Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon has reignited a debate over civilian casualties, ceasefire violations, and the limits of self-defence. With senior Israeli officials openly discussing the annexation of southern Lebanon, and a fragile diplomatic opening between Israel and the Lebanese government under way, the stakes could not be higher.

This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who led Israel during the 2006 Lebanon war, about Hezbollah, civilian deaths, and his assessment of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

As Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first anniversary as pontiff, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, visited the Vatican, reportedly to smooth strained relations between Donald Trump and the Roman Catholic leader

Pope Leo has emerged as one of the more vocal critics of the US war on Iran, repeatedly calling for peace and challenging the Trump administration’s approach. So, where do the US and the Vatican’s relations go from here?

This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Kim Daniels, Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

‘We refuse to be silenced and censored,’ journalist and presenter Ramita Navai says while accepting the award.

The makers of the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which was dropped by the BBC, have won the Bafta TV Awards in the current affairs category.

The makers of the film slammed the BBC during their acceptance speeches at the awards on Sunday, renewing controversy over the broadcaster’s decision to shelve the project before it was later aired by Channel 4.

The documentary, which features firsthand accounts from Palestinian health workers in Gaza, was honoured at London’s Royal Festival Hall nearly a year after the BBC declined to broadcast it, citing concerns over partiality.

Accepting the award, executive producer Ben de Pear thanked the journalists behind the film before directly addressing the BBC, which aired the Bafta ceremony on BBC One with a delay of more than two hours: “Finally, just a question for the BBC: Given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the Bafta screening later tonight?”

Journalist and presenter Ramita Navai also criticised the broadcaster during her speech, citing findings from the documentary’s investigation into attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system.

“These are the findings of our investigation that the BBC paid for but refused to show,” Navai said. “But we refuse to be silenced and censored. We thank Channel 4 for showing this film.”

Navai said more than 1,700 Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers have been killed and more than 400 have been detained during Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza. She dedicated the award to Palestinian medical workers being held in Israeli prisons.

Originally commissioned by BBC

According to British media reports, the BBC edited portions of Navai’s remarks from its televised broadcast after consultations with its compliance team.

The BBC originally commissioned the documentary from the independent production company Basement Films more than a year ago but delayed its release while conducting a review into another Gaza-related documentary, Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone.

The broadcaster later decided not to air Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, saying the film risked creating “a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC”.

The corporation also said impartiality remained “a core principle of BBC News”.

The film was subsequently acquired and broadcast by Channel 4 in July.

Speaking backstage after the Bafta win, de Pear praised Gazan journalists Jaber Badwan and Osana Al Ashi, who contributed footage to the documentary, saying the team “woke up every day wondering if the two journalists on the ground were still alive”.