Transcripts For BBCNEWS The 20240703

Strike hamas targets and we dont want civilian casualties. Want civilian casualties. We have uraed want civilian casualties. We have ura ed the want civilian casualties. We have urged the israelis want civilian casualties. We have urged the israelis use want civilian casualties. We have urged the israelis use every urged the israelis use every possible urged the israelis use every possible precaution urged the israelis use every possible precaution to urged the israelis use every| possible precaution to avoid urged the israelis use every possible precaution to avoid harm to civilians the israeli army has mounted the first raids into Northern Gaza to dismantle and disrupt hamass ability to fire rockets. But the bigger incursion is pending. Israel has given the palestinians 2a hours to evacuatei Million People from Northern Gaza before the expanded operation begins. One hospital al awda to the south of gaza city has been told tonight it has two hours to evacuate. The doctors are still treating the wounded. We will be live injerusalem with our International Editorjeremy bowen. And we will have the latest from our correspondent anna foster who is on the northern border with lebanon where concerns are growing that his brother might soon enter the war. Both sides have today exchanged fire, with a reuters cameraman killed in the confusion. Good evening. What would you take with you if you were told to evacuate your home in 2a hours, knowing that soon after, it may well will be demolished. 1. 1 million palestinians woke to that reality today. A leaflet drop from the skies, warned them, that for their own safety they should move immediately, south of the gaza river. By daylight there was a steady stream of traffic heading south on the road from khan younis, in defiance of a hamas order to stay and ignore the directive. The gaza strip is 25 miles long, and 6 miles across. There are two governorates that have been told to evacuate. North gaza, where you will find jabalia, the largest refugee camp in the strip. 115,000 people squeezed into half a square mile. It is one of the most densely populated places on earth. And then theres gaza city, home to 700,000 people. Today the un warned that the forced location of so many people would have devesting consequences. This order is affecting more than 1 million palestinians including children, olderand million palestinians including children, older and sick people forcing them to relocate with little or no transport and with scant guarantees for their safety. Amid continuing hostilities. The eckerd the Secretary General call for this to be ended and avoiding a calamitous situation. There are many people in gaza residents who fear this could be the start of another permanent Mass Displacement like the one they suffered in 19118, the naqba, the catastrophe, but that theory pre supposes that these lifelong refugees would be allowed into egypt. So far the Rafah Crossing Into the sinai remains closed, as the egyptians resist the international pressure. One of those trapped in the south is the mother in law, of Scottish First minister, hamza youssef. Elizabeth el nakla, is a retired nurse from dundee, visiting her husbands family around 10 miles south of gaza city. This will be my last video. Everybody from gaza is moving towards where we are. 1 Million People, no food, no water. And still they are bombing them as they leave. My they are bombing them as they leave. My thought is, all of these people in the hospital cannot be evacuated. Where is the humanity . Where our peoples hearts in the world to let this happen in this day and age . May god help us. Goodbye. In this happen in this day and age . May god help us. Goodbye. God help us. Goodbye. In the last hour we have god help us. Goodbye. In the last hour we have heard god help us. Goodbye. In the last hour we have heard from god help us. Goodbye. In the last. Hour we have heard from netanyahu who is reassuring his population, he said his countrys retaliation was only the beginning but he did not elaborate on what might follow or for how long. Irate elaborate on what might follow or for how long for how long. We have only ust started. Our i for how long. We have only ust started. Our enemies � for how long. We have only ust started. Our enemies have h for how long. We have onlyjust started. Our enemies have only started. 0ur enemies have only started started. 0ur enemies have only started paying the price and i will not go started paying the price and i will not go into further detail about what not go into further detail about what still not go into further detail about what still lies ahead. We have only ust what still lies ahead. We have only just started. In my talks with President Biden and other leaders around President Biden and other leaders around the world and resulting from any other around the world and resulting from any other efforts, we are mobilising for israel any other efforts, we are mobilising for israel air any other efforts, we are mobilising for israel air Raid International support for israel air Raid International support i for israel air Raid International support. I met today with the us secretary support. I met today with the us secretary of state, we guarantee the continuation of this work with more ammunition continuation of this work with more ammunition that arrives in israel and more ammunition that arrives in israel and more means of warfare. We will eliminate and more means of warfare. We will eliminate hamas and we will bring about eliminate hamas and we will bring about victory. It will take time, however. About victory. It will take time, however, we will end this war. Much stronger however, we will end this