The Week Evening Review
Israel's goals in Gaza, India and Pakistan's growing conflict, and the surgeon general nominee

 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

What does 'conquering' Gaza mean to Israel?

Israel is doubling down on its war in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to displace much of the Palestinian population while seizing and occupying the territory on a long-term basis is already producing backlash and global outcry. "There will be no in-and-out," Netanyahu said. Israel is "finally going to conquer the Gaza Strip," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. But both Israeli and international critics say the proposal smacks of ethnic cleansing.

The planned offensive will likely "sharpen everything that makes the Gaza war so controversial," said the BBC. Expanding that war "divides Israelis, kills even more Palestinian civilians and horrifies millions around the world." Indeed, anti-government protests broke out in Israel, and officials across much of Europe and China condemned the plan.

What did the commentators say?
A temporary occupation of Gaza would give Israel a "path to ending the war" while destroying Hamas, said David French at The New York Times. But a permanent occupation would "represent a crime against humanity." It would be illegal under international law, as well as a "recipe for endless war." Similarly, while civilians can be temporarily moved to "preserve their lives," any permanent displacement "becomes forcible population transfer, another term for ethnic cleansing." 

Israel's campaign has "no legitimacy, no point and no restraints," said the Haaretz editorial board. The aim of the operation is not to release the remaining two dozen or so hostages, who will "be freed only through a deal" with Hamas. Instead, a renewed military operation will "pose a clear and present danger to those who are still alive." 

An expanded war will plunge Israel "deeper into darkness, militarily and morally," said Gershom Gorenberg at The Atlantic. Occupying much of Gaza is "unlikely to eliminate Hamas," but it will "expose Israel's soldiers to a long war of attrition" against the terror group. And a permanent displacement of Palestinians would be "ethnic cleansing — a moral catastrophe." 

What next?
Israeli leaders plan to move after President Donald Trump visits the Middle East next week, said CNN. That offers a "window of opportunity" for Israel and Hamas to make a final deal on the hostages, said an Israeli official. Once the operation begins, said Smotrich, there will be "no withdrawal from the territories we have captured, not even in exchange for hostages."

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one.' 

Bill Gates, in an interview with the Financial Times, criticizing Elon Musk and DOGE for cuts to USAID, the federal agency responsible for distributing foreign aid around the world

 
 
THE EXPLAINER

Kashmir: India and Pakistan's conflict explained

India's air strikes on Pakistan on Wednesday, two weeks after militants' deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir, have further heightened tensions over a region that has been a focal point of clashes between the two nations for almost 80 years. Still now, Delhi and Islamabad both claim rightful ownership over the entirety of Kashmir. 

Who controls Kashmir? 
India controls a little over half of the region, while roughly a third is administered by Pakistan. The remaining 15% — the desolate northeastern region of Aksai Chin — is controlled by China. 

How did the dispute begin? 
After the 1947 partition, when Britain's former Indian colony was split into the independent states of Pakistan and India, the then ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, ceded control to India in exchange for security guarantees. The region was then attacked by militants from Pakistan, sparking the First Kashmir War, which lasted for two years and resulted in a de facto division of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, called the Line of Control. The line was meant as a stopgap, "pending a more permanent political settlement," said The New York Times. 

Were there more wars over Kashmir? 
With no long-standing political resolution, there have been two further brief but bloody conflicts over the region, the Second Indo-Pakistani War in 1965 and the Kargil War in 1999. India and Pakistan also went to war in 1971 over the independence of Bangladesh, a conflict that led to talks during which the Line of Control in Kashmir was made permanent. 

What has happened more recently? 
Although there have been no further wars in Kashmir, the area has been blighted by small-scale insurgencies and terror attacks. In 2019, Delhi stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, as part of a wider security clampdown that attracted criticism from human rights groups. This week's strikes by India represent the "most significant military actions in recent years," said India Today. Islamabad has called the attacks a "blatant act of war," leaving the prospect of further conflict in Kashmir on a knife-edge.

 
 

Statistic of the day

1,000: The number of transgender troops being forced out of the military, the Pentagon announced yesterday. The directive follows a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the White House to enforce a transgender military ban. It also gives other troops 30 days to self-identify as transgender.

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Casey Means: 'influencer' and surgeon general nominee

President Donald Trump's new nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, is unlike most prior figures who have held the position. A "wellness influencer" with links to the Trump-adjacent Make America Healthy Again movement, Means was nominated by the president to replace his first choice for surgeon general, former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat.

While she has a medical degree, Means has never worked in government. And her closeness to divisive HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also causing alarm in the health care industry.

Background
Means, 37, is a well-known health influencer in the conservative internet space. She graduated from Stanford Medical School but dropped out of her surgical residency program at Oregon Health & Science University.

She eventually started a "functional medicine practice and founded the company Levels, which offers consumers continuous glucose monitors and an app to track their blood sugar," said NPR. Means had an Oregon medical license granted in 2014 but it was rendered inactive in 2024, according to the state's medical board.

