous, because they cause excessive flooding in low-lying areas and serious landslides at higher elevations. However, the island chain is no stranger to these storms-- on average, the Philippines is hit by over 20 tropical cyclones per year. Trami was the 11th of this season to hit the archipelago. It will take the island nation time to recover from this disaster, and officials have a large challenge ahead-- many heavily affected regions are no longer accessible by car, so aerial support will have to be mobilized to help isolated, rural areas. Unfortunately, the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones like this will only increase with climate change, and island nations like the Philippines will suffer the most in that shift as sea level rises. After hitting Luzon, the storm was expected to travel west in the South China Sea before making a U-turn, causing it to potentially return to the Philippines. However, wind patterns later shifted, leading Trami to make landfall in central Vietnam early this morning. Trami made landfall near the country's fifth-most populous city of Da Nang, home to around 1.25 million people. The city is known for its laid-back, beach town vibe and is considered as one of the best places to live in Vietnam. Despite hitting the area with heavy rain, the impact on Vietnam is expected to be better than the Philippines, and Trami will fizzle out quickly as it passes over the Southeast Asian country. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There are only two mammals that lay eggs: the spiny anteater and the duck-billed platypus. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius. (Peter Thiel) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Categorical (adj)- Categorical is a synon ym of absolute and definite that describes something that is said in a very strong and clear way. It can also mean "of, relating to, or constituting a category" or "involving, according with, or considered with respect to specific categories." In a Sentence: The organization has issued a categorical denial about its involvement in the deal.

Israel finally responded yesterday to Iran's airstrikes on them earlier in the month, hitting several military facilities in an hourslong attack. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had been targeting military-related sites, striking missile factories and surface-to-air missile launchers, among other things. They also struck sites in the capital of Tehran, which is home to almost 10 million people. However, Iran reported that the damage was "limited," and Israel has not made any statement on the damage yet. Iran backs many other organizations in the Middle East that Israel considers as terrorists, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Due to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah and the Houthis have also taken up conflicts with Israel, but Iran was usually indirectly involved. Then, at the beginning of October, Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israel. Most were taken down by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, along with the help of the United States Navy, but some missiles still managed to do damage in parts of the country-- across the north, center, and south. Iran claimed that the attacks were a response for Israel's targeted strikes on prominent Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nazrallah in Beirut and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, in Tehran. The strikes also came just after Israel's pager attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which killed dozens of people, injured thousands more, and devastated the organization. Israel promised a strong retaliation to Iran's attacks soon after, but that response did not come until now. Originally, Israel was reportedly aiming to hit large-scale facilities like nuclear power plants and oil drilling sites, but United States President Joe Biden and other US negotiators confirmed that they had convinced Israel to avoid hitting those sites. Hitting facilities as important as those would cause massive amounts of damage, which would almost certainly escalate the conflict into an all-out war. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): If you order a sliced bagel in New York City, you will be charged extra-- “altered” bagels (sliced, toasted, served with cream cheese, etc.) carry an eight cent sales tax. However, uncut bagels are typically tax exempt. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Ask yourself: given everything you have to do, is there a way that we can make this better? (Daniel Ek) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Euphoria (noun)- Euphoria refers to a feeling of great happiness and excitement. In a Sentence: The initial euphoria following their championship victory has since subsided.

