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First Thing: the US morning briefing

First Thing: One year after the 7 October attacks

As Israel mourns those killed one year ago today, attacks on Lebanon and Gaza continue. Plus: the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
People hold hands in a circle around a pool of water surrounded by photos of loved ones
People hold hands at a memorial event marking the first anniversary of the 7 October attacks. Photograph: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

Vivian Ho

Good morning.

One year ago, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people – the deadliest event for Jewish people since the Holocaust. A further 251 were taken hostage. In the months that followed, the Israeli offensive in Gaza laid waste to the densely populated coastal territory and has so far killed almost 42,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

As Israel marked the day with vigils and protests around the country, Hezbollah rockets struck Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, wounding five, in response to the country’s bombardment of Beirut. A new Israeli military division has been sent to southern Lebanon, raising questions over the scope of Israel’s operation in the country.

  • How many hostages remain in Gaza, one year later? Nearly 100 hostages have yet to return home. While hopes were raised by the release of 117 hostages early in the war, including 105 in an exchange during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, more hostages have been found dead than alive during Israeli operations as the offensive has dragged on. One year later, some families are just learning that their loved ones were killed in the initial attacks, with their remains still in Gaza.

  • How are the families of hostages coping? “I’ve had enough. A year is just too long. I can’t take it any more,” says Aviva Siegel, who was held hostage for 51 days before being released but whose husband, Keith, is still captive. For the families of the six Thai migrant workers who are still being held, the lack of news has been unbearable.
Israelis gather near Netanyahu's residence as they mark anniversary of October 7 attacks – video

  • What is happening in Gaza? The Israel Defense Forces has called on residents in the northern Gaza Strip, where 300,000 people are estimated to have remained, to evacuate southward towards the so-called humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi, where an estimated 1 million displaced people are sheltering.

  • One year later, what are conditions like for Palestinians in Gaza? Health workers who volunteered in Gaza say that beyond the airstrikes and military operations that have destroyed much of the territory, malnutrition is a huge problem, as well as worsening sanitation and the limited access to water. Medical supplies are hard to come by, with medics reporting that they are operating without essentials such as surgical gowns and gauze. While polio vaccinations started last month, the brutal reality was that some of the children being vaccinated in the morning would be seen as casualties by the evening, said one doctor.
How we survive: my family’s year inside Gaza – video

  • How are people marking the first anniversary around the world? From London to Berlin to Tokyo, people are honoring the memories of those killed in the 7 October attacks with memorials, as well as taking to the streets in protest against the Israeli offensive in Gaza. In the US, cities and campuses are on high alert for any unrest.

Still reeling from Hurricane Helene, Florida braces for Hurricane Milton
Near-empty toilet paper shelves at a Walmart
Near-empty toilet paper shelves at a Walmart as people prepare for Hurricane Milton to make landfall, in Tampa, Florida. Photograph: Octavio Jones/Reuters

Just days after Hurricane Helene devastated swaths of Florida, the state is preparing for Hurricane Milton to hit its western peninsula by midweek. Milton was upgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Sunday, prompting Florida to expand its state of emergency.

  • Are Floridians evacuating? Kevin Guthrie, the director of Florida’s emergency management division, is urging residents to prepare for the “largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma”. More than 6.8 million people were evacuated for Irma. Pinellas county issued mandatory evacuation orders for six hospitals, 25 nursing homes and 44 assisted living facilities, totaling about 6,600 patients, while Pasco county has issued mandatory evacuations to go into effect Monday at 10am for all those in low-lying or flood-prone areas.

  • What is Governor Ron DeSantis saying? With 4,000 National Guard troops helping state crews to remove debris, DeSantis has directed that Florida crews dispatched to North Carolina in Helene’s aftermath return to the state to prepare for Milton. “We’re going 24-7,” the governor said. “It’s all hands on deck.”

In other news …
Security officials inspect the scene of a blast
A convoy of Chinese workers in Karachi was attacked on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two workers, the Chinese embassy said. Photograph: Rehan Khan/EPA

Stat of the day: At least 200 people remain missing after Hurricane Helene

A volunteer stands in the blown-out window of a brick building, shovelling dirt on to a pile outside.
Volunteers with the Operation Allies Refuge Foundation shovel debris and mud out of a store in Green Mountain, North Carolina, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Photograph: Allison Joyce/AFP/Getty Images

More than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the south-east US, killing at least 230 people, search-and-rescue efforts continue for hundreds more who remain missing. Across six states, shattered communities are picking up the pieces, with the scale of destruction still unknown.

