(Wall Street Journal) – The U.N. said its operations were near collapse and it was unable to send aid beyond the strip’s southernmost city of Rafah, and only patchy delivery to Khan Younis. Israeli military restrictions have made it impossible to distribute aid in Gaza anywhere beyond the small area along the Egyptian border, the U.N. said. 

The rapid deterioration of basic living standards adds to a humanitarian crisis that will be the subject of a U.N. Security Council meeting Friday, putting pressure on Israel to end the war before its war aims are achieved. It also illustrates how Hamas—which ruled Gaza’s streets with authoritarianism for 16 years—was losing control over all but a few pockets of territory. (Read More)