Cyclone Dana made landfall last night in eastern India, packing winds of over 75 mph and heavy rain. Dana began as a weak tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, slowly moving northwest towards India as it strengthened. It began approaching the coast with winds of 60 mph, but those winds soon strengthened to 75 mph before landfall-- the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic. The storm made landfall in the eastern state of Odisha last night in the municipality of Jagatsinghpur, which is home to around 1.13 million people. It also heavily impacted the nearby municipalities of Puri (280,000 people), Kendrapara (1.44 million), Cuttack (865,000 people), and Khordha (2.25 million), the latter of which is also home to the state's capital, Bhubaneswar. However, the entire state of Odisha was hit hard, along with the neighboring state of West Bengal, which is home to the 15.5 million-person city of Kolkata. As of 2011, Odisha's population was around 42 million people, while West Bengal's population was around 91 million. However, adjusting to today's estimations, the corresponding populations would be around 48 million and 103 million, respectively. 25 years ago, the same area was hit by an unnamed cyclone equivalent to the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, bringing howling winds of over 160 mph to Odisha and West Bengal, killing over 10,000 people. While the states were devastated at the time, they are more prepared this time around. Over one million people were evacuated ahead of the storm, and all public transportation services were temporarily suspended. Over 100 trains were canceled due to the storm-- poorer regions of India primarily use trains to travel from town to town. Airports, schools, and many businesses were closed as well, including Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport and Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport. Officials told media that they had set up over 5,000 camps to evacuate citizens from vulnerable regions, as much of eastern India's coast is extremely low-lying and very susceptible to flooding. Widespread totals of 2-4 inches are expected, with localized higher totals-- up to 8 inches. While the wind will cause damage, the rain is the largest issue, causing flash flooding and possibly sparking landslides in hillier regions. Tropical Storm Trami also battered the Philippines on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain to the country's largest and most populous island of Luzon. Trami began in the western Pacific as a tropical depression and quickly moved westward, strengthening extremely slowly in cool waters. As it approached the Philippines, it took a turn northward, moving towards Luzon. It made landfall midday Wednesday, bringing heavy rain to the island. Flooding trapped people on roofs and in cars, and some people were forced to get around using boats. The storm dumped around 8 inches of rain across the island of Luzon, including the Philippine capital of Manila, home to 1.85 million people, and its twin city of Quezon City, home to over 3.2 million people. In total, Manila's metropolitan area is home to a staggering 25 million people. Reports showed that flooding in some areas had exceeded 10 feet after rivers had overflowed, filling villages and towns with muddy, brackish water. Schools and offices were closed ahead of the landfall, and thousands of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas. A large portion of Luzon is extremely low-lying, making it susceptible to flooding, while the other part of the island is more mountainous, making it susceptible to dangerous landslides and mudslides. A total of one person is dead so far, but seven others are missing, and the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days. Thankfully, Trami moved relatively fast, and it is now headed west towards southern Vietnam. However, due to winds and ocean currents, the storm is expected to turn back before making a second landfall, fizzling out in the South China Sea. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Only 5% of all baby mammals are raised by both parents-- the other 95% are raised by only the female parent. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There’s always someone smarter than you, better than you, faster than you. You just have to work. (Joe Louis) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Garnish (verb)- To garnish food or drink is to add decorative and tasty touches to it, such as a spiral of lemon peel. In a Sentence: Aditi likes to garnish her mashed potatoes with chives and a dollop of sour cream.

One person is dead, and at least 49 have been reported to be sick in an outbreak of E. coli connected to Quarter Pounder burgers from fast food chain McDonald's. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a food safety alert for the product, detailing the investigation into the outbreak. They found that at least 49 people got sick of E. coli shortly after eating a McDonald's Quarter Pounder, with most infections taking place in the states of Colorado and Nebraska. However, illnesses have also been reported in Kansas, Utah, Iowa, Idaho, Wyoming, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and the CDC has stated that the outbreak may stretch beyond the states listed above. McDonald's is currently investigating which parts of the burger caused the infections and where they were sent. While the Quarter Pounder contains similar ingredients to several other burgers, the beef patty used in the burger is unique to that product, and it is also topped with onions, which are not commonly used in other McDonald's products. The usage of both ingredients has been stopped in the affected states, and McDonald's is currently attempting to find out how they were contaminated and if the infected ingredients were sent to any other states. McDonald's has confirmed, though, that no other burger is affected by the infection-- all other burgers containing beef patties are still safe to eat. Escherichia coli, more commonly known as E. coli, is a bacteria that comes in many different types. Most types of E. coli are harmless and are found everywhere-- in fact, some E. coli types even reside in your intestines and come out in the solid waste of people and animals. However, several types of the bacteria can be extremely dangerous. According to the CDC, of all of the types of E. coli, only six are dangerous-- three of the six primarily come from poop of an infected person, and two are caused by unknown factors. These five types usually result in high fevers, watery diarrhea, and vomiting-- the severity of the symptoms can depend on the type of E. coli contracted. The last, known as STEC, comes from contaminated food (especially leafy greens and ground beef) and dirty water. STEC can lead to bloody diarrhea, serious stomach cramps, and severe vomiting. In addition, due to the vomiting, infected people can become extremely dehydrated, leading to dizziness and painful headaches. STEC is most-likely the type that is affecting McDonald's customers across the United States, so if you live in the United States, it may be best to stay away from McDonald's Quarter Pounders for a while-- no matter what state you live in. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Famous for its diamond trade, Arkansas is the only state where tourists can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source. At Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park, tourists can dig through fields maintained by the park and are allowed to keep any diamonds they discover. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Excellence isn’t an act, it’s a habit . (Quincy Jones) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Palaver (noun)- Palaver is an informal word that usually refers to unimportant or meaningless talk. It can also refer to misleading or deceptive speech, or to a conference or discussion. In British English the word is sometimes used as a synonym of fuss to refer to unnecessary excitement about something. In a Sentence: Enough of this palaver . We have more important things to discuss.

