Rachel Abrams

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From The New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily. For the past few weeks, international outcry has been building over Israel's plans to escalate its military campaign in Gaza and over its two-month-long blockade of the region, which has put Gaza's population on the brink of starvation.

From The New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily. For the past few weeks, international outcry has been building over Israel's plans to escalate its military campaign in Gaza and over its two-month-long blockade of the region, which has put Gaza's population on the brink of starvation.

And then, on Wednesday, a man chanting free Palestine gunned down two employees of Israel's embassy in Washington, D.C., Today, Aaron Boxerman, a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, on the desperate situation in Gaza and Israel's fears that the world has become an increasingly dangerous place for its people. It's Friday, May 23rd. Aaron, we're talking to you. I'm in New York. You're in Jerusalem.

And then, on Wednesday, a man chanting free Palestine gunned down two employees of Israel's embassy in Washington, D.C., Today, Aaron Boxerman, a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, on the desperate situation in Gaza and Israel's fears that the world has become an increasingly dangerous place for its people. It's Friday, May 23rd. Aaron, we're talking to you. I'm in New York. You're in Jerusalem.

What time is it over there?

What time is it over there?

Well, thank you so much for making the time so late at night to talk to us about this.

Well, thank you so much for making the time so late at night to talk to us about this.

We want to start this conversation with what happened here in the United States on Wednesday night in D.C. So can you tell us a little bit about the events of the last 24 hours?

We want to start this conversation with what happened here in the United States on Wednesday night in D.C. So can you tell us a little bit about the events of the last 24 hours?

These two young people who were killed, they were staff members at the Israeli embassy. And so I'm really curious what the reaction is inside Israel to their deaths.

These two young people who were killed, they were staff members at the Israeli embassy. And so I'm really curious what the reaction is inside Israel to their deaths.

But these criticisms of Israel are not new, right? Like leading human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Criminal Court, they've all accused Israel of human rights abuses for months. And that's been an ongoing part of the condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza.

But these criticisms of Israel are not new, right? Like leading human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Criminal Court, they've all accused Israel of human rights abuses for months. And that's been an ongoing part of the condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza.

So is there something specific that this foreign minister thinks has changed in all of this?

So is there something specific that this foreign minister thinks has changed in all of this?

A total blockade.

A total blockade.

And just by ground offensive, you mean a full-scale takeover of the Strip?