Humanitarian aid in a war zone

+ could Lebanon be drawn into the conflict? US Edition - Today's top story: Delivering aid during war is tricky − here’s what to know about what Gaza relief operations may face [View in browser]( US Edition | 23 October 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Hezbollah and the risks of war expanding into Lebanon]( - [Course examines the science of sex diversity]( - [The difficult history behind ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’]( Lead story The first humanitarian aid convoy since the start of the Israel-Gaza war arrived in the densely populated territory of Gaza on Saturday. Gaza’s more than 2 million inhabitants will need many more shipments of food, water and medicine for the foreseeable future due to what Israeli officials have called a “full siege.” Aid donors and United Nations personnel on the ground will have to keep thinking through [the complex factors that arise]( whenever the people in power have a track record of brutality – as is the case with Hamas in Gaza. Aid workers and officials need to decide “to what extent they can work with governments and local authorities that commit violent acts,” writes Topher L. McDougal, a scholar of peace and conflict economics. This cooperation happens “in exchange for the access required to help civilians under their control.” One last note: This weekend, The Conversation U.S. celebrated our ninth birthday. During that time, we’ve published almost 19,000 articles by over 13,000 experts that have been read well over a billion times. Thank you to our authors, donors, university members, staff – and especially to you, our readers. 🎉 Emily Schwartz Greco Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor Palestinians on the outskirts of Gaza City walk by buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment on Oct. 20, 2023. AP Photo/Ali Mahmoud [Delivering aid during war is tricky − here’s what to know about what Gaza relief operations may face]( Topher L. McDougal, University of San Diego The politics of delivering aid in war zones are messy, the ethics fraught and the logistics daunting. But getting everything right is essential − and in this instance could save many Gazans’ lives. Politics + Society - [Hezbollah alone will decide whether Lebanon − already on the brink of collapse − gets dragged into Israel-Hamas war]( Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame Hezbollah dominates Lebanon’s sectarian political system, giving the paralyzed government little choice if the militant group chooses to join Hamas’ war against Israel. - [Key Trump co-defendants accept plea deals – a legal expert explains what that means]( Cynthia Alkon, Texas A&M University With co-defendants of Donald Trump accepting plea bargains, an expert in criminal law explains what these legal agreements are and how they work. 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