Nomination
Trump nominated Means for surgeon general because she has "impeccable MAHA credentials," said the president on Truth Social, referencing the "health-conscious" movement heralded by RFK Jr. Means has "echoed some of Kennedy's skepticism of vaccines, calling on the new administration to study their 'cumulative effects' and to weaken liability protections offered to vaccine makers," said The New York Times. Health experts are "adamantly opposed to trimming the list of recommended immunizations, warning that such changes would trigger outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases."

Both Means and her brother, Calley Means, are influential in the right-wing health sphere. They have made appearances with "some of Trump's biggest supporters, winning praise from conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan," said The Associated Press. 

The siblings "often rail against the influence of the pharmaceutical and food industries," said NPR. But Means goes further with assertions about processed food, "linking changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions including infertility, Alzheimer's, depression and erectile dysfunction," said the AP. Now, it's up to the U.S. Senate to decide Means' fate, as the surgeon general position must undergo a confirmation hearing.

 
 

Good day 🚕

… for taxi and ambulance drivers. Compared to hundreds of other occupations, the risk of death from Alzheimer's disease is much lower for taxi and ambulance drivers, according to Harvard researchers. Other types of dementia did not follow this pattern, as rates of death for these were not lower among such drivers.

 
 

Bad day 🌳

… for tree fellers. Two men have been found guilty of toppling Britain's historic Sycamore Gap tree in 2023, in a "moronic mission" that shocked the nation, said prosecutors. Both men denied cutting down the celebrated landmark next to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site in northern England, but were found guilty of criminal damage.

 
 
Picture of the day

Putin's parade

Russian sailors march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square today. The commemoration of the Soviet Union's victory over Germany in WWII has grown in scale under Vladimir Putin and now includes a military parade and presidential address.
Stringer / AFP / Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

Your bedroom is your sanctuary, a retreat from the outside world, and should be both comfortable and reflect your style. Use these suggestions to jump into your own dreamy bedscape.

Choose one duvet cover for all seasons
Finding a year-round duvet cover that offers warmth in the winter and breathability in the summer saves money and storage space. Quince's European linen duvet cover does both. Its "luxurious texture" gets softer after each wash, and interior ties and buttons keep the duvet insert in place, said Better Homes & Gardens. There are dozens of colors and patterns to choose from that "complement just about every bedroom." (Starting at $130, Quince)

Customize a pillow
A good night's sleep begins with a proper pillow. Coop Sleep Goods' original adjustable pillow lets you add or remove fill to "create your own personalized firmness," said Good Housekeeping. The fill is made of "shredded memory foam and microfiber clusters" that keep their shape, so the pillow feels both "supportive and plush." Because it's adjustable, the pillow works for back, side and stomach sleepers. ($85, Coop Sleep Goods)

Select a lovely scent
Giving your bedroom a signature scent feels a bit over-the-top, which is exactly why you should do it. Voluspa's Panjore Lychee scent is a "lightly sweet" option, with lush notes of cassis, Asian pear and panjore lychee, House Beautiful said. The fragrance is offered in a room spray, reed diffuser and several candle sizes, including the classic, which comes in a pretty patterned jar. ($32, Voluspa)

 
 

Poll watch

Among Americans who don't own a home, 45% say they won't be able to buy one for the foreseeable future, according to a Gallup survey. The poll of 1,006 adults found that 30% of non-homeowners think they will be able to buy one in the next five years, while 23% think they will be able to do so in the next 10. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Why I'm still performing at Trump's Kennedy Center'
Lidiya Yankovskaya at The Washington Post
Some "audience members have chosen to shun" the Kennedy Center "regardless of the nature of the performance," but "such self-censorship is misguided," says Lidiya Yankovskaya. Art can "change minds, shift cultures, challenge assumptions." Choosing "not to attend performances of content we support will only ensure that this content is not presented in the future." Americans "must continue to support the art that we want to see" on the Kennedy Center stage.

'Why in the world do people love golf?'
Dave Schilling at The Guardian
There's "no pastime more connected to the elasticity of time than golf," says Dave Schilling. It's a game in which "futility is expected," "failure is right around the corner" and "frustration is always simmering." The "most exciting part of golf is hitting the ball, but the rules encourage you to hit the damn thing less, not more." Most of the "time during a golf game, you are pondering or, worse yet, idly chitchatting."

'The US should focus on building robots, not ships'
Thomas Black at Bloomberg
The U.S. "long ago lost its dominance in shipbuilding," says Thomas Black. Of all the "battles to fight to create the conditions for a return of more manufacturing to America, shipbuilding is the steepest climb." Robotics is a "key enabler for a wide swath of manufacturing." It's "not too late to jump into the game and chip away at the foreign dominance of robot production." Resources would be "better spent making sure the U.S. is a leader in automation."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

Labubu

A range of mini elvish-looking stuffed animals and the latest viral collectible. Searches for the snaggled-toothed plushies have soared 376% since December, with rare editions selling for as much as $3,323, according to clothing resale platform Depop. They are so popular that there's a thriving black market for fake Labubus, aka Lafufus.

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Anahi Valenzuela and Richard Windsor, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; AP Photo / Ben Curtis; PC Photography / Getty Images