Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide

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This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Valerie Sanderson, and in the early hours of Tuesday, the 29th of July, these are our main stories.

For the first time, two leading Israeli human rights organizations say Israel's actions amount to genocide.

It comes as President Trump says Israel bears some responsibility for starvation in Gaza, but hostages are still being held there by Hamas.

We have 20 living people.

I told Israel, I told Bibi, that you're going to have to now maybe do it a different way.

A ceasefire is possible, but you have to get it.

You have to end it.

You're talking about with Israel.

The authorities in Ecuador are investigating the killing of 17 people in a coastal bar.

Also in this podcast, Catholics discuss how to spread the gospel online in an unusual gathering at the Vatican and

because we only use recycled materials we want to motivate people to give them confidence themselves to do this the musicians drawing attention to the impact of waste in the democratic republic of congo

There has been international condemnation of Israel's action in Gaza for some time now, growing louder as the humanitarian situation in the territory worsens.

Now for the first time, two Israeli human rights organizations have accused their country of genocide, outlining a litany of factors, including what they termed coordinated deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip.

A correspondent in Jerusalem, Hugo Bachega, told me first about the human rights groups and what they're claiming.

They are Betsalim, which for years has been documenting alleged human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, and a group known as the the Physicians for Human Rights.

This is the first time that human rights groups based in Israel say Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide, a view that has already been shared by some international organizations, including Amnesty International and a growing number of experts.

Now, they documented in great detail what they see as evidence of genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza.

They mention the killing of tens of thousands of people by bombings and also by the catastrophic situation in Gaza, forced displacement of people, the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, including the healthcare system, starvation, and denial of humanitarian aid.

And they also mention statements by senior Israeli officials promoting the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

So the conclusion they had is that Israel is carrying out a coordinated policy, in their words, to intentionally destroy Palestinian life and society in Gaza, which they say amounts to genocide.

Now, Israel has always strongly rejected claims of genocide, saying that its war is against Hamas, and this is a legitimate response to the October the 7th attacks on Israel.

And they've also criticized, haven't they, Israel's Western allies?

Yeah, they say that most of these crimes have been extensively documented during the war, and they have accused international leaders, particularly European and American leaders, for not doing enough to stop Israel.

And they actually say that these leaders have, if not encouraged, have given the tools and the weapons for Israel to continue with this war in Gaza.

So they are now urging the international community to take immediate action to stop this war using all legal tools available under international law.

As you said, this is the first time this has happened.

What's been the reaction in Israel itself to this?

Well, there have been protests in Israel urging the government to strike a deal with Hamas.

You know, Israel's international isolation is growing.

The criticism is also on the rise.

A number of Israeli reservists, a growing number of reservists, are refusing to serve in the war.

So I think there is growing pressure on the government, and this may even translate in more people voicing their opposition to the war.

Hugo Bechega.

For the past few days, Israel has permitted more aid to enter Gaza.

Some supplies have been parachuted in, but humanitarian agencies have criticized this method as insufficient, ineffective, and dangerous.

In an earlier edition of this podcast, we heard from our international editor Jeremy Bowen, who was waiting to board one of the aid flights from Jordan.

Jeremy has now completed the journey, where he was able to survey the destruction in Gaza for himself.

And he sent us this report.

Two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft aircraft were loaded up at the King Abdullah airbase just outside Amman.

One was Jordanian, the other from the United Arab Emirates.

Servicemen in desert camouflage uniforms pushed pallets of humanitarian aid into the aircraft.

Each of the neatly stacked, wrapped consignments was topped with a parachute.

Among the contents, infant formula, basic medical items, and food.

Two aircraft carrying approximately eight tons each.

Lorries are going into carrying much more, but for now this is a limited aid operation, depending on permission from the Israelis who control what goes in and out of Gaza.

We took off for Gaza airspace on the Jordanian Hercules.

Israel denies it restricts aid coming into Gaza.

