Global condemnation of Israel’s war on Gaza recently echoed around the United Nations, where many states continued to label it “genocide”. Yet Israel has largely ignored international opinion, even pressure from the United States.

With a ceasefire now on the table just days before the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, this film examines what Australian journalist John Lyons calls “one of the most brutal wars of modern times”. Lyons confronts Israeli political, military and intelligence figures on their motives and asks whether there was no alternative to killing more than 66,000 Palestinians, including over 20,000 children. A current cabinet member, a former foreign minister, and ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak argue Israel’s actions are self-defence.

Countering them, Abdaljawad Omar of Birzeit University, Yehuda Shaul of Breaking the Silence, and Amira Hass of Haaretz present the Palestinian perspective.

In this rigorous journalistic inquiry, Lyons probes whether the conflict can ever end — or whether it risks becoming what he fears is “a forever war”.