TOP OF THE AGENDA

Gaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief says

Famine could come at any time in the next eight weeks if there is no ceasefire, the IPC says. Credit: BBC

The IPC, the body on which governments and UN agencies rely to measure hunger, has reported that "famine is imminent" in Gaza, where 1.1 million people "experience catastrophic food insecurity". Now the UN's most senior human rights official, Volker Türk, says there is a "plausible" case that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. He tells Jeremy Bowen that if intent were proven, it would amount to a war crime. Israel's economy minister, Nir Barkat, dismissed Mr Türk's comments as "nonsense" and "totally irresponsible". In the interview, the UN high commissioner for human rights condemned the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers on 7 October that triggered the war. He also said evidence had emerged that Israel was slowing down or withholding the delivery of aid. As Israel's allies increasingly voice concern about how the war is conducted, Mr Barkat said: "With all due respect, we're fighting evil, and we expect the world to help us fight evil until we finish Hamas off the map."

‌

• Air drops: Twelve people drowned when they went into the sea to retrieve food packages, while six others were trampled to death, according to a statement from Gaza's Hamas-run government. A video shows Palestinians running to the shore as packages descend. 
  
  

• In the US: President Joe Biden told a crowd protesters "had a point" when they heckled him on the issue of healthcare in Gaza. Take a look. 

‌

• In Israel: Relatives of an Israeli hostage were reportedly among those arrested by police at a protest in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Here's more from Yolande Knell.

WORLD HEADLINES

• Baltimore bridge: The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, found under water where the structure collapsed.

• Headscarf row: France's prime minister says a teenage girl will be sued by the state for falsely accusing a headteacher of striking her for refusing to remove an Islamic head-covering.

• Crypto sentencing: Sam Bankman-Fried, the former billionaire FTX boss who was convicted of fraud and money laundering last year, will be sentenced later. Here's what former FTX customers had to say.

• J-Pop scandal: The man in charge of compensating victims of producer Johnny Kitagawa believes there were two more perpetrators of sexual abuse in the Japanese boy band company. 

• Wings of hope: An Instagram-famous magpie has been seized by wildlife authorities in Australia, sparking a campaign to return the bird to its human carers and its dog friend.

MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS

• US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe.

• Future Earth: Essential global climate news and hopeful developments, every Tuesday. Subscribe.

• Football Extra: Latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays. Subscribe.