  • What will be the long-term effects of Helene? Experts believe the fallout from damaged infrastructure – as well as rampant misinformation – will plague communities for years, if not decades. While asthma flare-ups and breathing problems are likely to increase with mold and standing water, other regions operating without running water are raising concerns about sanitation, including the spread of viruses such as hepatitis A and stomach bugs.

  • How are local communities coming together to fill the gaps? With some residents complaining about the response from federal and state governments, mutual aid groups are stepping up to provide their communities with the non-perishable foods, generators, menstrual products and baby supplies they need.

Don’t miss this: Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans reflect on the Middle East conflict, one year on

A composite of two Jewish Americans who spoke to the Guardian are seen alongside a photo of a family and a photo of a demonstration in front of the US Capitol calling for the return of hostages.
Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans spoke to the Guardian about their experiences in the year after the 7 October attacks. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Leah Silvert/Issac Saul/Noah Rothman

In the year after the 7 October attacks, Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans across generations and political divides have been pulled into a crisis unfolding half a world away. As Jewish Americans grapple with antisemitism – “People hold me accountable for the Israeli government,” said 30-year-old Lea Silvert, whose aunt and uncle were killed by Hamas during the 7 October attacks – Palestinian Americans wait in fear to hear from relatives still in Gaza. “I’ve lost 20 relatives since Israel’s attacks on Gaza,” said Dr Emad Shehada, 48.

… or this: Behind Trump’s ironclad grip on rightwing media
A composite of black-and-white images of Ben Shapiro, Tim Pool and Donald Trump in an interview, and a copy of the Epoch Times is shown against a red backdrop.
There is increasing fragmentation in rightwing media, thanks to influencers and lesser-known outlets built around Trumpism. Composite: AdinRoss/YouTube/Timcast/Rich Polk/Getty/Sopa

Trump’s media strategy has evolved this election cycle with the current state of the rightwing media landscape. While Fox is still a dominant source, it is not nearly Trumpy enough for the most Maga adherent, despite some of its hosts embracing election denialism. As more and more conservatives flock toward far-right influencers and lesser-known outlets built around Trumpism, the former president’s grip on rightwing media grows stronger – and the bubbles in which a divided US live become echo chambers.

Climate check: The world’s rivers are drying up
Aerial image of a drying riverbed
River dwellers use a tricycle to transport food and passengers along the dry bed of the Solimões River, in Manacapuru, northern Brazil. Photograph: Michael Dantasmichael Dantas/AFP/Getty Images

In 2023, the world’s rivers dried up at the highest rate in three decades, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Similar to the two previous years, more than 50% of global river catchment areas showed abnormal conditions in 2023, with most being in deficit, in particular in large territories of North, Central and South America. On the other side of the world, in Asia and Oceania, the large Ganges, Brahmaputra and Mekong River basins experienced lower-than-normal conditions almost over the entire basin territories.

The WMO secretary general, Prof Celeste Saulo, said: “As a result of rising temperatures, the hydrological cycle has accelerated. It has also become more erratic and unpredictable, and we are facing growing problems of either too much or too little water.”

Last Thing: ‘My disability is the least interesting thing about me’
Adam Pearson, wearing a black suit, stands before a black backdrop with A Different Man written in red.
Adam Pearson attends a special screening of A Different Man at the Electric Cinema in London, England. Photograph: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Universal

The actor Adam Pearson was born with neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic condition that produces benign skin tumors all over his face. But he did not let that stop him from pursuing a career in entertainment. Pearson got his first big break in 2013, when he was picked by the director Jonathan Glazer for the film Under the Skin with no acting experience whatsoever. Over the next decade, he has grown his career and is starring in A Different Man alongside Sebastian Stan.

“I didn’t think disabled people were allowed in films, because I didn’t see any. Up until quite recently, only two disabled actors have won Oscars playing disabled characters,” Pearson said. “And I’m like: ‘That’s pretty fucked up, right?’”

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