Hamas' two-decade rule over Gaza may be coming to an end, amid the Israeli occupation, challenges from a rising rival militia and growing opposition among the Gazan people.

The Islamist group has suggested it could hand over control of Gaza willingly, but does this "signal a real change of heart", asked The Jerusalem Post, or just "another calculated move".

What did the commentators say?
For Hamas, the challenge is "how to keep control of a desperate civilian population, for whom hunger is now proving a more potent force than fear", said The Telegraph. Some analysts say recent protests suggest the fear of Hamas among ordinary Gazans is "waning".

With the death of military chief Mohammed Sinwar confirmed over the weekend, few Hamas leaders are left in Gaza. The group's leaders outside the strip – currently based in Doha, Beirut and Istanbul – "have the upper hand once again", said The Economist. And they are "expected to support" a ceasefire deal "relinquishing Hamas' post-war role in Gaza but preserving its standing in the Arab world".

The group is also contending with the emergence of rival leader Yasser Abu Shabab and his Popular Forces militia in eastern Rafah. That Abu Shabab's Popular Forces "operate openly – within an IDF-controlled zone, sheltering thousands of Gazan civilians – signals a breach in Hamas' dominance", said The Telegraph. This new "armed, non-Hamas force coordinating humanitarian corridors" is striking at the "very foundation" of the Hamas "monopoly on governance and security in the strip".

What next?
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for Hamas to "hand over its weapons" and for the deployment of international forces to protect "the Palestinian people". Hamas has even offered to turn over the administration of Gaza to a technocratic government.

The problem, said Al Jazeera, is that Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu needs to "prolong the war, allowing him to continue using it as an excuse to avoid accountability" and "prevent the break-up of his government". Neither of these tasks are served by the complete destruction of Hamas, which means, ironically, its greatest hope of retaining control of Gaza may well lie with the Israeli PM.

The biggest men's football tournament on the planet will kick off this time next year, but it's already beset with controversy.
The Fifa World Cup 26 will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, with America providing the lion's share of the venues. But Donald Trump's recent travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, plus his clashes with the co-host countries and his intensifying immigration crackdown, have resulted in uncertainty about safety and logistics.

'Draped around Trump'
The US administration's new travel policy makes exceptions for athletes, coaches, support staff and relatives travelling for major sporting events, but there is no special treatment for fans from overseas. There are fears that supporters from other countries may also face long waits for foreign visitor visas. Crumbling public transport in host cities is another concern.

Yet Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, an attendee at Trump's inauguration, is promising great things, with an expanded format and an unprecedented half-time musical show during the final, at what is being dubbed the "Maga World Cup".

Infantino has "fully draped the tournament around one of his favourite strongmen", said Leander Schaerlaeckens, a lecturer in sports media, in The Guardian. The 2026 World Cup will be "leveraged for the glorification of a leader to a degree not seen since Benito Mussolini dominated the 1934 World Cup in Italy".

'Logistical headaches'
Despite topping their qualification group so far, England were beaten 3-1 by Senegal yesterday, their first loss to an African team in 22 matches. Should England – or Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland – qualify for the World Cup, new difficulties await, said The Independent's Miguel Delaney. The "absurd" size of the tournament, taking place across three geographical zones (west, central and eastern), means "logistical headaches" for teams looking for a base with training facilities.

The format could be an even bigger problem. There will be 48 teams playing, split into 12 groups of four. The first 17 days of the almost six-week tournament will just be matches in those 12 groups, and only after that will the 48 teams be narrowed to 32. There is "a genuine danger everyone will be fatigued by the quarter-finals".

The long-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 console is finally here and, with it, a keystone launch title: "Mario Kart World". A "thrilling combination of retro racing and modern open-world freedom", the game arrives with "a few growing pains", said Jordan Minor in PC Gamer, but it's "wildly entertaining" and a "fantastic next-generation racer for all ages".

The main draw is, of course, the "huge, open map". Each of the courses are now connected by a series of roads, making the game feel more "organic and dynamic". There are 32 tracks in total, including a mix of new and "heavily reimagined" retro courses.

The "addictive and exhilarating" Knockout Tour lets you race across six different areas of the map, as the bottom players are gradually eliminated until just one winner remains. That the new title can accommodate up to 24 players (double that of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe") adds to the "chaos", as "one unlucky red shell can send you plummeting down 20 spots".

It's an "easy-breezy social game that also lets you get extremely competitive", said Keza MacDonald in The Guardian. The most significant difference is the movement; you can now "charge up a boost-jump to grind along rails" and "ride walls", giving racing an entirely new feel. Other highlights include the "broad and ridiculous" collection of characters, including a "new-look Donkey Kong hunkered hilariously over the steering wheel". 

"Generous and detailed and unfailingly fun", Nintendo has captured the spirit of the original game, while proving that it still has a "talent for reinvention". It's a winning combination.

I didn't think we were heading for civil war. Now I'm not so sure
Annabel Denham in The Telegraph
"I used to dismiss fears" that the UK was heading "for open sectarian conflict", writes Annabel Denham, but that was before the "rule-abiding majority" began "nearing the end of their tether with illegal migration". They are "tired of being gaslit by our political class", who "downplay" the "scale and pace of change". With violence having already "erupted" in Northern Ireland, "the situation may seem almost intractable", but the "solution" isn't to "deny the problem exists".

The one thing Starmer can never say again to pensioners like me
 Yasmin Alibhai-Brown in The i Paper
"Fuel payments have been restored" following "fierce campaigning by older citizens", writes Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. "After this fiasco", which minister would "dare to remind" pensioners like me that few young people "working hard today for better futures" will get what many of us have now? Yes, there are pensioners below the poverty line, but many are "more advantaged" than younger generations. We should be "fighting for a fairer country not just for us, but for all".

If you don't understand Nintendo Switch 2, you won't understand the modern world
Stephen Bush in the Financial Times
The launch of Nintendo Switch 2 is an "important moment" in "political life", writes Stephen Bush. Many pollsters are now "improving their accuracy by polling directly within" such "large multiplayer video games", reaching voters who have been "overlooked" with "conventional" polling methods. To "navigate the 21st century", politicians must "understand what motivates" the "political, social and commercial decisions" of those engaging in "the biggest and most influential" of all "cultural pastimes".