Israel is weighing a ceasefire proposal that could pause nearly two years of war in Gaza, but it’s also preparing to send tens of thousands of troops into Gaza City. Among those waiting anxiously are the Abushbak family, Canadian permanent residents trapped in Gaza. Karim Abushbak shares what daily life is like for his family as they plead for help from Ottawa. Plus, journalist Emmanuelle Elbaz-Phelps joins us from Tel Aviv on the pressures facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israelis protest for the release of hostages.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he’ll crack down on labs using cats and dogs in experiments after revelations that beagles were subjected to heart attack studies at St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ontario. The case has ignited debate over the role of animals in science. We hear from animal bioethicist Andrew Fenton, Western University researcher Arthur Brown, and Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods, Charu Chandrasekera, who advocates for replacing animal testing with new technologies.

Four years after the Taliban retook Kabul, Afghan refugees are facing deportation from countries where they sought safety. Ottawa resident Noorullah Hakemi fears his mother could be forced back to Afghanistan, where she was beaten by Taliban guards and left with broken bones. He tells us about his family’s fight to bring her to Canada before it’s too late. Plus, Asma Faizi of the Afghan Women’s Organization explains how deportations from Tajikistan, Pakistan and Iran are putting thousands of women and girls at risk and what she wants Canada to do now.