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Lyrics & Translation

[English]

More now on our top story. And Israeli

air strikes on Gaza continued overnight

despite growing optimism that a peace

deal could be reached soon. We've got

some live pictures coming to us from the

border which shows there is smoke coming

up from Gaza. Late on Saturday, Israel's

prime minister said he hoped to announce

the release of all remaining hostages in

the coming days. And negotiators are

converging on Cairo ahead of talks

tomorrow aimed at ending nearly two

years of war. Dr. James Smith is an

emergency doctor who spent two and a

half months in Gaza last year. He's now

a lecturer in humanitarian studies at

UCL and is regularly in touch with

medics in the territory. Thanks very

much indeed for being with us. What's

your impression of what's happening on

the ground at the moment while there's

this optimism towards a possible peace

deals?

>> Well, as as you've just reported and as

is always the case as negotiations get

underway, Israel has intensified its

violence throughout Gaza. We know that

at least 70 Palestinians have been

killed in the last 24 hours alone, most

of them in Gaza City. The hospitals

throughout Gaza are overwhelmed every

single day uh uh by the continuous

influx of injured and and and mortally

wounded Palestinians from Israel's

attacks. In the last week alone, Israel

has continued to target our healthcare

worker colleagues. Nurse Marwan Abdin

was shot by an Israeli drone inside NASA

hospital. MSF occupational the therapist

Omar Hayek killed while waiting for the

bus to go to work. Nurse Taznim al-Hams

kidnapped in Moasi. The situation as you

describe is is as bad as it has been at

the worst of um the days over the course

of the last two years. So tell me, how

is it going to affect uh the

distribution of aid, for example, if

there is a withdrawal to an initial line

by the Israeli forces? Is that going to

complicate or is that going to make it

easier for you to get aid to the right

places?

>> Well, the short answer is, I mean, it is

impossible really to to navigate uh the

distribution of humanitarian aid while

the Israeli military remains in Gaza,

while the Israeli military continues to

occupy the Gaza Strip. Of course, uh the

withdrawal of Israeli troops and and a

complete sessation of Israel's attacks

from air, sea, and the ground is

absolutely necessary such that there can

be an upsurge in um in the delivery of

of humanitarian aid

>> because one of the points that the the

peace plan sets out is is to do with

that, isn't it? The kind of distribution

is supposed to be without interference

and it'll be conducted through the UN

and its agencies and the Red Cresant and

so on. Um, how how critical do you think

it'll be to have the the Rafa crossing

reopening for that?

>> It's essential. I mean, Israel has

maintained complete control over

humanitarian access as a core pillar of

its genocide. Um, Israel can have no

role in the coordination and

distribution of humanitarian aid. must

be managed independently through uh

wellestablished and trusted uh

humanitarian organizations which of

course must be led by uh Palestinian

humanitarian organizations and

Palestinian civil society which is best

placed to respond to those needs. But I

must be clear that what we need to

really emphasize here is that the

genocide needs to stop. That's not

something that can be subject to

negotiation. Many of the terms of this

20point plan are simply legal and

political responsibilities that are

incumbent on all states and Israel as an

occupying power. The USA is presenting

itself as a broker of peace, which

frankly is perhaps the most absurd label

that one could ascribe to the US state

given the violence and oppression that

it has wrought worldwide, particularly

in Palestine. What we need to be focused

on now is ending Israel's ongoing

violence and orientating towards the

serious questions of accountability and

justice. It's deeply concerning that

very few are are talking about the

conditions of occupation, apartheid, and

slow genocide that Israel continues to

impose on Palestine and the Palestinian

people.

>> What does uh peace look like if we don't

address these underlying foundational

issues?

>> Dr. Dr. James Smith, thank you very much

indeed for talking to us and just want

to point out that Israel does deny that

it's responsible for genocide in Gaza.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
peace /piːs/ B1	noun - a period of calm and quiet without war or fighting
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a situation in which two or more countries or groups fight each other
aid /eɪd/ B1	noun - help, especially financial or practical help
violence /ˈvaɪələns/ B2	noun - the use of force to harm someone physically or the strong feelings that this causes
attack /əˈtæk/ B1	noun - an attempt to hurt or defeat someone verb - to try to hurt or defeat someone
hostage /ˈhɑːstɪdʒ/ B2	noun - a person who is taken by force and kept by someone until demands are met
genocide /ˈdʒɛnəsaɪd/ C1	noun - the act of deliberately killing a very large number of people of a particular race or nation
occupation /ˌɑːkjuˈpeɪʃən/ B2	noun - the activity or job that you do to earn money noun - the fact of a country or area being controlled and governed by a foreign army
apartheid /əˈpɑːrteɪt/ C2	noun - a system in which people of different races are separated and one race is treated better than the other
negotiation /nɪˌɡoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/ B2	noun - discussion aimed at reaching an agreement
humanitarian /hjuːˌmænɪˈteriən/ B2	adjective - connected with improving the lives and reducing suffering of people in poor countries or in disasters
withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː/ B2	verb - to take something back or away
strike /straɪk/ B1	noun - an act of hitting someone or something verb - to hit someone or something
hospital /ˈhɑːspɪtl/ A1	noun - a place where sick or injured people are treated
Palestinian /ˌpæləˈstɪnjən/ B2	adjective - relating to Palestine, its people, or its culture noun - a person from Palestine
drone /droʊn/ B1	noun - an unmanned aircraft flown by remote control noun - a continuous low noise
broker /ˈbroʊkər/ C1	noun - someone who negotiates business agreements for others
oppression /əˈprɛʃən/ C1	noun - the cruel and unfair treatment of people
justice /ˈdʒʌstɪs/ B1	noun - the fair and equal treatment of people
underlying /ˌʌndərˈlaɪɪŋ/ C1	adjective - important but not obvious, or existing below the surface