Friday briefing: How ​years of ​siege, ​war and ​blockade ​led to ​the ​unravelling of Gaza’s ​economy

<p>In today’s newsletter: Once sustained by agriculture and industry, Gaza’s economy has been dismantled​, leaving nearly every resident dependent on aid and the hope of a future that feels increasingly out of reach</p><p>Good morning. While much of the world’s attention has been focused on Israel’s conflict with Iran, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has worsened by the day. Since March, when Israel broke a ceasefire agreement and imposed a total blockade, very little food or medicine has been allowed in. Though the blockade was partially lifted on 19 May, only a trickle of desperately needed aid has made it through – and yesterday Israel <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/26/israel-closes-the-most-direct-route-for-aid-to-palestinians-in-gaza">closed the most direct route</a>. Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians who are trying to access it, in what aid workers are now calling a “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/nhs-surgeon-describes-death-of-nephew-gaza-food-point">death trap</a>”. Israel is fighting allegations of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/explainer-what-is-the-icj-and-what-is-south-africas-claim-against-israel">genocide in Gaza</a>, where it has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/24/at-least-40-more-palestinians-killed-seeking-aid-in-gaza-say-medics-and-officials">killed</a> more than 55,000 people.</p><p>Truly to understand the scale of the catastrophe in Gaza, it’s necessary to place it in historical context. This isn’t just a crisis born in 2023: it’s the culmination of nearly two decades of siege.</p><p><em><strong>Middle East crisis </strong></em>| Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/26/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-threat-america-israel">threatened</a> to respond to any future US attack by striking American military bases in the Middle East.</p><p><em><strong>Welfare </strong></em>| Keir Starmer has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/26/starmer-offers-massive-concessions-on-welfare-bill-to-labour-rebels">offered Labour MPs “massive concessions”</a> on his controversial welfare bill in a move that has won over key rebels and is likely to have saved the prime minister from a damaging Commons defeat. The changes will reportedly cost the government several billion pounds over the next few years but will shore up the prime minister’s precarious authority.</p><p><em><strong>UK weather </strong></em>| An amber heat health alert <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/26/heat-health-alerts-england-ukhsa-temperatures-weather">has been issued</a> by the UK Health Security Agency for much of England because of predicted temperatures above 30C over the weekend.</p><p><em><strong>UK news </strong></em>| Two police officers who were involved in the strip-search of a black teenager at her school have been found to have committed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/26/met-officers-committed-gross-misconduct-in-strip-searching-black-girl-at-school">gross misconduct</a>. The search was “disproportionate, inappropriate and unnecessary” and made the girl feel degraded and humiliated.</p><p><em><strong>Health </strong></em>| Scientists have developed a test to identify women with an increased risk of miscarriage, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jun/26/uk-test-miscarriage-risk-pregnancy-loss">which could pave the way</a> for new treatments to prevent pregnancy loss.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/27/friday-briefing-how-years-of-siege-war-and-blockade-led-to-the-unravelling-of-gazas-economy">Continue reading...</a>