The Guardian's weekend wrap of essential reads from the past seven days, selected by Jacqui Housden and Miles Herbert, features a series on Gaza, an exploration of cuckooing, a profile of Ms Rachel, the return of an anti-Nazi play, and the repurposing of Nordic bunkers.
Gaza: a week in the life
As the war in Gaza approaches its fourth year, the Guardian followed five ordinary Palestinians going about their daily lives, revealing the conflict's toll. On day one, Alaa Hessi, who lives in a tent pitched on the ruins of her house destroyed by an Israeli airstrike that killed all three of her children, shared her world. In the late afternoon, she scrolls through old photos and videos to hear their voices.
Notable quote: "I do not tell nurses at the clinic about my circumstances and my children who died, because even the healthcare workers are emotionally exhausted. They are unable to offer comfort or psychological support. My story is not unusual in Gaza. Many women here have lost their children."
A tale of two trap houses
Author and journalist Max Daly writes about "cuckooing," where drug dealing gangs take over the home of a vulnerable person to use as a base. Daly's friend Duncan, a musician, artist and father, opened his doors to drug gangs twice, with completely different experiences—the first brought misery, the second a strange kind of friendship.
The controversial queen of toddler TV
Rachel Accurso, known as Ms Rachel, has become a global star in children's entertainment, racking up billions of views on YouTube and signing a deal with Netflix. Her statements on Gaza and LGBTQ rights have prompted criticism and support. Accurso says she doesn't understand why anyone would not do all they can to stop the violence: "How could we not want to help everyone?"
Notable quote: "We're the grownups of this world and we're meant to keep children safe. And the fact that we are not is horrific."
Once banned at the request of Nazis, this anti-fascist play is back
The play Till the Day I Die, written by Clifford Odets, was banned in Australia in 1936 at the request of the Nazi party. The ban created support, leading to a production on the back of a truck in Melbourne. Ninety years on, theatre-makers Mark Wilson and Katie Sfetkidis are staging it again during the Melbourne fringe festival in October, viewing it "as an act of leftist solidarity with the past and a spur for future activism."
Notable quote: "The work is long and the work is ongoing, and fighting against the forces of fascism is going to be much larger than anybody's lifetime."
Bunker mentality
Across Finland, Sweden and Norway, cold war bunkers have a new purpose as Russia's war in Ukraine revives fears of conflict. Jukka Lehtiranta, head of Helsinki's Civil Defence Association, says the debate has changed. In Helsinki, underground bunkers now contain a 300-metre karting track, an axe-throwing club, garages and a shooting range. In Stockholm, cold war spaces have been transformed into datacentres with rows of servers beside granite walls lined with green vegetation.
