For the first time since consolidating power to rule the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas will disband its Government Emergency Committee that has coordinated day-to-day life across the territory, according to the Palestinian militant group. This clears a path for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), known as a technocratic committee, to assume control as part of President Donald Trump and his Board of Peace’s plan for the beleaguered region. 

‘Caretaker framework’
The governmental dissolution “marks a significant political shift” by Hamas, said Al Jazeera. But while the group has “repeatedly said it’s prepared to step aside” from daily governance of Gaza, the question of its “disarmament remains unresolved.” 

The decision to dismantle the governing authority was made to “remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem to AFP, per Le Monde. Hamas seeks the “swift entry” of the technocratic committee and “affirms its readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities.” 

For Hamas, the move is designed to transform the group’s “existing governing structure” into a “caretaker framework,” said The Times of Israel. Hamas officials claim that “technical and professional staff” will “remain in place” to “maintain continuity in service to civilians in Gaza,” said The Jerusalem Post. 

Unsurprisingly, Israel has rejected that characterization. The dissolution of a Hamas government wherein “all of the Hamas members stay in their positions” is a “spin that has no significance,” said one Israeli official to The Associated Press.

‘Actions, not promises’
Any assessment of Hamas’ plan will be “guided by actions, not promises, to meet the critical needs of the people of Gaza,” said the Trump-led Board of Peace on X. Turning over full control of Gaza to the technocratic committee means “consolidation of all weapons under the control of the NCAG as provided for in the Comprehensive Gaza Peace Plan.”

The change “does not concern its military wing,” about which mediators are “still negotiating,” said Haaretz. Israel, meanwhile, is “not allowing members of the technocratic committee to enter the territory.”

The Trump administration has officially brought the Presidential Fitness Test back from the dead after it was discontinued in 2013, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is lauding it as a major step forward for children’s health. But some health experts aren’t so sure the revitalized test will meaningfully improve youngsters’ lives.

‘Not much has changed’
The test, which was sunsetted during the Obama administration in favor of a different regimen called the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, is now back by executive order from President Donald Trump. But “compared to previous iterations of the test, not much has changed: It includes a timed run, an upper-body strength test, and a core test, with benchmarks set by a child’s age and gender,” said Chelsea Cirruzzo at Stat News. Health experts worry that such a stringent “focus on specific physical activity benchmarks could turn some kids off exercise.”

The “worst experiences that people tend to report” from childhood fitness tests are “something having to do with embarrassment,” said Matthew Ladwig, an assistant professor of integrative human health at Purdue University Northwest, to Stat News. Negative memories of exercise as a child are “associated with adult sedentary behavior” later in life, according to a 2018 study co-authored by Ladwig. Others question whether a fitness test “alone will be enough to move the needle on physical activity and exercise,” said Mary Kekatos at ABC News. 

‘Recognizing the problem’
Others believe the physical promises of the Presidential Fitness Test outweigh any negatives. A “healthy nation can only exist if its citizens are fit,” and “policymakers are finally recognizing the problem,” said K. John Lee at The Oklahoman. The reimplementation of the exam comes at a time when many children cannot “currently pass a military physical fitness test,” and “whether or not a student ever serves in uniform, that statistic should concern us.”

“Too many young people are spending less time moving and building healthy habits,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) in a statement. Reviving the test will “give students a positive goal to work toward and make physical activity a bigger part of their everyday lives.”

The Milky Way arcs over the volcanic landscape on Spain’s Tenerife island. The image titled ‘Path Towards the Stars’ by Italy’s Matteo Strassera has been shortlisted from nearly 4,000 entries to the international Royal Observatory Greenwich’s 18th annual ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
Matteo Strassera / ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year

For many people busy ferrying their kids to camp or embarking on vacations, summer is a time to let their TV backlog swell. But if you are the kind of person who streams as usual during the summer months, there are some terrific options for you this July.

‘Lucky’
Anya Taylor-Joy plays Luciana “Lucky” Armstrong, a seasoned criminal aiming for one final heist before going straight. To complicate the narrative, her mom, Priscilla (Annette Bening), is a mob boss and her dad, John (Timothy Olyphant), is a career criminal. With “adrenalized action, tense familial drama, and a classic ‘one last job’ hook, the omens are strong” for this highly anticipated thriller, said Jordan King at Empire. (July 15 on Apple TV+)

‘The Hawk’
In this sports parody (pictured above), Will Ferrell stars as Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a pro golfer two decades past his prime who seeks one last big tournament win even though his wife, Stacy (Molly Shannon), and golf phenom son, Lance (Jimmy Tatro), want him to retire. Lonnie’s “on-the-green rivalries take on an extrafamilial dimension” when he ends up competing against Lance, said Luke Buckmaster at The Guardian. (July 16 on Netflix)

‘Gone’
Respected Bristol schoolteacher Michael Polly (David Morrissey) displays a strange lack of emotion when his wife, Sarah, goes missing, triggering the suspicion of Detective Sergeant Annie Cassidy (Eve Myles) in this engrossing six-part potboiler. “If there’s a tauter, clammier or more engrossing drama this year, I will eat my mortarboard with chips,” said Sarah Dempster at The Guardian. (July 23 on BritBox)