The United Nations released in a new report that they estimate that Ukraine's population has declined by 10 million since the country's conflict with Russia originally began in 2014. Russia's conflict with Ukraine began back in 2014 when they annexed the area of Crimea, which is still in Russian possession. Ukraine's population was around 45 million at the time, and it slowly came down to around 43 million by 2022. Then, in 2022, Russia launched their extensive invasion of Ukraine, charging into the eastern portion of the country. Since then, the two have been constantly warring, leading to the evacuation of around 8 million more Ukrainians-- bringing the total population down to a mere 35 million. As a comparison, that's 2 million less than the population of Tokyo alone. However, even before the war, birth rates were declining, similar to most other countries in eastern Europe. Ukraine's current birth rate is averaging at a mere one birth per woman, which is extremely low compared to other countries around the world. In 2023, Ukraine's Health Ministry reported that around 16,100 children were born each month, while that number was as high as 23,000 before the invasion in 2022. In addition, many people across rural areas of eastern Europe are emigrating to other countries for more opportunities, including the United States and much of western Europe. This comes as the Russo-Ukrainian War rages on, with both sides making advancements in recent months. While Russia is inching forward into eastern Ukraine, they are fighting back, and one counterattack even led to Ukraine gaining Russian territory in the province of Kursk. However, while Ukraine has defended their capital, Kyiv, and the northern side of the country, Russia has gained large amounts of land towards the easternmost portion of Ukraine. A total of 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another 100,000 to 120,000 have been injured, while around 120,000 soldiers have been killed and another 170,000 to 180,000 have been injured on the Russian side. However, both Russia and Ukraine have not confirmed numbers for death tolls or total casualties-- these are simply estimations. Unfortunately, neither side will agree to back down, meaning that the war could continue for years and years, leading to even more damage and even more casualties. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The largest state in the US, Alaska, is a staggering 429 times the size of the smallest state, Rhode Island, in terms of area. In addition, its coastline is longer than the coastlines of all 49 other states combined. However, Rhode Island has the larger population of the two-- by more than 300,000 people. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. (Coco Chanel) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Betwixt (adverb/preposition)- Betwixt is a synonym of between that lends an old-fashioned feel to both speech and writing. It is sometimes used in the phrase "betwixt and between" to mean "in the middle" or "neither one thing nor the other." In a Sentence: Charley took a seat betwixt two other passengers.

