Global News Podcast - Israel's plan to expand its military offensive in Gaza is widely criticised

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

There's been criticism in Israel and internationally of its plan to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip. Also: Zhao Xintong has become the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship.

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil and in the early hours of Tuesday, the 6th of May, these are our main stories. There's been widespread condemnation of the Israeli government's plan for a big expansion of the military offensive in Gaza and the occupation of more Palestinian territory. Ukraine's military has said it still has troops active in Russia's Kursk region despite Moscow's claim last month to have recaptured the whole area. Jury selection has begun in the sex trafficking trial of American musician Sean Diddy Combs. Also in this podcast, Zhao Shentong becomes the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship.

I can't believe that. Yes. Thank you. There's been widespread criticism of a plan approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet to greatly expand military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The European Union says it could lead to more casualties and suffering for Gaza's civilian population. There are also fears about what this could mean for the hostages still being held in the territory. Details of the Israeli plan have been emerging, including a proposal to possibly occupy Gaza long term and to distribute humanitarian aid through private companies rather than aid agencies like the UN. The Israeli government spokesman

David Mensah made this announcement. The Security Cabinet unanimously approved the operational plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza and return the hostages. Israel has made clear, release the hostages and for Hamas to lay down its arms and the war will end. The cabinet also approved the possibility of further humanitarian aid distribution when necessary. However, an Israeli defence official said the operation would not be launched until after the US President Donald Trump visits the Middle East next week, providing what he called a window of opportunity for Hamas to agree a new ceasefire and hostage release

deal. A group representing the families of hostages says the Israeli government is choosing territory over the lives of their loved ones. Ruby Hen is the father of a deceased hostage, Itai Hen. All the families are very scared about this new manoeuvring because there's no guarantee that it will get us to where the families want and the people of Israel, which is the rattan of the last hostage. The prime minister even admits that this manoeuvring will bring in only a partial amount of the

hostages. And that is not what the families want. The families want a comprehensive deal that releases all of the hostages. While Jan Egerland of the Norwegian Refugee Council said the Israeli plan to hand over the distribution of aid in Gaza to private companies would simply make matters even worse. And at the moment, starvation is spreading all over this besieged area. There is no family that is not starving at the moment, which means that we need to restart aid all over the Gaza Strip. With now a new system that limits to only those who Israel would like to ration aid to, would mean that starvation will continue to spread.

Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Hugo Besheger, told us what was known about the Israeli plan. Officials are saying that this plan includes seizing and holding territory in Gaza and also moving Gaza's population towards the south of the territory. Now I think a lot of people will be concerned that if this plan goes ahead it could lead to more people being killed, more suffering, it could worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza. And in Israel, public support for the war is falling and I think a lot of people, including the families of the hostages, will say that military pressure has failed to guarantee the release of the hostages who remain in captivity.

Are the Israelis saying how much territory they plan to take? No, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video saying that this time the operation will be different. He said troops will not go in and come out. In other words, he is suggesting that Israeli troops are going to stay in those places. Now, I think a lot of people will be raising some questions about the true intentions of the Prime Minister. Today one of his allies, the far-right finance minister, Bezalus Motrich, said that Israel was going to occupy Gaza to stay. So I think a lot of people will probably say look this

doesn't seem to be only about releasing hostages or defeating Hamas, this seems to be about seizing and occupying land in Gaza. And we're also hearing that Israel is talking about a window of opportunity to secure a hostage deal before this offensive begins, perhaps during Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the Middle East? Yes, so one of the officials who spoke to journalists essentially gave an ultimatum to Hamas. He said that this plan is going to be implemented if there is no deal by the end of this visit by US President Donald Trump to the Middle East next week. So there seems to be a window here

for negotiations for a deal but we've seen that since the ceasefire collapsed back in March negotiations for a deal have failed and it's very difficult to see how this new plan, this new strategy by the Israeli government if you like will change the situation on the ground and eventually end up in a deal. And aid agencies have criticised Israel for blockading Gaza, for not allowing any food, fuel, medicines in for the past two months. Israel has now come up with its plan for allowing aid in, but that's already been rejected by aid agencies.

Exactly. So this plan that was approved by the Security Cabinet also includes this new mechanism to distribute aid inside Gaza. And this is a mechanism that would rely on international organisations and private companies. And again, aid agencies have rejected this plan. I think some critics are saying that it is very difficult to see how this is going to be implemented, very difficult to see how this is going to really achieve meaningful results and address the needs of the population in Gaza. You go, Bishaygur, in Jerusalem. So what do people in Gaza make of the reports they will be moved to

the south of the Strip? Our Gaza correspondent Rushdie Abu Aluth, who is currently in Cairo, has been getting reaction from the territory. There is no formal response yet from Hamas, but those or many of the people who I spoke to in Gaza today rejected the idea and also insisted that they will not leave their homes. I spoke to a 76-year-old man. He left Gaza. He said, I was among those left Gaza back in 2023 in October with my family and grand-daughters and grandsons, about 60 people.

