# *Detailed SUMMARY of "Intermission in the horror movie" by Jawed Naqvi, Published January 28, 2025*: The article compares the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine to a dramatic movie at its intermission, pondering whether peace or further chaos will follow. In Gaza, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s incendiary remarks about Palestinians and the resumption of bomb sales to Israel have intensified tensions, despite apparent efforts to curb civilian casualties. The Palestinian resistance, far from subdued, has gained new recruits and showcased resilience through symbolic gestures, such as the humane treatment of Israeli hostages, contrasting with the condition of Palestinian detainees. Similarly, Ukraine’s war reveals the limits of U.S. and NATO military strategies. Despite heavy investment in weaponry, Ukraine faces challenges in sustaining its military efforts, with many citizens fleeing the draft. The parallels between the Vietnam War and the current crises are striking, highlighting failures of American militarism. Scenes of celebration amid destruction in Gaza underscore the unyielding spirit of its people and the deep emotional connection between suffering and hope. Trump’s portrayal as a detached observer surveying destruction adds to the narrative’s dramatic undertones. The article concludes with an observation on the ongoing geopolitical chess game, shaped by power dynamics and human tragedy. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: The article discusses the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, comparing them to a movie’s halfway point, with uncertain outcomes. In Gaza, Palestinians show remarkable strength despite the destruction, gaining new fighters and treating Israeli hostages with care, unlike how their own prisoners are treated. Ukraine struggles with its war, revealing weaknesses in U.S. and NATO strategies. The article draws parallels with the Vietnam War, showing the recurring failures of global powers in conflicts. Amid all this, people in Gaza celebrate their resilience, turning their pain into hope. The piece also highlights the political games played by leaders like Donald Trump. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## Promoting Immediate Ceasefire Global powers should enforce immediate ceasefires in both Gaza and Ukraine to prevent further loss of life and destruction. ## Facilitating Negotiations Diplomatic channels must be utilized to bring all parties to the table for long-term peace talks. ## Humanitarian Aid and Support International organizations should provide extensive humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, and shelter for affected populations. ## Encouraging Public Opinion Global awareness campaigns can pressure governments and organizations to prioritize peace and humanitarian efforts. ## Reducing Arms Supply Strict controls on the sale and transfer of arms to conflict zones can help reduce violence. ## Empowering Neutral Mediators Countries or organizations neutral in these conflicts can mediate to ensure unbiased peace agreements. ## Focus on Reconstruction Post-conflict, efforts must focus on rebuilding infrastructure, homes, and lives in the affected areas. ## Addressing Root Causes Long-term solutions should tackle the underlying issues, such as territorial disputes and political inequalities, to prevent recurrence. ## Strengthening International Laws The international community should reinforce laws against war crimes and hold violators accountable. ## Promoting Education and Dialogue Initiatives promoting education and interfaith dialogue can help foster mutual understanding and reduce hostility. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the Article*: - 15,000 new fighters have joined Palestinian militants. - Israeli women hostages released by Hamas were reportedly treated humanely, contrasting with the condition of Palestinian prisoners. - U.S. provided Ukraine with ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets 190 miles inside Russia. - Donald Trump resumed the sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. - The Gaza conflict draws parallels with the Vietnam War. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article* - The Vietnam War ended with the U.S. withdrawing in 1975, marking a historic retreat. - The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has persisted since 1948, rooted in territorial disputes. - NATO has 31 member states as of 2025. # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *How many new fighters have joined Palestinian militants, according to the article?* A. 10,000 *B. 15,000* C. 20,000 D. 25,000 ### 2. *What type of bombs did Donald Trump authorize for sale to Israel?* A. 1,000-pound bombs *B. 2,000-pound bombs* C. Cluster bombs D. Ballistic missiles ### 3. *Which U.S. president is described as an "old Zionist" in the article?* A. Donald Trump *B. Joe Biden* C. Barack Obama D. George W. Bush ### 4. *What missile range is mentioned in the context of the Ukraine war?* A. 150 miles B. 250 miles *C. 190 miles* D. 300 miles ### 5. *Which newspaper published the article referenced in this summary?* A. The New York Times B. The Guardian C. The Washington Post *D. Dawn* # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Intermission* (وقفہ): A pause or break in an activity or event. 2. *Fulminations* (شدید الفاظ): Loud or forceful complaints or protests. 3. *Calamitous* (تباہ کن): Causing great damage or distress. 4. *Frailty* (کمزوری): Weakness or fragility. 5. *Proxy* (نمائندہ): A person or entity authorized to act on behalf of another. 6. *Vanquished* (شکست خوردہ): Defeated thoroughly. 7. *Toil* (محنت): Hard and continuous work. 8. *Edifice* (ڈھانچہ): A large and complex structure or system. 9. *Ramshackle* (خستہ حال): In a state of severe disrepair. 10. *Spectacle* (تماشہ): A visually striking performance or display. 11. *Ceasefire* (جنگ بندی): A temporary suspension of fighting. 12. *Militarism* (عسکریت پسندی): The belief in maintaining a strong military. 13. *Resilience* (لچک): The ability to recover quickly from difficulties. 14. *Draft* (جبری بھرتی): Compulsory recruitment for military service. 15. *Baleful* (منحوس): Threatening harm or evil. 16. *Heralded* (اعلان کیا): Announced or signaled the arrival of something. 17. *Annexation* (ضم کرنا): The act of adding or merging territory. 