This Week in Explainers: Will Trump's Gaza plan end the Israel-Hamas war?

The world’s attention has been squarely focused on Gaza this week – and rightly so, given the events of the past two years. Much has changed since the horrific attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left over 1,200 dead. Today, Gaza is in ruins after Israel conducted a relentless bombing campaign to root out Hamas. Now, hope has finally emerged through a 20-point peace treaty pushed by US President Donald Trump.

But nothing can change the fact that the Gaza war has left tens of thousands of people killed and many more displaced. The Palestinian people, many of them women and children, have suffered hunger, malnutrition and disease, causing much suffering to Israel’s image on the world stage.

More from Explainers

History Today: How the White House got its name, courtesy Theodore Roosevelt Why Qatar's training facility at a US military base is fuelling outrage

In other news, Italy under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has brought in legislation to ban Muslim face coverings in what is sure to be a controversial move. There are also reports that Tim Cook could be stepping down as CEO of Apple after a decade at the helm of the tech giant.

All this and much more in our weekly wrap from around the world.

1. After much back and forth, Israel and Hamas have finally agreed to a peace plan.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

Why India’s discovery of natural gas in the Andaman basin is an ‘ocean of opportunity’

How massive protests in PoK have put Pakistan on edge

All it took was two years, two administrations and US President Donald Trump throwing his weight behind it. Trump, who reportedly chided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for being negative about the possibility of a ceasefire, put forth a 20-point peace plan.

While the news was both celebration and relief, many are waiting for the other shoe to drop. While some broad details have been agreed upon between the two parties at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, much of the finer details remain murky. Here’s what we know about the deal and why it is significant.

2. Regardless of whether the peace deal in Gaza holds or not, Israel has done much damage to its reputation over the past two years.

After the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, much of the world’s sympathy was with Israel and the families of the hostages. However, images of the bodies of Palestinians in Gaza, particularly women and children, have gone viral on social media. Much of Gaza has been destroyed and even experts are coming around to the view that Israel has been conducting a genocide.

The Israeli state is facing boycotts and bans – including from Hollywood – and its leaders have been targeted. More and more countries are also recognising the need to establish a separate Palestinian state, which Netanyahu has refused to countenance. This piece examines Israel’s growing diplomatic and social isolation on the world stage.

3. Italy’s ruling Brothers of Italy party now wants to ban the burka and the niqab.

The European nation has become the latest country to try to bar these coverings worn by Muslim women in public spaces.
Proponents of the bill, introduced by Meloni’s party, say it is aimed at countering a “cultural separatism” linked to Islam.

“The spread of Islamic fundamentalism … undeniably constitutes the breeding ground for Islamist terrorism,” an introduction to the draft law states, emphasising the need to combat “religious radicalisation and religious hatred”.

But what would such a law, if passed, entail? How much would Muslim women be fined for wearing these coverings in public? What do critics say? This article gives you the lowdown.

4. Is Tim Cook preparing to leave Apple?

Cook was handpicked by tech icon Steve Jobs as his replacement. But that was a decade ago. And with the CEO of the iconic firm set to turn 65 in November, questions are already being asked about a possible successor. Now, there are reports that Apple is preparing to undergo what could be a massive and tumultuous organisational turnover – at the highest level, with other top staff like Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams also stepping back.

But who could be the next CEO? Are there any fresh faces on the horizon? How will these changes impact the firm that Jobs founded? Will things ever be the same without ‘Tim Apple’, as Trump once memorably referred to him? This piece takes a look at the impending turnover within the tech giant and gives you the answers you’re looking for.

5. Did Qatar Airways ‘kill’ a strict vegetarian flyer?

That’s what a lawsuit against the airline has alleged. The complaint, filed by the family of a man who was travelling from Los Angeles to Sri Lanka, has claimed that he was told to ‘eat around’ the meat in the meal he was served.

This came after the airline ran out of vegetarian options, which Asoka Jayaweera, an 85-year-old cardiologist from Southern California, had requested during his flight in 2023. Jayaweera’s son, Surya, has sued the airline for wrongful death and negligence. He has sought damages of a minimum of $128,821 (Rs. 1.14 crore).

6. Is North Korea eating its wild animals to the edge of extinction?

The Hermit Kingdom has long been a source of mystery and fascination for people the world over. Now, a study shows that citizens of the country, which has been ruled for decades by the Jong-un regime, are hunting wild animals for sustenance.

Among the animals being targeted by the teeming, starving masses are tigers, leopards, bears, otters, deer and the long-tailed goral, according to research published by British and Norwegian scientists. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation in August, has also revealed the existence of a flourishing regional black market and highlighted the need to conserve wildlife. Click here to read more.

7. It is widely known that human beings evolved from creatures that walked on all fours.

However, one Belgian has been doing exactly that for the past three years. Alexia Kraft de la Saulx, a documentary filmmaker, has gone viral for her videos running on all fours. Not that Saulx is embracing her inner four-legged self – which is known as therianthropy.

Instead, she is touting the benefits of a trend known as Quadrobics, in which people move and race on all fours. Take a closer look at Saulx and the fitness trend here.

That’s all we have for you this week. If you like our explainers, you can bookmark this page.