Eurotopics.net

The Israeli military intensified its ground operations in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of the war entering a "second phase". The aim, he said, was to destroy the military and political capabilities of radical Islamic Hamas, which in its attack of 7 October killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. Commentators observe the situation in the region with concern.

Ombudsman Ángel Gabilondo has presented the Spanish parliament with the results of an investigation which indicate that hundreds of thousands of minors may have been abused in Spain's Catholic Church since the 1960s. In a survey of 8,000 people, 0.6 percent said they had been victims of sexual abuse in church institutions. Based on that figure, the total number of victims in Spain would be around 440,000. What should be done now?

Mike Johnson has been elected the new speaker of the US House of Representatives. After several failed attempts by other candidates, the Trump supporter managed to secure the required majority on Wednesday. A new US budget can now be passed in mid-November. His election has far-reaching consequences for Europe too, commentators observe.

After hours of wrangling, the 27 EU member states have issued a joint declaration calling for "humanitarian corridors and pauses" in the Gaza Strip. The bloc wants to work with partners in the region to protect civilians and ensure access to aid supplies, it said. The declaration reflects some of the EU's weaknesses, commentators note.

Ten days after the first reports on the partial destruction of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip, it remains unclear how many people died, which projectile triggered the tragedy and, above all, from which side it was fired. But for commentators one thing is clear: the lack of objective coverage immediately after the attack should be a lesson for journalists and the general public.