Hospital raid shows Hamas is far from spent

Hello. Today we're taking a closer look at Israel's raid on al-Shifa hospital, and what it means for Israel's war against Hamas. In Essex, Lewis Adams reports on the conviction of a man who drugged a couple to death after he manipulated them with fake personalities. Further down your newsletter, you'll find two climate stories that are fairly upbeat, from cow burps to batteries.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What to make of new Al-Shifa raid

The attacks on al-Shifa hospital have displaced Palestinians who were sheltering there. Credit: Reuters

Four months after Israeli troops first stormed al-Shifa, Gaza's biggest hospital, they have returned. The Israel Defense Forces claim to have killed "over 140 terrorists" and made 300 arrests. Hamas has denied its fighters were based there and claims those killed were wounded patients and displaced people.

Why have Israeli forces returned to al-Shifa?

The Israeli military said it had "concrete intelligence" that Hamas operatives had regrouped there. Israeli reports suggest that in recent weeks the army found that senior Hamas figures had resumed operations at al-Shifa, and that some even took their families to the hospital.

What can we make of this operation?

While this week's raid again highlights a desperate humanitarian situation, it is also a strong reminder that Hamas is far from a spent force. Some analysts suggest it shows the desperate need for a comprehensive strategy to deal with the Islamist armed group and a clear plan on the post-war governance of Gaza.

What are allies saying?

Washington has indicated that the renewed operation illustrates its worry that Israel, a close ally, does not have an adequate strategy to dismantle the Hamas organisation. "Israel cleared Shifa once. Hamas came back into Shifa, which raises questions about how to ensure a sustainable campaign against Hamas so that it cannot regenerate, cannot retake territory," the US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said this week.

THE BIG PICTURE

Curbing burping

This calf is expected to emit less methane than average when burping. Credit: BBC

Cow belching is the primary agricultural source of greenhouse gases and is contributing to global warming. Some dairy farmers, like Ben Loewith in Canada, are starting to genetically breed cows to reduce methane emissions from this bovine burping.

And Finally... in Australia

A Queensland researcher has discovered a new species of bug by chance. Initially, James Tweed thought the little white blob was bird poo, when he spotted it on a leaf while camping. But on closer inspection, he realised it was a longhorn beetle, covered in fluffy white hairs. And this “mohawk” has earned it the nickname of the “punk beetle” – though it has officially been named Excastra albopilosa - Latin for "from the camp" and "white and hairy".