They said, I will not repeat this mistake. I would rather die on Gaza City and not leave the South. He said, we were told to leave to a safe area, but this safe area was bombed day and night, and we were starving in the South, and we will not leave. Very shocking news for the people of Gaza of this expansion of the operation. And you know, Israel did not allow any food, medicine or fuel into Gaza for a very long time since the war was resumed. So widespread rejection from those who have access to the Internet. They posted in social media saying that they will not leave their

homes in northern Gaza into the south, and they will resist the new Israeli plan to evacuate north in Gaza. Many people also I spoke to in Gaza City and the north where most of the houses were destroyed. They said we prefer to stay in tents over our house rather than leaving to the south. Rushdie Abu Alouf, next to Ukraine. The military has insisted that some of its forces are still active inside Russia's Kursk region Despite Russian claims last month that they'd all been driven out This follows reports by Russian bloggers that Ukrainian troops had used a mine clearance vehicle to smash through the border Our security correspondent Frank Gardner reports from Kyiv

In a statement put out on Monday Frank Gardner reports from Kyiv. In a statement put out on Monday, Ukraine said nine months after the start of the Kursk operation, Ukraine's defence forces maintain a military presence on the territory of Russia's Kursk region. Ukraine originally made its lightning dash into the Kursk region last August in order to create a border buffer zone to protect the city of Sumi and its surroundings. It's also been hoping to use the small amount of territory it held inside Russia as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations, hoping to trade it for a partial Russian withdrawal

from Ukrainian territory. This now looks unlikely. Frank Gardner, well this latest Ukrainian advance comes as Russia has offered Kiev a three-day ceasefire starting from Thursday, an offer dismissed by Ukraine's President Zelenskyy as simply a theatrical show. Meanwhile, as Abduljelil Aburasulov reports, drones and robotic warfare are transforming the way the conflict is being fought. fort. At a remote location outside of Kyiv, I meet a group of engineers who are testing a new weapon.

The invention looked like a mini tank, a small platform on wheels and a turret. the target. This robot nicknamed Predator is designed to destroy both ground and aerial targets like drones. So the engineers put a drone up and immediately the monitor started beeping indicating that there is a drone nearby and then the artificial intelligence that is installed as part of the system immediately locked on that target. This allows the machine gun to automatically track the drone and destroy it. Petro, one of the developers of the Predator. The main idea is to design a remotely controlled weapon that allows soldiers to remain undercover

on the battlefield. This is a big change when robots fight instead of humans. Already, most of the fighting in Ukraine is done by drones. They are transforming how the war is fought. There are no longer massive engagements involving a large number of troops and armoured vehicles in Ukraine. Drones will spot any movement and destroy the target. Many weapons and tactics are quickly becoming obsolete.

This is the sound of a kamikaze drone. First Lieutenant Evgeny Alhimov from Ukraine's 28th Brigade warns his soldiers to stay put. In a phone interview with the BBC, he explains how the role of infantry has changed. are sitting in the dugouts. They do not observe because all observation is done by drones. War tactics have changed too. Motorbikes are now more often used on the front line than tanks since speed, mobility and size are crucial to avoid drone attacks. And some Ukrainian soldiers believe that Russia's proposal of a three-day ceasefire is just another war tactic

to rotate and resupply troops while all drones are grounded. Captain Alexander Yabchenko is from the battalion Da Vinches Wolves. The previous ceasefire during the Easter was a deception. They indeed reduced the intensity of firing. At the very next day, they attacked with all forces. This is not a ceasefire. This is a preparation for new offensives. Back in Kiev, testing of the Predator ground robot vehicle is complete. Pichro hopes to start its mass production soon.

And he believes Russia will stop its aggression only when Ukraine gets stronger. That report by Abduljulia Abdu-Rasulov. Sudan has been wracked by two years of civil war. But until Sunday, the key Red Sea coastal city of Port Sudan had not come under attack. Now the Sudanese military says that for the second day running the rival paramilitary force the RSF has carried out a drone attack on Port Sudan hitting a fuel depot on Monday. The military government is based in the city which is also a center for humanitarian support. Will Ross reports.

