Genocide: the history of the term and what it means under international law

In the weeks since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the Israeli bombardment and ground assault on Gaza, both sides have traded accusations of genocide. Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostage, while Israel’s subsequent aerial and ground attack on Gaza have killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced millions. In this episode we speak to an expert on genocide about the history of the term and what’s needed to prove it under today’s international legal definition.

Featuring Alexander Hinton, distinguished professor of anthropology and director for the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University Newark in the US.

This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany with production assistance from Katie Flood. Gemma Ware is the executive producer of the show. Full credits for this episode are available here. A transcript is also available.

Further reading:

• Both Israel and Palestinian supporters accuse the other side of genocide – here’s what the term actually means
• Gaza’s next tragedy: Disease risk spreads amid overcrowded shelters, dirty water and breakdown of basic sanitation
• Hamas isn’t the first military group to hide behind civilians as a way to wage war