war. Much stronger than ever before. In spite of that order to evacuate there has been no let up in the israeli bombardment of gaza. Over 6,000 bombs have been dropped in just 6 days, with entire neighbourhoods demolished. Those living in israel also on edge. In tel aviv, the Air Raid Sirens sounded again, as more rockets were fired towards israel, and in the west bank, in lebanon and in eastjerusalem, palestinians came out in protest in response to hamas call for a day of rage. 0ur International Editor jeremy bowen is there and sent us this update. To win a war, a country has to break the will of its enemy to fight. History suggests air strikes alone wont do that. Even ones as heavy as israels in gaza. So israel will have to send troops into the rubble if, as it says, it wants to destroy hamas. Telling civilians to get out is part of preparing the battlefield. Leaflets are non lethal airdrop but full of menace told more than a Million People to move south. It happened to our grandfather, said this man, now its happening to us. It raises the ghosts of the past. Many gazans trying to escape israels anger. A descendants of almost1 million palestinians who fled or were forced out of their homes at gunpoint in israels independence war in 19118. Palestinians call it the catastrophe. Hamas sent their answer more rockets and told people to stay put. In israel, lloyd austin, the us defense secretary, brought his israeli counterpart support and weapons. And another reminder not to break the laws of war. Terrorists like hamas deliberately target civilians. But democracies dont. This is a time for resolve and not revenge. Refrigerated containers hold bodies awaiting identification, some of more than 1,300 israelis and foreigners killed by hamas. But israel says hamas will feel its revenge, not civilians. Palestinians protested in the west bank. 11 had been shot dead by the israeli army by late afternoon. Almost all the violence between israelis and palestinians before last weeks hamas assault was in the west bank. It is very tense and could get much worse. Jerusalem was quiet, but not calm. 0nly older palestinians were allowed to pray at Al Aqsa Mosque by Israeli Security forces. The Mood Injerusalem was grim, full of foreboding. The holy city is at the epicenter of the conflict. Palestinians said they feared that israels anger at the hamas attack could be directed at them. It feels as if this crisis is going up a gear. Extreme pressure on civilians in gaza. Tension here in jerusalem. No one knows where this is going, but its certain this is a dangerous moment, the worst middle east crisis in a generation. Until last weekend, israel believed the long conflict with the palestinians could be contained. That illusion has gone. Jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. Jeremyjoins me now. Good to see you. The deadline i think is under two hours away now. One of the hospitals has been told to evacuate immediately. There are 300,000 reservists mobilised, the army on the border in the crouched position, ready to go, when do you think the order will come . I position, ready to go, when do you think the order will come . Think the order will come . I dont think the order will come . I dont think it is going think the order will come . I dont think it is going to think the order will come . I dont think it is going to come think the order will come . I dont think it is going to come in think the order will come . I dont think it is going to come in two i think it is going to come in two hours from now. There was a briefing, on the record briefing given this morning by the israeli army in that they said, yes, we except it may take longer than 2a hours. They did not say how much extra time they may be building in. Im not sure the israelis themselves are entirely ready in terms of the build up that they want. Armies have a lot to do to get all of their forces in a row to put on what is a very complex operation. I think there is intelligence things they need to sort out as well. They went to go after the leaders who are in gaza, of hamas. So i think they would very much like, perhaps to start their operation with some kind of a enormous strike that kills, i dont know, some secret Command Bunker or Something Like that. But i have no idea if they have managed to obtain that kind of information. If you look at everything that has happened. These instructions, its called advice, it is an extraction. Move south or else, to the civilians. The state of siege it has been put in, which they have even cut off the water. And all of the military activity going on, they are preparing the battlefield. They are going to do and offensive, no doubt about it. Is going to do and offensive, no doubt about it. ,. ,. ,. , about it. Is that the plan to make it as miserable about it. Is that the plan to make it as miserable and about it. Is that the plan to make it as miserable and bulimic about it. Is that the plan to make it as miserable and bulimic as it as miserable and bulimic as possible from Palestinian People to separate them from hamas, is that the aim of the Israeli Government . I the aim of the Israeli Government . I think putting pressure on palestinians, yes, it is definitely one way to try and put pressure on hamas, but the thing is an awful lot of palestinians are not behind hamas, anywhere. Hamas, all of the palestinian leaders from the two main factions, in the west bank running from jerusalem to parts of the west bank, i should say, they are governed by fatah but not in a very effective way, parts of the west bank, part of that and part of the occupied territories. And hamas are in gaza. To be honest, neither is beloved. Both have followers some very faithful but most palestinians