Sudan's Energy Minister said the bombing of the oil depots was a deliberate attempt by the rapid support forces to paralyse life in the city. Until these attacks, Port Sudan was a safe haven. It's home to the country's main seaport and airport. Two years of war have torn Sudan apart, dividing it into army and RSF held areas. 12 million people are displaced and there's widespread hunger. Using long-range drones to target vital infrastructure will prolong the suffering. Will Ross, amid fears that India and Pakistan could be on the brink of war,

an Indian official says the government has asked several states to conduct emergency civil defence drills. India blames Pakistan for an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, including a man on his honeymoon. Islamabad denies involvement. Our South Asia regional editor, Ambaras Anitharajan, has more details. Kanchan Gupta, a senior adviser to the Indian Information Ministry, said the measures on Wednesday would include updating evacuation plans, checking air raid sirens and training civilians to protect themselves in case of attack. Pakistan has been making similar preparations in border areas.

There are no direct diplomatic talks between the nuclear armed neighbours. Politicians from both sides have engaged in aggressive public posturing. There are concerns that they are playing a dangerous game, with the risk of miscalculation fraught with danger. Some are worried that having inflamed passions, it may be difficult for politicians to row back. Pakistan and India have fought three wars over the disputed Kashmir region. Amrassan Etirajan, after the death of Pope Francis last month, all eyes are now on the Vatican this week,

where Cardinals will be starting the centuries-old and secretive process called the conclave to elect the next pope. All 133 cardinals who are expected to vote have now arrived in Rome. They hail from all over the world, with many of them appointed by the late pope. We've made a special edition of the Global News podcast, which answers BBC World Service listeners' questions on how the conclave works. Our religion editor, Alim Maqbool, is in Rome for the special event. It is the selection of a new pope. Of course there have been popes now for nearly 2,000 years. It was the Apostle of Jesus Peter who's considered by Catholics to be the first pope after whom St. Peter's Basilica, St Peter's

Square is named and there have subsequently been elections of Pope since then. So that's a special episode of the Global News podcast entitled How Will the Next Pope Be Chosen? You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Still to come. I think it's been wonderful and I do think it's so important that we remember, you know, what has happened and the people that gave their lives in the war. Commemorative events are held across Britain to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. World War in Europe. You're listening to the Global News Podcast. A man arrested over attacks on Syria's Alawite minority earlier this year has told the BBC

there was coordination with the government as sectarian tensions again threatened to destabilise the country. Abu Khalid said he had travelled to a coastal region which is home to the Alawites in March with the knowledge of security forces who were fighting rebels loyal to the country's former president Bashar al-Assad. Human rights groups estimate that some 900 civilians were killed during that wave of violence. Abu Khaled spoke to our Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson. You may find her report distressing. Abu Khaled shuffled into the room, handcuffed and blindfolded, keen to tell us his version

of events. He said he'd travelled to Snowbar in a group of civilians and that security forces had instructed them only to shoot insurgents who shot at them. They oversaw things, he said, so that no one would vandalise the village or harm the residents. The military police denied that security forces had coordinated with civilians. Abu Khalid filmed himself that day shooting dead 64-year-old Mahmoud Yousif Mohammed. He told us it was self-defence and that Mahmoud Yousif Mohammed. He told us it was self-defense and that Mahmoud was armed.

But in the video, Abu Khalid is grinning and calling to Mahmoud to look at the camera before shooting him three times. He then pursues him to the entrance of his house and shoots him again three times at close range while Mahmoud is on the floor, begging for his life. There is no weapon visible near him. The threat of sectarian conflict is growing in Syria, with minorities' trust in the new government waning, the government's own allies divided over the country's future, and many Syrians impatient to seek justice for the crimes of the past. Lucy Williamson. But despite all of Syria's many problems after his devastating civil war,

it's also enjoying new freedoms after the toppling of the repressive Assad political dynasty by HTS Islamists at the end of last year. Tim Franks visited a comedy club in the capital, Damascus. You know Junata Resort? It's in Latakia. Don't go there, they will kill you. It's in Latakia. Don't go there, they will kill you. It's open mic night at Karma Cafe, and they're hosting a comedy club with... Well, it's actually got an English name, Styria, which I've had the punchline explained to me,

even though I speak perfect English, it's a combination of Syria and hysteria. Actually, it's my first time. I come here with my friends. So actually I watched them on Instagram and I liked the show so I came here to watch it. Is it easier to laugh now? Yes, I think there's more freedom now. Now they can talk about anything they want. We all know that country like Lebanon, they can't joke about anything and we couldn't do that on but now they can and tonight's session of stereo has been organized by two chain-smoking men.