The entire island of Cuba is without power after a major power plant near the capital of Havana ran out of fuel, causing a massive power grid failure. The failure occurred at a power plant powered by fossil fuels, located east of Havana, due to lack of fuel for the plant. Unfortunately, power may not be restored for the country for hours, or even days. The country is home to around 11 million people, but the population has been declining in recent years-- food shortages, high gas prices, and an authoritarian government have led to the evacuation of over 600,000 people to the US alone in the last two years. Cuba has been facing serious shortages in crucial fossil fuels like oil and coal for weeks, leading to blackouts in cities and towns for long periods of time-- up to 20 hours, in some cases. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz told citizens to conserve electricity on Thursday night, and he announced that all businesses that require large amounts of power will be temporarily shut down. Schools were also closed until Monday, but he confirmed that hospitals would remain open. However, the fuel soon ran out, and a nationwide blackout ensued less than a day later. So far, around 20,000 people in Havana have regained power, but the outages are worst outside the city. The government has been attempting to restore power to more unstable areas first-- some parts of Havana are known for publicly protesting during tough times, and the government does not want to anger those citizens and motivate them to protest in the streets. Cuba has experienced issues with old, aging infrastructure for years, but fuel shortages and high demand for electricity has exacerbated the country's power problem. Officials do not know when the next shipments of fuel will come in, but Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel stated on social media platform X that they are working towards bringing power back and they are giving "absolute priority" to the problem. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Finland has more saunas than cars. In fact, it has 3.3 million saunas and 5.5 million people, meaning that there more than one sauna for every two people living in Finland. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep. (William James) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Zest (noun)- Zest refers to an enjoyably exciting quality, or to keen enjoyment itself. In culinary use, zest refers to small pieces of the peel of a lemon, lime, orange, or other citrus fruit used as flavoring. In a Sentence: His humor added zest to the presentation's admittedly dry material.

At least 2 people are dead and hundreds of others were forced to be rescued after severe storms hit the town of Roswell, New Mexico, causing intense flash flooding. The storm arrived on Saturday and lasted through the weekend, bringing loads of rain to a rocky, relatively dry area. The rain totals on Saturday alone reached a staggering 5.78 inches, which is extremely high considering the town's annual rainfall is around 13 inches. According to the National Weather Service, that number also took home the local record for most rain in a 24-hour period, which was previously 5.65 inches on November 1, 1901. The rapid rainfall rates -- around 1.5 to 2 inches per hour for much of the weekend -- led to severe flash flooding, inundating Roswell and its surrounding area in just a few hours. Rivers burst their banks as well, taking down bridges and washing away entire roads. Airports, schools, and other places like libraries and cemeteries were also closed for the weekend. People were left stranded on top of cars and homes, but most were saved by search-and-rescue teams-- local agencies along with New Mexico's National Guard, reported that they had saved a total of 290 people, and dozens were in critical condition and were taken to hospitals in the area. Two bodies were also recovered. Roswell will now try to recover from this disaster, but more extreme rainfall events like this may be likely in the near future. As climate change worsens, rainfall patterns are shifting, changing the climate of not just deserts or forests, but the entire world, and everyone will be impacted in some form by the changing weather patterns and temperatures. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Baby blue whales can gain up to 250 pounds per day. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Not everybody is perfect, and I don’t think we should be looking for perfect people. (Simon Cowell) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Intransigent (adj)- Intransigent is a formal word that describes a person who refuses to compromise or abandon an often extreme position or attitude. It can also describe a thing, such as a system or point of view, that shows the same kind of stubbornness. In a Sentence: Despite the mediator's best efforts, the opposing sides in the dispute remained intransigent .

Tropical Storm Oscar made landfall in eastern Cuba yesterday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the area that has been crippled by power outages in recent days. Oscar began as a weak tropical storm east of Turks and Caicos on Saturday morning. By midday, the storm had already strengthened to Category 1 status, bringing winds of 85 mph to the island chain as it drifted west. However, due to cooler waters ahead, the storm maintained Category 1 status as it hit the Bahamas' Great Inagua island and approached Cuba. Oscar arrived in eastern Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane packing winds of 80 mph, making landfall around 10 miles east of the town of Baracoa, a settlement close to the eastern tip of Cuba. Since landfall, it has weakened to a tropical storm with winds of 60 mph, but rain is still a significant threat. While Oscar is a relatively small storm, it is moving very slowly-- a mere 6 mph -- allowing it to drop more rain. Heavy rainfall over the next few days will cause widespread flash flooding and mudslides in some more mountainous regions-- rainfall totals are expected to reach around 6 to 12 inches across eastern Cuba, with