--:-- [Up First theme music fades out]
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Israel's military has spent three weeks laying siege to the northern part of Gaza. The military says it means to stop Hamas from regrouping. It's cut off the flow of food, medicine, and water.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): What are the effects on the ground? I'm Steve Inskeep with Michelle Martin and this is Up First from NPR News.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): The United States confirms at least 3,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia. If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they're fair game. They're fair targets.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): How is South Korea responding to this deployment?
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): And we're in Pennsylvania this week listening to voters in a swing state. For me moving to Pennsylvania, I was kind of excited because I felt like my vote was going to count a little more here.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Steve and I bring you more voices from the state as we broadcast from Anthony's Italian Coffee and Chocolate House in South Philadelphia.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
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--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): We have an assessment this morning of Israel's operations in northern Gaza. Israeli forces have cut off food, water, and medicine for about 20 days. The military says it is thwarting efforts by Hamas militants to rebuild.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Palestinian doctors and aid workers are among the hundreds killed in recent days.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): NPR, Our international correspondent, Eya Betraoui, who has been reporting on Gaza from Dubai, is with us now.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Good morning, Michelle.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So, Eya, the Israeli military has conducted raids in Gaza over the past year of war. You've been talking to people in the north who say this operation feels different. What can you tell us about that?
--:-- Eya Betraoui: So people in the north are telling me this feels like an attempt to permanently occupy the north of Gaza and ensure Palestinians can never return.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Now, this area of Jebelia where the siege is most intense has been raided before and people were able to return in the past.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Now, the military says it has detained hundreds of militants in this operation, found rifles and rocket launchers, and that they've allowed some 20,000 people already, civilians, to evacuate Jebelia for Gaza City about two miles away.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): But civil defense crews, those rescuing people on the ground, say they've been fired at by Israeli drones.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: They fear some other team members are now missing among the hundreds killed in the past three weeks in the north.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Their one working fire truck was bombed yesterday. They say they completely unable to work now in the north and reach people that are still calling them from under the rubble.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Also hospitals are running out of supplies.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Have a listen to this voice memo from a nurse besieged in the Indonesian hospital in Cebelia where patients are dying and food is running out.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): We're not using his name for his own safety. We are so, so tired. We are so tired. We don't have water and we don't know what will happen tomorrow.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Now there's another hospital in the north treating 160 wounded people at the moment. They also say they have about 30 patients dead in the hospital.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): There are videos there showing children that are burnt from head to toe, Michelle, wrapped in gauze, barely able to blink.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: and a World Health Organization team that reached the hospital this week says they were blocked by Israel from bringing blood bags, medical supplies, fuel, and even food to that hospital.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): To that end, Eya, last week the Biden administration warned it might have to stop arms shipments if Israel does not send more aid into Gaza.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Well, for the first two weeks of October, Israel had blocked all food and basically all fuel supplies to some 400,000 people across all of North Gaza, not just Jabalia.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Now, Israel denies it was intentionally starving people there, and they say more than 200 aid trucks have now gotten into North Gaza.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: But the World Food Program says it's not enough, and they say they're often denied Israeli permission to pick up the aid that's left just across the border.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So it's not just about what comes into Gaza. It's whether aid workers are able to reach that aid and then get it into where people need it.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: And look, the backdrop to all of this is there are growing calls in Israel from prominent members of this current right-wing government to permanently expel Palestinians and build Jewish settlements in their place.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Yesterday we learned that the Israeli military named six Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza as militants.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Now we know that journalists there have been killed doing their job, and independent access for reporters has been denied.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): What has been the response?
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Well, yes, the Israeli military says it produced what it calls intelligence information and documents found in Gaza proving that these six Al Jazeera reporters had ties with militant groups like Hamez, but Al Jazeera denies this, and one of the reporters there says it's an attempt to silence their work in North Gaza and preemptively justify their murder.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): That is NPR's Eya Betraoui reporting from Dubai. Eya, thank you.
--:-- Eya Betraoui: Thanks, Michelle.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): The U.S. says it has evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, possibly to fight with them against Ukraine.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Ukraine and South Korea also say this.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Russia and North Korea are denying this news, which, if true, would suggest an expansion of the war.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): With me now is NPR's international correspondent, Anthony Kuhn, in Seoul, South Korea.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Good morning, Michelle.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the U.S. has evidence of North Korean troops in Russia. What evidence does it have?
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: He didn't say exactly what they've got. There's been all sorts of stuff in the media, from purported satellite pictures of Russian troop transports to videos of North Korean troops receiving Russian uniforms. But none of this has been confirmed.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Now, South Korea's spy chief has said that about 3,000 North Korean troops are already being trained in Russia, with plans to increase to about 10,000 by December.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Austin says that the U.S. is not certain that these North Korean troops are necessarily going to fight in Ukraine, but if they did, it would be a very serious matter.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And if you think about it, Asian troops have just not been involved in a European conflict since World War I.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: What is North Korea hoping to get in exchange for this deployment, if that is in fact what's happening?
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Well, North Korea would like to certainly generate revenue and make friends through its weapons exports.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: The U.S. and South Korea believe North Korea has shipped a lot of artillery shells and short-range missiles to Russia, possibly with engineers to help the Russians use them.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Consider that North Korean troops have had no significant combat experience since the end of the Korean War in 1953 and they like them to get some.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: And if North Koreans are going to fight and die in Ukraine I think North Korea would like Russia to repay their sacrifice with some military aid
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): North Korea has gotten help from Russia with military satellites. It's unclear if they're willing to give any more.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Now, you know, you might argue that 10,000 North Korean troops is actually not very many when compared to the hundreds of thousands Russia has in Ukraine.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So is it reasonable to say that this might be a political statement?
