The World This Week

Gaza, Trump v. Musk, Boualem Sansal

This week, the war in Gaza appeared to get closer to a 60-day truce. The past seven days also saw a corruption trial facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed by an Israeli court. The move came hours after US President Donald Trump took to social media, claiming the case was a witch hunt and would interfere with the Israeli prime minister's urgent diplomacy to negotiate a deal for Gaza.   While diplomats talked up a chance for a ceasefire [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ceasefire/], Israeli fighter jets significantly increased their missile fire across the strip.  Since Saturday, at least 300 Palestinians have died, according to the Hamas-run health authorities, with a beachside cafe that’s been seen as a rare place for respite destroyed, killing dozens of people. Israel [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/israel/] says Hamas [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/hamas/] militants were the target.  Meanwhile, the UN [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/united-nations/]'s special rapporteur for the occupied territories Francesca Albanese delivered one of the most damning assessments of Israeli actions in the conflict so far, repeating her stance that a genocide [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/genocide/] is taking place, which Israel vehemently denies. Going further, Albanese – an independent expert appointed by the UN to investigate human rights [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/human-rights/] issues – labelled the global companies who deal with Israel as complicit, and called the sole provider of aid, the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, nothing but a death trap. The US government is calling for Albanese to be dismissed, calling her anti-Semitic.  Stateside on Independence Day, Trump [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/donald-trump/] signed his self-titled "One Big Beautiful Bill", with critics calling him a reverse Robin Hood. We also take a look at what's behind the sentencing of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algiers. His five-year jail term was upheld on appeal this week. Produced by Gavin Lee, Charles Wente, Henri-Pierre Mafulu, Aurore Laborie and Laura Burloux.

From escalation to ceasefire in Iran, 'Daddy' Trump, Bezos' wedding carnival

This week has seen unprecedented US intervention in Iran, in a pre-dawn operation code-named "Midnight Hammer". It's also seen another high profile message leak on the Signal app and deadly protests in Kenya.  Seven "silent assassins", the US B-2 Spirit bombers flew 18 hours from Missouri into Iranian airspace, to fire 14 of the world's most powerful bombs at the main enrichment site at Fordo and at Natanz. The overall attack involved 125 fighter jets, several strategic feints, and submarine fire. Not a shot was fired in response. "Complete and utter obliteration" claimed President Donald Trump [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/donald-trump/]. Iran hit back later at the US, with ballistic missiles targeting the American base at Qatar [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/qatar/], though it telegraphed in advance. Some 24 hours later, a ceasefire [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ceasefire/] was agreed between Iran [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/iran/] and Israel [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/israel/]. It's holding so far, after a questionable start and presidential outrage at both sides.  This week has also seen another high profile message leak on the Signal app. This time a private thank you note, a "Dear Donald" message sent by NATO [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/nato/] Secretary General Mark Rutte [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/mark-rutte/], that said "Congratulations for your decisive action in Iran, something no one else dared to do" and "Flying into another big success at The Hague. It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent! Europe is going to pay in a BIG (capital letters) way, and it will be your win."  The leaker: Trump, of course, who published it on Truth Social ahead of the NATO summit. No harm done, said Rutte, the so-called Trump whisperer, who later went on to allude to him as "Daddy". Plus, it's been a week that's seen thousands of Kenyans [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/kenya/] protesting against police brutality [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/police-violence/] and government corruption [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/corruption/] in cities across the country. Security forces barricaded President William Ruto [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/william-ruto-1/]'s office, as police fired water canon, tear gas and reportedly live fire too, as they clashed with demonstrators in Nairobi. At least 16 people were killed. The protests marked a year since a grassroots movement first took to the streets of the capital, against the president's planned tax law – a movement that spread nationwide after the deaths and disappearances of some of the demonstrators.  Produced by Gavin Lee, Charles Wente, Siobhan Silke, Aurore Laborie and Laura Burloux.

Israel-Iran war, Trump's decision, G7, Bezos wedding protests

In a week of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran that's been decades in the making, assassinations, air strikes and missile attacks have pushed the region to the brink. Iran is striking back, with seven days of air raid sirens across Israel and a hospital hit in Beersheba. As the crisis deepens, US President Donald Trump faces a pivotal choice: whether to join the fight and unleash the only weapons capable of destroying Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordow. A decision is promised within two weeks.  Meanwhile, across Europe [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/europe/], protests erupted over "over-tourism". Demonstrators in Spain [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/spain/], Portugal [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/portugal/], and Italy [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/italy/] took to the streets with slogans like “Your Holiday, Our Misery.” In Barcelona [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/barcelona/], tourists were targeted with water pistols. In Venice [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/venice/], the arrival of Jeff Bezos [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/jeff-bezos/] for his three-day wedding sparked outrage. “No Space for Bezos” read the signs. Produced by Gavin Lee, Charles Wente, Antonia Cimini, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux.

The World This Week: Israel v Iran special

It’s been a week of escalating global tensions. Israel launched a series of targeted strikes on Iran – codenamed Operation Rising Lion – aimed at crippling Tehran's nuclear capabilities. Iran has vowed a swift response. In the United States, protests erupted in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement, as federal officers intensified roundups of undocumented migrants – part of President Donald Trump’s broader plan for mass deportations. Meanwhile in Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa came under heavy fire. Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults yet, striking the capital with a wave of 315 drones and ballistic missiles. And in Europe, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte delivered a stark warning in London: defence spending is no longer optional –it’s existential. Produced by Gavin Lee, Charles Wente, Siobhan Silke, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux.

Ukraine's 'Spider's Web', Gaza, The Trump-Musk feud, Elon's new city

This week, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web. Some 18 months in the planning and personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky, simultaneous drone attacks were launched across Russian airfields, destroying its fighter jets and strategic bombers. The Ukrainian intelligence service claimed 40 planes had been left burning on the tarmac. Russia described it as terrorism and President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge. It's also been a week that’s seen two new presidents elected. A hard-right nationalist in Poland [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/poland/] won by a whisker in the runoff vote. It was the opposition-backed candidate, Karol Navrovski, a historian and amateur boxer, who prevailed, dealing a blow to the centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/donald-tusk/] and his chances of reforming the country. Meanwhile in South Korea [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/south-korea/], Lee Jae-myung [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/lee-jae-myung/] won a snap election following the downfall of his disgraced predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/yoon-suk-yeol/] after his disastrous attempt to declare martial law last December. The new leader, who on the night that troops tried to take over the National Assembly had rallied people to come out on the streets, now pitches himself as the unifier of a divided country. It's been a back to the future week for President Donald Trump [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/donald-trump/], who is once again banning citizens of several countries from entering the US. Those nations include Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, with echoes of 2017, both on the grounds of protecting against terrorism. This time Trump referred to Sunday's attack on an Israeli peace March in Colorado, which was carried out by an Egyptian suspect. Notably, Egypt [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/egypt/] wasn't on the list.  And it’s been a week when relations between Trump and Elon Musk [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/elon-musk/] fell apart quicker than a Space X Falcon 9 launch. We also take a closer look at Starbase, Musk's controversial new city in Texas. Produced by Andrew Hilliar, Aurore Laborie and Gavin Lee.