Perspective

Over the course of two weeks, starting on September 19, some 100,000 Armenians fled the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in an exodus prompted by Azerbaijan’s invasion of the contested region, which had been governed by ethnic Armenians for some three decades. In Perspective, we spoke to Richard Giragosian, the founding director of the Regional Studies Center – an independent think-tank in Yerevan – to discuss Azerbaijan’s recent takeover. The invasion represented a military victory of “authoritarian power over struggling democracy”, Giragosian said, adding that the international community could have contributed more to help Armenia fend off Azerbaijani forces.

A key international meeting to tackle climate change is currently taking place in Paris. It’s an event that's easy to overlook, with global attention on the crisis in the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the One Planet - Polar Summit, an international gathering which aims to address the increasing rate of melting ice caps. It's being seen as the curtain raiser ahead of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai at the end of the month. In Perspective, we're joined by Mexican climate activist Roberto Hernandez Juarez. He tells FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee that he's worried the environmental movement has lost momentum because of the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, but that the two phenomena are inextricably linked.

Has Israel breached international law in Gaza with its military response to Hamas's atrocities? The UN's human rights chief says that both sides have committed war crimes. Volker Turk pointed to Hamas's horrific attacks on October 7, as well as the militant group continuing to hold hostages. But he also described the "collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians" as a war crime, as well as the "unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians". Israel says it has responded with proportionality. In Perspective, Dr Rosa Freedman, a professor of international law, conflict and global development at the University of Reading, spoke to FRANCE 24’s Gavin Lee.

It's estimated that nearly 300,000 Afghan migrants have fled Pakistan since the start of October. This comes after the Pakistani government announced that the 1.7 million Afghans it says are living illegally in the country had just one month to leave. The decision has left thousands of Afghans, some of whom had been living in Pakistan for years, forced to flee or face deportation. Since the deadline to leave expired a week ago, NGOs are beginning to report the first forced expulsions. In Perspective, we spoke to Manon Radosta from the Danish Refugee Council in Kabul.

An author whose book has become a reference for those trying to understand Hamas's tunnel network and its impact on the current war has told FRANCE 24 that Israel must eventually enter them to ensure their destruction. Daphné Richemond-Barak started her book "Underground Warfare" 10 years ago, when one of the first large Hamas tunnels into Israel was discovered. Her book documents the use of tunnels in many conflicts, including Vietnam and even World War I. She spoke to us in Perspective.

Around half the population in Gaza are under 18. That's around 1.1 million children packed into one of the most densely populated territories in the world. The UN says the majority are displaced, staying with their families in overcrowded shelters or camped in hospital grounds. The Hamas-run health authority says at least 4,104 children have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war. In this edition of Perspective, we focus on the work of a charity set up to help children impacted by war. It's called INARA (International network for aid, relief and assistance) and was founded by former CNN correspondent Arwa Damon. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.

As Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaks publicly this Friday for the first time since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, much of the world's attention will be on whether he declares that his militant group will officially enter the conflict. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has been intensifying along the border in recent days, but has so far not involved a full-scale offensive. In Perspective, Filippo Dionigi, a senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Bristol, spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee about the likely ramifications of Nasrallah's speech.

After the Israeli military struck Gaza's largest refugee camp for a second straight day, the UN warned that the strikes on the densely populated residential area "could amount to war crimes". Those attacks came even as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continued to worsen. Sari Bashi, Program Director at Human Rights Watch, joins us on Perspective to share her analysis of the situation.

Over the past few days, Israeli ground troops have pushed deeper and deeper into Gaza in their war against Hamas, with a growing array of units joining the effort. But does what we're seeing in Gaza constitute an invasion proper? To discuss Israel's military tactics and the growing challenge posed by increasingly critical Western public opinion, we speak to General Vincent Desportes. He's a professor of strategy at Sciences Po University and HEC Paris Business School.

Speaking at an UN Security Council emergency meeting on Monday, the UN's Children's Fund (UNICEF) executive director said that two thirds of all people killed in Gaza since Israel declared war on Hamas, have been women and children. Joining us on Perspective, UNICEF spokesperson Toby Fricker says that the number translates to “420 children being killed or injured every day” and that an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is needed to provide access to life-saving supplies.