Sharif, he's the one with the trim beard and tattoos and Malki, he's the one talking at the moment. He's tall and by his own admission, slightly neurotic. And before the set began, I had a chance to catch up with both of them. My name is Sharif Hamsi. I'm from Damascus. My name is Melke Mardini and I'm from Damascus also. So we started from my room, you know, with meeting you now and we're going to Lebanon

next week. So basically this was a dream. Comedy is going to be a bridge between countries, but before it was impossible because of Bashar al-Assad. Before you can build bridge with Iran and Russia and they're not that funny. Because Iran, Russia's very good with bombing bridges. Even cultural one, you know?

Yeah, and. But you know, one of the things that surprised me when you first started talking to me was you saying that you've had a comedy club for the past two, two and a half years. But people don't associate the time of Bashar al-Assad with... I mean, comedy is about pushing the boundaries. And it's about saying things that make people squirm.

How did he do it? This is like... Me and him, we disagree a lot, but we agree on the comedy part, you know? Because before, I used to like to push the boundaries. Malki is a little bit more careful and he's right and I am right about us. Not about our jokes. In Syria a joke can kill you until now I guess.

I had cases open against me man and we always know that someone might be watching from the government and they came in many ways. That pressure created diamonds, you know. And after the regime fall, we exploded. We were like, poof, are you feeling more relaxed, Malki? No, I'm never relaxed. Not ever. I do a lot of crowd work. I'm afraid anyone from the crowd could be a secret servant,

someone from a religious background, or someone, I don't know, gonna boom himself, I don't know. So we must be careful, you know, and don't know what will happen. I swear to God. Now it's a lot of HTS in the streets, you know, you can't predict anything.

But do you get a sense, I mean, are there still boundaries? Look, crowd do boundaries. The crowd is the one who we work for, not the government. I don't care about the government. If the crowd happy, we are happy. And that's it. Now we have red lines. Like now it's more about you can talk about the government, but you cannot touch religion

that much, you know. Stand Up Comics' Malki and Sharif talking to Tim Franks in Damascus. Now to a murder trial in Australia that has made headlines around the world. Online friends of a woman who's been charged with killing three of her in-laws by serving them a meal containing toxic mushrooms have told a court that she had boasted about hiding powdered mushrooms in food and had posted a photo of a food dehydrator in the days before the deadly lunch she hosted at her home. The chat group members had initially bonded over a shared interest in a murder case. Erin Patterson denies the charges and says the deaths were simply a tragic accident. Our Sydney correspondent

Katie Watson is following the case. This is the second week of Erin Patterson's trial. And the day started with Simon Patterson, her estranged husband. This was the third day he was giving evidence. And we got a bit more detail on the strained relationship between him, Erin, and his parents, Don and Gail Patterson. And he remarked that it was odd that Erin Patterson hadn't actually asked about his parents condition in the hours after that fateful lunch back in July 2023. It

stuck out that she hadn't inquired as to how ill they were. And then in the afternoon we heard from several friends that Erin Patterson had met on an online group. She joined a true crime Facebook group and these friends who hadn't met her in person but had got to know her over the course of a few years talked about the fact that she was a devoted mother and they also gave more detail into the relationship between Erin Patterson and her estranged husband Simon. One friend said that Erin had called the relationship controlling and coercive and they went on to talk about the fact that she'd also was very enthusiastic about a dehydrator that she had bought. The court was shown

pictures of this dehydrator that she used to dry mushrooms and included some of those mushrooms in recipes that she was making for her children. They also talked, one of them talked about the fact that she was an atheist, that's how she described herself, which was the first time the court had heard this because the last few days we'd been hearing about the importance of the church and religion that played a part in the family's life.

And one of her friends suggested that Erin was upset by the fact that Simon Patterson perhaps put church before his family. Katie Watson. Jury selection has begun in the trial of the rapper and hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs, who's facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He denies all the charges against him and has turned down a plea deal, meaning that if he's found guilty, he could get a harsher sentence, possibly even life in prison.