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: I think so. Analysts tell me that North Korea wants to show Russia that it's a loyal ally.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): North Korea wants to show the U.S. that it needs to keep North Korea on its agenda despite elections in the Middle East.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Also, Ukraine has a message to send, which is that it needs aid.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): I spoke to retired South Korean Navy Captain Yoon Seok-Joon, and he pointed out that South Korea has said it might respond by sending weapons to Ukraine, which is what Kyiv wanted to hear.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Here's what he said.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): South Korea is saying we will now stand on the U.S. side and sell offensive weapons to Ukraine, and that helps Ukraine, he said.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I think that's ultimately what Ukraine wanted to get from President Zelensky's disclosure that North Korea is sending troops.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So he's saying it's in Kyiv's interest to play up military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Now, Russia has warned South Korea not to get involved in the conflict.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): How might they respond to that?
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Well, South Korea says it will not sit idly by while North Korea sends troops.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): But they haven't said exactly what they'll do.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: And frankly, they're in a tough spot.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): President Yoon Song-yal has taken a hard line on North Korea.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: And while he could send troops or weapons, they don't want Russia to give North Korea more substantial help.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So they are likely to proceed very cautiously in reacting.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): That is NPR's international correspondent Anthony Kuhn in Seoul, South Korea. Anthony, thank you.
--:-- Anthony Kuhn: Thanks, Michelle.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): On this Thursday morning, we are live from South Philadelphia at Anthony's Italian Coffee and Chocolate House.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Say hi, everybody.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And on NPR, we've been hearing voters all week in this swing state.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): People have talked with us about everything from the economy to the character of the candidates.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And Steve, I've also heard a lot of people talk about some hot-button issues like abortion rights.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Oh, absolutely. Especially among women and younger people like some students we met at the University of Pennsylvania here in Philadelphia.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Darcy Elliott and Ikshal Ramirez are master's students, both from out of state, so both had a choice of whether to register to vote here.
--:-- Darcy Elliott: For me, moving to Pennsylvania, I was kind of excited because I felt like my vote was going to count a little more here.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): You have registered here in Pennsylvania then?
--:-- Darcy Elliott: Yeah.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): The right to my body is super important, and I'm pro-choice.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): I also care about immigration. My past research and stuff has been in, like, immigration and refugees.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Moving here, I did switch because Pennsylvania is a swing state.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I think you see that, like, in the neighborhoods in terms of people showing who they're going to vote for.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Both of them are voting for Kamala Harris.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Freshman Victoria Hill is from Arizona where there is a ballot measure on abortion.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): So she made a different strategic choice.
--:-- Victoria Hill: For me, I actually really looked into the polls in Pennsylvania and Arizona because I have amazing opportunity to vote in two extremely important swing states in this election.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I ultimately decided to vote in Arizona because I think abortion is really on the ticket there.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I'm actually really, really excited for this election.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): You know, Steve, we've Heard a lot of quotes like that since the Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): But are there ways in which other social issues might be working in Trump's favor?
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Well, Republicans are banking on that.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): They raised transgender issues which resonate with Trump supporters like Ben Wallace who a fracking company manager we met in western Pennsylvania.
--:-- Ben Wallace: I just going to say what I want to say Fundamentally I believe there's two genders. There's men and women.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I don't believe that young men should be bludgeoning young girls in women's sports.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I think that that is an example of where certain factions of the Democratic Party have become completely delusional.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Now, Michelle, as you know, there's some history here.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Republican-led legislatures have passed laws across the country about boys and girls sports or gender-affirming care.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Donald Trump spoke of protecting the LGBTQ community from violence back in 2016, but more recently his campaign has spent millions on an ad on this issue, and a lot of voters we met have seen it, including Trenton Hook, who is a landscaper in Middletown.
--:-- Trenton Hook: I've seen one of the commercials, and I understand a lot of commercials and propaganda and everything.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): It's meant to persuade a certain viewpoint, but I also know with her standpoint, she did something to help with the inmates that are getting their transitions paid for.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): This ad talks about a federal rule that prison inmates are allowed medical care, including transgender care, the same as people outside of prison.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): The law was affirmed in 2018 during the Trump administration.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Harris said the next year that she approved, and that is what this ad is based on.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): It's become rather big in Pennsylvania.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Thanks, Steve.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And that's just some of the reporting from Pennsylvania that we have been working on all week.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And we'll hear more today.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And that's up first for Thursday, October 24th.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): I'm Michelle Martin.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And I'm Steve Inskeep.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): For your next listen, consider, consider this from NPR News.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Is emo music still relevant? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says yes and is finally giving the genre its due.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Listen to Consider This from NPR News.
--:-- [Up First theme music starts playing]
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): Today's episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Ryland Barton, H.J. Mai, Lisa Thompson, and Alice Wolfley.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): It was produced by Paige Waterhouse, Nia Dumas, and Katie Klein.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): We get engineering support from Hannah Glovna and Neil Tevallt, and our technical director is Zach Coleman.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): And a special thanks to everybody at Anthony's Italian Coffee and Chocolate House for hosting us here in South Philadelphia.
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.
--:-- Host (Steve Inskeep): Gonna go get some chocolate?
--:-- Host (Michelle Martin): You got it.
--:-- [Up First theme music continues to play until the end]