It has blamed the UN and Hamas for the humanitarian catastrophe there.

Its biggest European allies, Britain, France and Germany, disagree.

They've added their weight to international pressure, and the Israelis were forced into concessions on aid convoys on land as well as the airdrops.

But only a ceasefire and a sustained supply of aid by road will end starvation in Gaza, and neither is certain.

The Jordanians passed on a message from the Israelis telling us not to film the devastation in Gaza, just the parachutes, otherwise, they might delay or stop the airdrops.

But I could see the destruction below as we flew across the northern Gaza Strip at around 2,000 feet.

Towns that were packed where the human spirit was strong, even for those who had very hard lives, have been wiped off the map by Israel.

Only rubble remains.

Jeremy Bowen.

So, what are the chances of a ceasefire and an eventual end to the conflict in Gaza?

President Trump, who's in Scotland visiting his golf resorts, says Benjamin Netanyahu may, in his words, have to do it a different way.

Mr.

Trump said he'd been talking to the Israeli Prime Minister about various plans to free hostages still held in Gaza.

The U.S.

leader was speaking alongside the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Turnbury in Ayrshire.

We got a lot out, and now possibly the fight will have to be a little bit different, but they have totally changed now.

They don't want to give hostages.

Very unfair.

You have 20 living people, and you have many dead people, too, that they want to give.

as well.

Yeah, they have 20 living people.

I told Israel, I told Bibi that you're going to have to now maybe do it a different way.

Do you think the ceasefire is even possible?

Yeah, a ceasefire is possible, but

you have to end it.

You're talking about with Israel.

I asked our diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, what Mr.

Trump meant by doing it a different way.

I think it means that he's beginning to lose a degree of patience with the Israeli government at the moment.

I think he also recognises that the humanitarian situation is quite dire.

He actually used the phrase, you know, that there is starvation going on, and he said you can't fake it.

But the interesting point is that he seems, he repeatedly said that there was always going to be a lower number of hostages where Hamas would cease to negotiate because those hostages are, in his words, a shield.

And that's when he's saying maybe you have to do something different.

Now, he was not explicit about what would need to be done, but he said there are a couple of options.

Some are pretty strong, he said.

He said the most sensible would be to negotiate the release of the hostages.

But if not, he said you might have to do something.

And he used these phrases, very energetic, ruthless, or violent.

Now, it's not explicit that he's recommending or even contemplating some kind of military action to change the status quo, but he's certainly seeming to hint that.

And what about the role of the British Prime Minister, Sir Kiristama, in all this?

He's expected, isn't he, to push for a resumption of peace talks?

The British Prime Minister is under huge pressure politically at the moment.

Over half of his MPs in the Labour Party have signed a letter calling for the UK to recognise Palestinian statehood, something it hasn't done thus far.

The French have done this, or I said they're going to do this.

So Kirstama is under pressure to act on this.

At the moment, he's resisting.

But what he he needs to do is he needs to show his political base that he is putting huge pressure on the man who really matters,

the one man who actually can influence Benjamin Netanyahu, namely the US president, to do two things.

One is to do more to get access of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and secondly to push harder for a ceasefire and ultimately some kind of a peace process.

Because only then, once there's a ceasefire and at least some kind of conversation about a political process, can Kiristama begin to get into a place where he might be willing to recognize the state of Palestine?

Because the British position has always been you don't play that card unless you're using it to drive forward a diplomatic process.

And at the moment, there is no process to push forward.

But in the short term, is it really all about President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu to make anything change?

Yes, absolutely.

The U.S.

President is the one man who has, in the progress of this war, has had the capacity at some times, not all the time, to influence what is going on in Israel and the thinking of the Israeli Prime Minister.

James Landale.

Ecuador's office of the Attorney General says it's investigating after 17 people, including a 12-year-old boy, were shot dead at a bar.

Luis Fajardo covers Latin America for the BBC, and he told me what happened.

