Gazans suffer from food shortage amid ongoing conflict

Food supplies are dangerously insufficient amid the lingering conflict in the Gaza Strip, with prices still unaffordable for starving families.

Amid catastrophic shortages, even small deliveries will bring both hope and tragedy.

For the first time in months, a limited number of commercial trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing -- the primary crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip -- overnight Tuesday, delivering goods for local merchants. But the rare entry ended in tragedy, with at least 20 people killed and dozens more injured.

Officials said the Israeli army directed the trucks onto unsafe, bomb-damaged roads, causing one to overturn onto a crowd of people waiting for food near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

"The so-called American aid centers have become nothing but death traps. They are also funneling some aid through unsafe corridors. Just last night, Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza received over 20 victims, most of whom were civilians waiting for aid deliveries when the truck overturned on them," said Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesman for Al-Aqsa Hospital.

The goods that made it through are far from enough to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. Traders said prices remain prohibitively high, with basic staples still too expensive or unavailable for most people.

Mohammed Al-Jumla, a Palestinian trader, said that even though rice prices dropped slightly, it's still unaffordable for most.

"The goods that entered were not enough. It was 70 shekels (about 20.4 U.S. dollars) or 60 shekels (17.4 U.S. dollars) a kilo of rice. It's 50 shekels (14.5 U.S. dollars) now. It's not enough, and it's all expensive. Prices are high so far. A kilo of lentils used to cost 3 shekels (87 U.S. cents) in normal days, and now a kilo of lentils costs 30 shekels (8.7 U.S. dollars) . That's high price. Bringing in 40 trucks out of the 500 or 600 trucks that are needed won't make a difference. It's the same. Prices will stay as they are," he said.

For displaced Palestinians already exhausted by hunger, the small quantities of goods entering Gaza bring little comfort. Even when some items are available, most families can't afford them, as their income has been cut off for months, leaving them in a catastrophic economic situation.

"Many basic food items are still missing from the markets - eggs, poultry, meat, vegetables, and many types of fruit remain unavailable. Some items can be found, but in extremely limited quantities, and at prices that ordinary citizens simply can't afford. God willing, in the coming period larger quantities will arrive - much more than the supplies currently getting through," said Saeed Al-Zard, a displaced Palestinian.

Nearly two years into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Gaza is unraveling under the weight of starvation and siege.

Since Oct 7, 2023, at least 201 people have died due to starvation and lack of medical treatment in Gaza, including 98 children, according to figures released by the Gaza-based health authorities on Friday.

Gazans suffer from food shortage amid ongoing conflict

A number of university students in the U.S. capital have shared their views on China's initiative to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit the country for exchanges and study over the next five years.

The program was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping when addressing a welcome ceremony at the White House during his visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday.

Many of the students interviewed expressed their hope to visit some well-known places in China like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.

"My dad's been to China for work, and he really loves it, so I'd love to go sometime. Maybe Shanghai. That's where my dad went, and he really liked it there," said a student.

"I've heard of Guangdong. I've heard of the basketball team," another student said.

Many of the students agreed that allowing more young Americans to experience Chinese culture in person would be beneficial for both countries.

"I think that's really cool to have the opportunity to connect with those cultures. And I really do like that idea. I think it's a great idea to invite us to China. It's great," said a student.

"I feel like the culture. I feel like getting the opportunity to immerse yourself in different cultures is really important," said another student.

"There's definitely value in traveling to other places and learning other cultures. So I think that it can be beneficial," said another one.

Even beyond cultural exchange, the students expressed their beliefs that American youth could learn a lot from Chinese society.

"I think, for me personally, it's the scale, with how many people live in China. I would definitely be interested in seeing how that functions, especially in those larger cities," said a student.

"I think I would like to know what their people are like. What are their thoughts on the world? On what the world should be like?" one student said.

"I think China's amazing. They're so far ahead. We're supposed to be the Western world, but I feel like they're so much more advanced than us in so many ways. I know AI and medicine are big things right now, and I think China has made huge advancements in that. So probably that," said a student.

The students also hope that the program will help strengthen China-U.S. relationship, promote educational exchanges, and broaden the horizons of those who take part.

"It's better for both countries to be connected and to build a better relationship over the coming years. And I think that's important to global peace and prosperity," said a student.

"I think it's really a great thing. I think different cultures, combining different cultures, and education is such a global thing, and having different students come all over the place and take classes here and there," said another student.

"There's a lot more to this world than what's right in front of us. And there's a lot to learn from different ways of seeing things around the world. So I think it could be valuable from that standpoint," a student said.

US students share views on China's plan to invite 100,000 young people for study, exchange