Overview

• Emine Erdogan sent a letter asking Melania Trump to write to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a plea for mercy toward Palestinian children.
• The Turkish first lady referenced casualty figures from Gaza’s health authorities, which the UN deems reliable, as she appealed for a child-focused humanitarian gesture.
• Her request builds on Melania Trump’s August 15 letter to Vladimir Putin urging protection of children, a message later published in full by Fox News.
• The UN announced a state of famine in Gaza on Friday, a finding Netanyahu publicly rejected as a lie, while Gaza’s health ministry reported eight additional starvation deaths in the past day for a total of 281, including 114 minors.
• Reporting from Gaza described Israeli tanks moving into the Sabra area of Gaza City and ongoing strikes, as families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv pressed Netanyahu to accept a phased ceasefire-for-hostages deal.