According to the latest report, on the Sunday evening, a group of armed men entered a bar in a rural area in Guayas, in the western part of Ecuador, and they started shooting assault rifles, apparently in an indiscriminate way against the people there.

And they killed 17 people.

According to authorities, there's at least 14 others injured.

Also, local media are making the point that none of the people who have been identified as dead apparently had any kind of criminal record.

So one of the suggestions is that it was a completely indiscriminate shooting against the people in this bar.

Of course, authorities are just beginning the investigation.

Do you have any idea who might have carried it out?

The immediate suspicion is going to be focused on the criminal gangs, the drug trafficking criminal gangs that are operating in the western region of Ecuador, in the coastal region of Ecuador.

Ecuador does not produce a lot of cocaine in itself, but it has become a key trans-shipment point for cocaine being brought in from Colombia and other neighboring countries to be shipped to other parts, to Europe, to North America, and other parts.

So, in that sense, it has become a very, very active area for drug trafficking organizations.

And this is believed to be the immediate cause of all this increasing violence that Ecuauti is suffering right now.

And is it spread across the country or concentrated in certain parts?

The violence has been focused a lot on the western region and the coastal region.

In the Guayas province, for example, only a few days ago, there were nine dead people in another incident in a pool hall in another town of the area.

But the whole of Ecuador is facing the consequences.

Ecuador used to be a relatively peaceful country in the South American region, but now it is facing one of the highest homicide rates in the region.

There have been around four thousand homicides in the first five months of the year, again because of this extreme activity, this intense activity by drug trafficking, by criminal gangs operating in these regions in the country.

And what's been your reaction to this latest incident, which, as you said, left 17 people dead, including, we understand, a 12-year-old boy?

There has been, of course, indignation of the case of the 12-year-old boy having been caught apparently in this act of violence.

And the government, led by President Daniel Noboa, has been promising tough action against drug trafficking gangs for some time now, since he took over.

Since last year, Ecuador has been under a state of emergency, which

gives some legal instruments to the authorities to clamp down on criminal gangs.

But the impression is that it has not been very effective.

Again, Ecuador is facing a continuous series of very violent incidents, and people are, of course, demanding more action from the government, which at this point has not been completely effective to stop this increase in violence affecting Ecuador.

Luis Fajardo.

Still to come in the Global News podcast.

Hi, everybody, and welcome to a Catholic Chill Day in My Life.

I.

So you're thinking about becoming Catholic?

Catholic influencers descend on the Vatican to discuss digital missionary work.

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Gunmen in Nigeria's northwest Zamfar estate have killed at least 35 people who were kidnapped from a village after their families failed to meet the ransom demands.

The gunmen had abducted more than 50 people from the village of Banga four months ago, demanding more than $650 per captive.

Kidnapping for ransom has become a multi-million dollar racket in Nigeria, and the government has been criticised for not doing enough to stop it.

The BBC's Chris Iwokor reports from the capital Abuja.

It is the highest number of hostages killed in a single incident over ransom payment.

Residents told local media that 18 people who paid the ransom were freed.

The remaining hostages who could not pay were killed.

The survivors were reportedly made to witness the rest of the hostages being hacked to death.

Although the Nigerian government outlaws ransom payments, families say they are often forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety.

A local government official, however, said that ransom was paid for all the victims, but the government only freed 18 of them and went ahead to kill the remaining hostages.

Kidnapping for ransom has assumed a new dimension in Nigeria, where victims can be killed for delayed payments.

Chris Eboko.

Nearly eight months after the Syrian dictator Basha al-Assad was overthrown, the country remains unstable, beset by outbreaks of deadly violence.

Yet many Syrians who sought refuge in Turkey during their country's long civil war are now returning home.

So what impact is this exodus having on the Turkish economy?

Emily with the reports.

We've come to an area in Istanbul that is known as Little Syria.

It's in the Fatih district of the city and during the war in Syria this neighborhood really became a home away from home for Syrians.

