Northern Ireland

RTÉ radio to broadcast over four days in-depth dive into the war in Gaza

The multi-part podcast is the first of a series planned and embedded into Drivetime

A strike on a tent camp in the Gaza Strip killed at least 20 people (AP)
A strike on a tent camp in the Gaza Strip killed at least 20 people (AP) (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
By John Breslin

RTÉ will broadcast over four days an in depth dive into the war in Gaza, the first of a series of podcasts embedded into the Drivetime news programme.

Drivetime In-Depth’s War In Gaza, presented by hosts Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra, begins on Monday with a look back at the first three months following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and that country’s bombardment of the strip and ground invasion that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Ms McInerney has covered the conflict every day on Drivetime and the series will include interviews with “Palestinians in Gaza trying to survive, Israelis whose family members have been taken hostage and doctors on the ground trying to treat the catastrophic wounds of children without basic medical supplies”.

From top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat, who were held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza (The Hostages Families Forum via AP)
From top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat, who were held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza (The Hostages Families Forum via AP) (AP)

“Over the last year, we’ve heard testimonies from people on all sides affected by this conflict and we’ve charted how the response of the international community has changed, both in its support for Israel, and in its tolerance for the death and destruction in Gaza,” Ms McInerney said.

“Drivetime in Depth will make for powerful listening for anyone looking for a complete overview of the last 12 months.”

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Mr Ó hEadhra added: “The war in Gaza is a conflict that I think has engaged the public like no other, and this new series and podcast aims to track the arc of that conflict – the terror, the suffering, the rising death toll, the personal stories of loss, the heroic efforts of doctors and agencies to help.

“These interviews are some of the most impactful that I have ever done.”

Each episode covers three months, with the second also including voices from the US and Irish governments and the third including strikes on Rafah, failed ceasefire talks and the International Criminal Court deliberations.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed (AP)
Rafah following an Israeli air strike (AP) (Fatima Shbair/AP)

The final episode will cover the war from the ninth month to the present day, “with ceasefire talks proving fruitless and the conflict threatening to spread from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon”, RTÉ said.

Drivetime In-Depth: War in Gaza will air on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 27th from 6.30 - 7pm on RTÉ Radio 1. It will also be on RTÉ Player.