up to 18 inches of rain hitting certain areas. Several feet of storm surge can also be expected along the country's northern shoreline. Due to wind patterns, Oscar is currently making a U-turn over eastern Cuba, and it is currently heading north. While it is weakening over land, Oscar will soon emerge back into the ocean, allowing it to maintain tropical storm status. From there, it will continue along the path of the Gulf Stream, carrying it over the Bahamas and into the open ocean of the Atlantic. Rainfall totals of around 3 to 5 inches are expected in parts of the Bahamas with up to 8 inches in some areas, as well as 2 to 4 inches in the Turks and Caicos. This comes just a few days after the entire island of Cuba lost power after one of the country's biggest power plants stopped functioning. The power plant ran out of fuel due to a local shortage, causing a collapse of the power grid. While electricity has intermittently come back for short periods of time, many areas have not received any sort of electricity since Friday, including the densely populated capital city of Havana. Unfortunately, the arrival of Hurricane Oscar has only worsened that problem, and it may be a while before citizens in eastern Cuba regain power. Upcoming Events: Sukkot Ends (Wednesday, October 23) Shemini Atzeret (Wednesday, October 23 to Friday, October 25) United Nations Day (Thursday, October 24) World Development Information Day (Thursday, October 24) Simchat Torah (Thursday, October 24 to Friday, October 25) World Series Begins (Friday, October 25) World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (Sunday, October 27) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The letter R is sometimes referred to as the “littera canina,” or canine letter, because the way Latin speakers trilled the R made it sound like a growling dog. In fact, William Shakespeare even gave the letter a shout-out in his play Romeo and Juliet , when Juliet’s nurse calls the letter R “the dog’s name” in Act 2, Scene 4. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If your past calls, don't answer. It has nothing new to say. (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Defenestration (noun)- Def enestration is most often used to refer to a usually swift dismissal or expulsion, as from a political party or office. It is also used to refer to a throwing of a person or thing out of a window. In a Sentence: Once fancying itself something of a big tent, the group now seeks the defenestration of any local leader who isn't aligned with the current mayor's administration.

Israel conducted an airstrike on a large housing block in Gaza yesterday, killing at least 73 people in a massive explosion. Israel struck a complex within the small town of Beit Lahia, which is located just two miles away from the border. Israel claimed that the area was connected to alleged terrorists from Hamas, sending in missiles that pulverized the entire block. At least 73 people were killed in the explosion, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. Dozens of people were injured, and many are still stuck under the ruins of the houses. Israel countered by stating on X that Gaza was exaggerating the situation, and their own assessment had confirmed that the damage and death toll was not as bad as officials in Gaza were portraying it to be. This comes just after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was the mastermind behind the group's October 7 invasion of Israel. United States President Joe Biden stated that it could be the perfect time to strike a hostage deal to bring back the kidnapped Israelis while ending the war, benefitting both sides. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that they were working towards this idea, Israel's offensive has ramped up in recent days. Before the aforementioned strike, 33 people were also killed after airstrikes struck a refugee camp in the same region of northern Gaza, and the local medical center, the Indonesian Hospital, has also been struck by Israeli missiles and is constantly patrolled by a group of heavily armed soldiers-- no one can enter or exit the building. Biden later stated that while a ceasefire in Lebanon was being worked out, the situation in Gaza was more complicated, and would require further negotiations-- hinting that they are not exactly close to coming to an agreement on a ceasefire. All of this has been taking place in the Jabalia region of northern Gaza, which has been blockaded off by Israel. Israel has deemed the area as an active war zone, reserving the right to block it off. However, Jabalia is also the location of several refugee camps, and the Palestinians sheltering there have been trapped inside the blockade. No one is allowed in or out, including aid-- but Israel claims that they have allowed a small amount of people from the area to evacuate. Due to this, while occasional aid enters Gaza from time to time, it does not reach Jabalia, where people have been without sufficient food and water for weeks. In addition, the steady stream of aid that was coming into Gaza is now trickling away-- the World Food Program stated on October 12 that no aid had entered the strip since the beginning of the month, and Israel is not contributing much to the amount of aid coming in. In total, over 42,500 Palestinians have died as a result of the war, in addition to another 2,450 Lebanese citizens killed in Israel's ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. Unfortunately, while there was a flicker of hope of a permanent ceasefire a few days ago, there doesn't seem to be any end in sight, as of right now. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Crabs have taste buds on their mouth, pincers, and even feet, allowing them to taste almost anything they come into contact with. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. (Max Lucado) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Appreciable (adj)- Appreciable describes things that can be perceived or measured. In a Sentence: Researchers found that the temperature change made no appreciable difference in the chemical reaction.