The streets here are lined with Arabic shop signs, bakeries, but these days this area is noticeably quieter.

Turkey officially hosted 3.8 million Syrian refugees, and their presence transformed parts of the country, especially in border towns and big cities, where they boosted local economies.

Now, these areas are changing once again.

The owner of a once popular falafel shop, Mohamed Issam, tells us he's closing down this month.

He first opened in 2014 after escaping the war.

Our shop and the other shops in this street, we can talk about a 50%

drop.

Mohamed Ihsam was one of many Syrians we spoke to that said Turkey's faltering economy was also driving their decision to return.

Persistent inflation at around 35%,

currency devaluation, and high interest rates have left food and housing unaffordable for many.

So some would rather take their chance in a war-torn country.

It's obvious to everyone that the situation in Turkey is worsening in terms of economy.

Not only our sector, but also the

tourism industry is getting worse.

Many people are preferring to go to other countries.

Turkey's vice president Sevdek Yilmaz said that more than 273,000 Syrian refugees had voluntarily returned, and that figure is expected to increase significantly this summer.

Some industries are already feeling the impact.

Some companies lost 50% of their workforce.

Turkish entrepreneur Hakam Buchak is a former board director on the Turkish-Syrian Business Council.

Those sectors will have challenges.

To find workforce, they need to turn back to the Turkish workforce, especially textile, agriculture, and construction.

They need to reorganize their workforce strategy.

Tens of thousands of Syrian businesses relocated to Turkey during the conflict.

A study carried out by TEPAV, an economic policy think tank in the capital Ankra, found that many are choosing to reopen in Syria while still maintaining a presence in Turkey.

Economist Gouvan Sak is TEPAV's founding director.

There are around 30,000 Syrian-partnered or Syrian-owned companies in Turkey.

And around 54% of the Syrian-partnered or Syrian-owned Turkish companies are making these plans now.

And among these,

7,500 of them are making plans to close down their activities in Turkey.

There is one impact though that will be hard to quantify, the loss of unregistered Syrian workers.

It's estimated up to one million Syrian refugees worked informally.

Turkey introduced work permits for Syrians in twenty sixteen, but they were hard to get.

There is a minimum wage in this country, but if you don't buy insurance, if you don't register your your workers, then you can also pay lower than minimum wage.

The UN's international labor organization says the situation is still evolving, so it's too early to tell what impact Syrians going home will have on the Turkish labour market.

What is clear is that the hundreds of thousands of Syrians returning home will once again have a transformative effect on streets, neighborhoods like Little Syria in Istanbul, and local economies across Turkey.

Emily Wither reporting from Istanbul in Turkey.

For the first time in its history, the Catholic Church is holding a conference about the role of social media as a platform for faith.

Hundreds of priests, friars, and Catholic influencers from all over the world are meeting in Rome to talk about digital missionary work.

It's part of the Church's Jubilee, a year-long period of special events focusing on reflection and penance.

The new Pope, Leo XIV, stressed that he wants the Church to be forward-looking and to respond to a new industrial revolution and to the development of artificial intelligence.

Let's get a flavour of the sort of content Catholic influencers are posting on social media.

Hi, everybody, and welcome to a Catholic Chill Day in My Life.

I.

So, you're thinking about becoming Catholic?

You've thought about it for a while now, maybe a bit longer than you'd like to admit.

You've read some books, watched some YouTube videos.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and this is The Center Presents.

Where do we get the rosary?

Let's get on with this video.

Some people say that Catholics aren't Christian because we follow the Pope or we have traditions.

So, can platforms like TikTok and Instagram help revive Catholicism among young people in the West, where interest in the church is dwindling.

The BBC's Mark Lowen spoke to Brendan Gotter and Eliza Monce, two Catholic influencers who are in Rome for the conference.

He started by asking Eliza, what is a Catholic influencer?

I definitely feel that the term influencer can be often seen as a dirty word, especially again women in their mid-late 20s or early 30s, such as myself.