18. *Intrigue* (سازش): A secret plan or plot. 19. *Hearths* (چولہا): The area in front of a fireplace, symbolizing home. 20. *Aerial* (فضائی): Existing, happening, or operating in the air. --- *Attention Please:* This summary and analysis were prepared for educational purposes, aiming to provide clarity and in-depth understanding for competitive exams aspirants. For further learning resources, visit trusted platforms and references. dawn.com Intermission in the horror movie Jawed Naqvi 6–8 minutes IN Cecile B. DeMille’s magnum opuses as in Indian movies, there is a mandatory intermission during which audiences stretch their limbs and assess what they have watched and surmise the story ahead. Barring any hiccups, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine are on the cusp of such an intermission. Would the horror movie end with any degree of finality or does peace at least look likely to return even if a tad tenuously for now? That’s the question doing the rounds in the interval. Donald Trump’s realtor-like fulminations about Gaza which he says should be freed of Palestinians “to clean it up” have given the story a dramatic twist, one which could lead to hairpin bends on a precarious climb. Still, Trump’s intervention hopefully implies that he has jammed the wheels of Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloodied war machinery for now. Evicting Palestinians under Israeli bombardment doesn’t make a plausible script. With a blend of characteristic intrigue and chaos, Trump also released the sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel because “they had bought them”. The controversial transfer was stopped by the Biden administration in a gesture to lower civilian casualties. The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have been calamitous in every humanly possible way and carry images from the hell that the Vietnam War was. And both current situations are struggling to hide the dressed-up frailty of American militarism. A strong storyline being visualised for the second half of the movie is of the likelihood of abject retreat like Saigon or more tellingly like Kabul recently. Regardless, Gaza and Ukraine present two rather diverse though useful lessons. In Gaza, far from appearing vanquished by the genocidal horrors perpetrated by the US through its Zionist proxy, the Palestinian militants have recruited 15,000 new fighters and are regrouping for the toil ahead, according to conservative Western intelligence estimates. In Ukraine, on the other hand, where infinite quantities of Western treasure were poured in with high-end weaponry to “strategically defeat” Russia, we are witnessing another dismal failure by the US and Nato at defending their self-proclaimed turf. The propping up of the European client has been prohibitive in men and material, making a farce of the Western treasure poured to keep the crumbling edifice from collapsing. In contrast to Gaza, able-bodied Ukrainians have dodged the draft for safer climes if they were not already dragged off the streets to the front lines kicking and screaming. Anyone who has watched the celebrations amid the rubble to which the Gaza Strip has been reduced couldn’t have missed the link between joy and grief. Anyone who has watched the celebrations amid the rubble to which the Gaza Strip has been reduced from 15 months of sustained bombardment couldn’t have missed the link between joy and grief. The pain inflicted by Israel with its racist kindred spirit — after all Joe Biden called himself an old Zionist — dissolved into an amazing spectacle that Ghalib uniquely identified in a quaint verse: “Dard ka had se guzarna hai dawa ho jana” (pain having crossed the threshold of tolerance turns into its own healing balm.) Seeing the Palestinian celebrations, one couldn’t miss the disciplined Kalashnikov-bearing Hamas militants ferrying joyous men and women in ramshackle trucks through the cheering maze in Gaza — arms-bearing militants, mind you, replete with the V sign they flashed to those who tried to annihilate them. They sent along a simpler message with the Israeli women hostages they released. Compared to the Palestinian hostages (called prisoners by pro-Israel media) many of whom came out broken and dishevelled, the freed women were cheerful, beaming and above all in good health. Each of the four freed women hostages on view was carrying a parting gift from Hamas, a bagful of memorabilia and messages embossed in Hebrew and Arabic asserting that Zionism would never succeed. That Palestine would be inevitably free. “In terms of public opinion, the sight of masses of Palestinians gathering and cheering Hamas’ military wing and its slain commander, Mohammed Deif, was a success story. Through these pictures from Gaza City’s Palestine Square, Khan Yunis and Ramallah, Hamas seeks to shape Palestinian, Israeli and global consciousness,” wrote Israel’s left-leaning newspaper Haaretz. Its story quotes a Khan Yunis resident whose home was destroyed and who claimed that the ceasefire heralded the failure of Netanyahu’s ambitions. The resident said he was not a Hamas supporter, but was convinced that the organisation is alive and well and that at this point, no other organisation — certainly not the Palestinian Authority — is capable of challenging its rule over Gaza. “Israelis were already thinking about building settlements in northern Gaza and said that military pressure would get the hostages back,” he said. “But in the end, there’s a deal, residents are returning to northern Gaza and not one settlement has been built.” On Boxing Day in December, veteran US journalist Seymour Hersh reposted an old piece from Vietnam, a story for which he earned many awards and countless fans. Hersh posted the Vietnam story in lieu of a column he planned for Gaza seeing similarities between the two. It was Hersh’s description of Biden’s bitter last days, however, that brought to life the spine-chilling movie on Gaza and Ukraine. Two days after Trump’s victory, Hersh described Biden thus: “The president is no longer talking about his failed policy in the Middle East, though American bombs and other weaponry are still flowing to Israel and being put to deadly use. Biden is now trying to stem the losses in Ukraine’s war with Russia. … [He] gave the Ukraine government, headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, permission to fire a long withheld advanced American ballistic missile capable of hitting targets 190 miles [305 kilometres] inside Russia. Days later, he decided to provide Ukraine with landmines capable of maiming and killing all whose paths cross them, young and old, friendly and not.” The second half of the horror movie begins with Donald Trump dressed as a real estate shark doing an aerial survey of the devastated homes and hearths below. The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Delhi. [email protected] Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2025