Our correspondent, Neda Taufik, who was outside the court in New York, told us the jury selection is likely to take some time given the rapper's fame. NEDA TAUFIK, New York Judge It will be a lengthy process, no doubt. The judge would have hoped to get through 150 people a day over the next several days to eventually seat a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates. What we've seen so far is that they've gone through a little bit less than 20 juror perspective jurors and they're questioning them in detail, talking to them about their knowledge of the case, whether they can be impartial, their views on music,

artists, and hip-hop, whether they themselves have ever been a victim of sexual harassment, assault. So, this is a detailed process. And what we're seeing is that there is a real level of awareness of this case of course because of the nature of it being such a high powered celebrity. Most of the jurors have heard of the allegations but many are saying they can still look at the facts and come to a conclusion on their own. And tell us more about these allegations. Well look it was a year and a half ago that these allegations kind of first came to public

awareness when Diddy's former partner, Cassie Ventura, the singer, put out a civil lawsuit against him saying that he had forced her into drug-fueled sexual encounters with male prostitutes, had filmed her on another occasion that he raped her and that he had been abusive towards her, had beat her, physically violent. This allegations really startled the public because he had really presented this very fun loving personality persona. He was really credited with elevating hip hop into the mainstream. And here we saw these allegations and what it set off was a federal

investigation, several others accusing him of similar conduct. And after a raid on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles, then the arrest which has led to this federal criminal trial. Neda Taufik. History was made on Monday at the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in the English city of Sheffield. Zhao Xingtong beat the Welshman Mark Williams to become the first Chinese player ever to be crowned champion. The 28-year-old only returned to the tour last year after he was sanctioned with a 20-month ban for becoming involved in a match-fixing scandal. This was his reaction after the win. I can't believe that. Yes, I can't believe what I do in this month.

So, yeah, I'm very excited. Thank you. Well, Jason Ferguson is the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, the world governing body for snooker. It has to be testament to the character of the man. I mean let's not forget this young man's been around for some time, he was about 14 years of age, entered an academy in Beijing, came through to the professional tour and really looked like he was going to rock it straight to the top just back then. Got caught up on the edges of a scandal,

I must make it clear he wasn't charged with fixing a match himself and unfortunately that ended up in a ban. But I have to say since that time he's gone away, he's apologised to everybody, he was absolutely mortified and full of remorse and he's gone away, put his head down and he's come back here as an amateur player, so the first amateur player to actually win the World Snooker Championship, incredible. Snooker is huge in China, it's really a national sport and it's treated as such, it's treated like any major international Olympic sport out there, its structures are mature and working really well, it's in schools, universities. What this could do is really take it to another level, there are already over 300,000 billiard clubs in China officially

and I can tell you unofficially the number must be much greater than that. What this would do is create a player, a national hero and I think the BBC's Rob Walker described it as I think snooker immortality and it would certainly go down in the history books. Jason Ferguson on the new snooker world champion Jiao-Xin Tong. Commemorative events have been held across Britain to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. Huge crowds of people gathered near Buckingham Palace in London to attend the Victory in Europe Day or VE Day military procession and fly past by current and historic

military aircraft and the Red Arrows, the aerobatic team of the Royal Air Force. King Charles led members of the royal family onto the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the fly past and wave to the crowds. The King hosted a tea party for some of the last living veterans, the youngest of whom are in their late 90s. It's the first of four days of celebration taking place across Britain. Helena Wilkinson watched the ceremony. Thousands of people, from those who could remember the first VE Day, to others learning about it in school, gathered to remember the sacrifices of the wartime generation.

Then, a powerful moment to start the military procession between a serving member of the military and the 100-year-old RAF veteran Alan Kennet. Thank you and your generation for securing our freedom 80 years ago. May I have your permission to start the parade, sir, please? Carry on. The procession, which included more than 1,300 members of the armed forces, left Parliament Square and made its way to Buckingham Palace, past thousands of waving Union flags and cheering crowds. Veterans watched from a special platform, alongside King Charles, who stood to salute. Afterwards the royal family made an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to prepare for a spectacular flypast.

The historic Lancaster bomber was the first to roar over the palace, followed by the red arrows which sprayed red, white and blue smoke behind them. A special garden party was organized to end the day at Buckingham Palace, where royals from the King and Queen to Prince George joined veterans for a cake and a chat. His father, the Prince of Wales, said it was very important for the next generation to hear their stories. Joyce Wilding, who was 20 years old when the war in Europe ended, was at the party. Well, I think it's been wonderful and I do think it's so important that we remember, you know, what has happened and the people that gave their lives in the war,

because the younger generation don't all know about the times we went through, which were very difficult. On Thursday, a service will be held at Westminster Abbey and the nation will observe the traditional two-minute silence. Helena Wilkinson reporting. And that's all from us for now, but there will be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. Before we go, we have a quick request. We want to hear where you're listening from so we can update our shiny new map in the office. You can email globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk with your town or city. And while you're there, feel free to leave us a voice note.

Thanks to Robert from Neom in Saudi Arabia, Maria from Durban, South Africa and Andrew from Katy in Texas in the US who've all messaged us. This edition was mixed by Caroline Driscoll, the producer was Liam McShepard, the editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janette Jalil, until next time, goodbye.