But I feel that the term Catholic influencer really takes that word to its original root, even before social media existed, of someone who influences others or attempts to influence others to see the joy and the beauty in the Catholic Church.

That is absolutely my goal as one myself.

And I'm really proud to adopt that term because I love the Catholic Church dearly.

So what sort of things do you do or say on social media?

My mission is to show the joy of the Lord as expressed in the Catholic Church through my regular and ordinary life with my husband in South Carolina.

We're so delighted to be in our vocation of marriage and I really enjoy showing all the delight that there is to be had in a relationship with Jesus.

Brendan, what do you post?

I really focus on the lives of the saints.

I look at the last 2,000 years of church history and I think that when we share their lives and talk about their lives, we learn that it's obtainable.

We can be holy.

Are you kind of worried that the younger generation are not as faithful church goers as, say, your parents' or grandparents' generations?

I am saddened by that, but I'm not worried.

I notice more that though there are fewer people sitting in church pews, the ones that are are deeply, deeply in love with the Lord.

I feel anecdotally that they are less likely to be more passive churchgoers and a lot more likely to be more active churchgoers.

Do you think your work can help up those numbers?

I hope so.

I've received DMs from really, really kind people saying that a video that I created, for example, inspired them to go back to Mass for the first time in a long time or go to Mass at all or talk to a priest and eventually convert.

I have negative comments.

There are people who don't like what I post.

In the end, I have to find myself resigned to say that's okay because for each person that's touched by it, it makes it all worth it.

At this page, if I can use it to give God glory, amen.

Brendan Gotter and Eliza Monce speaking to Mark Lowen.

We've often covered the impact of landfills and rubbish on the environment here on the Global News podcast.

But one group from the Democratic Republic of Congo are drawing attention to the issue in a rather different way through music.

The band Fulumiziki make their own instruments and their clothes out of discarded items found in rubbish tips.

In fact, the name Fulumiziki means music from garbage, and the band repurpose everything from jerry cans to car parts to construct their instruments, which, as you'll hear, sound pretty good.

Alice Zavatsky spoke to the group while they were in Portugal, where they were performing at Festival Met.

Yes, hello.

I'm called Seque Lembele, a member of Fulumiziki.

I'm an artist and musician, and I play all the instruments.

Hello, I'm Deboule Bukungako.

I'm an artist of Fulumiziki, and I play nearly all the instruments.

And I'm also a designer and composer.

Some countries send their refuse to countries in Africa, to landfill to be burned.

Is your message also to the wider world?

We need things from Europe, but they are often things that are already damaged.

We don't have the machines to transform this stuff.

Loads of plastic and metals.

These ends up in the slums, even in the center of towns.

There's so much rubbish on several levels.

You see, you are living in a complete mess.

Above all, it's important that we offer measures they can take in our music and also with workshops we do with kids.

Because for us, the most important thing is to pass that message on to the children.

Because we only use recycled materials, we want to motivate people to give them confidence themselves to do this, to make them see that there are some things that we shouldn't let go of.

When you're doing these workshops with children, do you follow the same

with them?

Well, with the children, when we were in Congo, in Kinshasa, we made instruments for ourselves and we also made instruments for them.

And even if they don't learn to play well, they understand the sound.

Here in Europe, we organize workshops on how to build instruments, costumes, and masks.

We once did such a workshop with children in Marseille with about 15 children and worked with them for five days, building the instruments but also finding the materials.

It was fun.

Looking through the rubbish bins, it was great.

Can I join your band?

Alice Zavatsky speaking to the group Fulumiziki who are making music out of rubbish.

And that's it from us for now, but there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later.

If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email.

The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.

You can also find us on X at BBC World Service.

Use the hashtag global newspod.

This edition was mixed by Johnny Hall.

The producers were Isabella Jewell and Peter Goffin.

The editor is Karen Martin.

I'm Valerie Sanderson.

Until next time, bye-bye.

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