Endless Thread

Credits:

Episode producer: Dean Russell, Ben Brock Johnson

Editor: Meg Cramer

Co-hosts: Ben Brock Johnson, Amory Sivertson,

Show producers: Samata Joshi, Grace Tatter, Frannie Monahan, Emily Jankowski

Mixer and sound designer: Paul Vaitkus

In April of 2024, a group of aid workers were killed by Israeli Defense Forces while bringing food to Central Gaza. The IDF had alleged that its military analysts had identified a gunman on top of one of the trucks carrying supplies, suggesting it was a military vehicle, not an aid vehicle.

In the online debate following the event, a familiar trope popped up: arguing over whether one of the aid trucks a Toyota Hilux. The reason? In military conflict around the globe, the Hilux is a familiar character. Whether you're a U.S. designated terrorist group, a "freedom fighter," or someone else involved in direct armed conflict, you probably know about the Hilux.

Endless Thread wanted to know why, and how, this happened. So we took a journey beyond America's commercial pickup truck identity to understand why beyond our borders, the Hilux is the truck of choice.