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While the Israel-Hamas war in the Palestinian state of Gaza grinds on into its twentieth month, Israel’s plans for escalation of attacks this week have drawn criticism from even the country’s allies such as Britain, France, and Canada. The war began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’ invasion of southwest Israel, which killed 1,300 people and captured 236 hostages and has since resulted in more than 52,000 total reported deaths. This year’s Peabody-recognized works demonstrate the many facets of this ongoing story. They highlight the terror of the October 7 attacks at a music festival, the dire circumstances of families trying to survive under bombardment in Gaza, from the everyday lives of people caught up in war to the ways the American government is involved. These works also tell stories through multiple kinds of media—in-depth documentary films, investigative reportage, and intimate podcast conversations.
‘Death Trap: No Safe Place in Gaza’
This Peabody-nominated NBC News special series, led by Hala Gorani, investigates Israeli military strikes on designated safe zones, hospitals, and journalists in Gaza, exposing a pattern of attacks that challenge official denials. Using satellite imagery, exclusive video, and firsthand interviews, the reports uncover the collapse of healthcare, the targeted killing of media workers, and the devastating impact on civilians who were assured protection.
Where to Watch: NBCNews.com
This Peabody-winning series of interviews from This American Life‘s Chana Joffe-Walt highlights the personal stories of four individuals affected by the Gaza conflict, offering an intimate look beyond the headlines. Through months of phone conversations, the series captures their emotional journeys—an aid worker urging his sisters to flee, a reporter torn between escape and family, a spirited child enduring war, and a student abroad grappling with distance and trauma—resulting in raw, human storytelling that is a powerful act of witnessing.
Where to Listen: ThisAmericanLife.org
Al Jazeera brings a distinctly international perspective to this news documentary, which is pointedly subtitled “Biden’s War on Gaza.” The film investigates the killing of civilians by the Israeli military in Gaza, focusing on the ways that the U.S. government supported Israel throughout this time. As cameras follow three families’ efforts to survive the ongoing attacks, the team of journalists also documents the role that American weapons transfers, including 2,000-pound bombs, artillery shells, and tanks, have played in the campaign.
Where to Watch: AlJazeera.com
This interactive Peabody winner, also from Al Jazeera, shows what life is like in a city under attack through video shot by Palestinians on their phone cameras. In this moving compilation, we see not only bombardment and its after effects, but also a child practicing the violin and people singing together, resulting in a true portrait of humanity in the face of war. The work shows the power of citizen journalism at a time—just two months after the October 7 attacks—when mainstream international journalists had limited access to the area.
Where to Watch: AlJazeera.com
Vice News revisits one of the major sites of Hamas’ October 7 attacks: the Nova music festival. What began for young attendees as a day of celebration ended with many of them killed or taken hostage in what turned out to be the deadliest day in Israel’s history. This film follows survivors, along with the families of those kidnapped or killed, as the trauma of that day and the ongoing war continue to devastate their lives.
Where to Watch: YouTube
‘War in the Holy Land’
This Peabody-nominated documentary continues PBS News Hour’s exemplary coverage of the crisis in its second year. Throughout 2024, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas persisted, the broadcast delivered in-depth coverage, shedding light on the hardships faced by Palestinians in Gaza and the displacement of civilians in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
Where to Watch: PBS.org