After the rain

The last of the rain, on the last of the sunflowers.
We've been so lucky compared to others, some to the south of here (Derbyshire) and some to the north (Scotland).  Richard managed to get home last night, courtesy of a taxi from Nottingham, shared with 3 other passengers from his train. And Sheffield has escaped the worst of the floods.
I see that finally 20 aid trucks have made it into Gaza. But the Israeli government is still refusing to allow fuel in, which means that desalination and water treatment plants can't function (or hospitals, or much else...) And 20 trucks, as the UN points out, is a drop in the ocean compared to the desperate levels of need.
One personal insight here, from a BBC correspondent who is Palestinian, and who lives in Gaza with his family:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67180401

I also read a Guardian piece by Jonathan Freedland, pointing out that Israel's PM Netenyahu has found it useful to allow space for Hamas to dominate in Gaza. Netenyahu himself has stated that divisions among Palestinians - with Hamas dominant in Gaza, and Fatah in the West Bank - are helpful to Israel.  The full article is here:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/20/benjamin-netanyahu-hamas-israel-prime-minister

So many decades of bitterness and pain, both in Israel and for Palestinians.