A bruising week for Israel on the international stage began with an application by the international criminal court for the arrest of its prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saw Spain, Norway and Ireland say they would recognise an independent Palestinian state, and ended the international court of justice ordering Israel to cease its military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah over fears that it was creating genocidal conditions.
It’s not just abroad where pressure is mounting on Netanyahu. Demonstrations were held all over Israel last weekend in support of an immediate deal to release the Israeli hostages and hold early elections, as an increasingly polarised nation questions how winnable the war against Hamas really is.
Where does Israel go from here? Our Jerusalem correspondent Bethan McKernan and journalist Quique Kierszenbaum report from inside the country, while Peter Beaumont and Nesrine Malik analyse the buildup of global pressure.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
1
Spotlight | Rishi Sunak’s big UK election gamble
Languishing behind Labour in the polls, the British prime minister has called a July election that seemed to take most of his own Conservative party by surprise. Toby Helm, Michael Savage and James Tapper report
2
Science | The myths about heat pumps
Critics say heat pumps are too expensive and don’t work well in extreme cold – but is that just a load of hot air? Jillian Ambrose separates fact from fiction
3
Feature | International bright young things
Every year, hundreds of Kenyans go to study at elite universities in the US and UK. On graduating, many f ind themselves in a strange position: unable to f it in abroad, but no longer belonging back home. By Carey Baraka
4
Opinion | Is Ukraine on the ropes?
The Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion beat a giant opponent, but his country can’t defeat Russia on its own, argues historian Timothy Garton Ash
5
Culture | Jean-Luc Godard’s breathless goodbye
Xan Brooks meets the team who helped the late French film director finish his swansong project
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What else we’ve been reading
Generally it’s an impossible task finding space for every piece we’d like to run in the Weekly. On another occasion this insightful piece of kremlinology by Pjotr Sauer and Andrew Roth, delving into the motives behind Vladimir Putin’s recent purge of Russia’s military establishment, would have made it into the magazine. Graham Snowdon, editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Artist Damien Hirst and the dates that don’t add up
• Video | Old Lesbians: reclaiming old age and queerness through storytelling
• Gallery | The inaccessible and abandoned islands of New York – in pictures
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