over quite a few years now have become deeply cynical and depressed about their political prospects. The prospects for independence which is what people, a lot of them dreamt about. The prospects, in other words, forfreedom. I think there is a sense in which extremists have been able to function, have been able to thrive, and that kind of desperate atmosphere. There has been no Peace Process for an awfully long time. Not one ever. There was an attempt ten years ago by The Americans under the 0bama administration, a few president s ago to try and get the thing going again, but it failed. The question that everyone again, but it failed. The question that everyone blasts again, but it failed. The question that everyone blasts tomorrow. Again, but it failed. The question that everyone blasts tomorrow is again, but it failed. The question that everyone blasts tomorrow is how many of the people will have gone and i was asked that earlier and i was recounting a story from back in 2008 i was in gaza city sitting on a suitcase during this interview she started rooting in her suitcase and pulled out a key. This key was to the front door of the house that they had lost in 19118 when they were expeued they had lost in 19118 when they were expelled from their ancestral land. She said to me, this is the second time i have lost my home to the israelis. I think that will be in the minds of some people win in Northern Gaza, they might not be of hamas but they are part of the resistance and they will see the echoes in history. Resistance and they will see the echoes in history. What they know as the catastmphe echoes in history. What they know as the catastrophe the echoes in history. What they know as the catastrophe the great echoes in history. What they know as the catastrophe the great trauma echoes in history. What they know as | the catastrophe the great trauma and palestinian history it is when palestinian history it is when Palestinian Society that existed in those lands was splintered and dispersed. The area, for example around gaza with the israeli farms, complexes, towns and big for tile fields, they were palestinian villages there, palestinian farms, the town of ashkelon which is very much an israeli town had a different name and that sort of stuff. So yes, i think when people hear, palestinians here, the israeli saying, you have to get all of those ghosts come up again. They start to rise up out of history, frankly, history is never far away here. People are very conscious of what happened notjust in the immediate past but back in the time of their grandparents. Add to that, because of the extreme nature of the people who formed his war cabinet were sustained in the government in taking part in prominent positions of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were people talking about a second marker one and the concept of transfer, ie expelling palestinians, is something which has been widely discussed in sinus thought almost from the outset nakba. Zionist. And with one small thing all of the history comes pouring out. That is one piece that you have displayed was the man in gaza saying, it happened to my grandfather and now it is happening to us. , grandfather and now it is happening to us. ,. ,. , to us. There was one other thing that happened to us. There was one other thing that happened today to us. There was one other thing that happened today which to us. There was one other thing| that happened today which made to us. There was one other thing that happened today which made me think of you you will of heard from the sad story from the reuters cameraman has been killed on the northern border we are seeing him here in the picture. Our sympathy to the team there on the border and who have suffered that. It brought back memories, of course, of what you suffer 20 years ago in a very similar position. It must have come back to you as well. Zf} similar position. It must have come back to you as well. Back to you as well. 20 years ago, more than back to you as well. 20 years ago, more than that, back to you as well. 20 years ago, more than that, is back to you as well. 20 years ago, more than that, is when back to you as well. 20 years ago, more than that, is when israelis i more than that, is when israelis were pulling out of south lebanon. I was working with lebanese cameraman and a lebanese driver and the israelis opened fire from across the border and killed him. Then they had a go at killing the cameraman and myself with a heavy machine gun, they did not succeed but he was killed. But yes, journalism and especially in war zones can be a very dangerousjob and especially in war zones can be a very dangerous job and sometimes journalists are targeted and sometimes they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. And yes, its. What can i say. I am full of sympathy for that family because i remember and will never forget that funeral and going back to beirut the day after he was killed and going up to explain to his wife exactly how he died. That was a pretty bad day. It is a reminder on how much we depend on these first eyewitness accounts from reporters in times like this, but it is a very dangerousjob and we like this, but it is a very dangerous job and we are grateful to all. Thank you very much for coming onto the programme. Dr sanam vakil she is the director of the middle East North Africa programme at chatham house, a think tank here in the uk. Thank you for your patience, i know you have been standing by. I was listening tojeremy you have been standing by. I was listening to jeremy there, its extraordinary this story in the middle east was not really in the headlines a week ago, the National Security adviser at the white house was telling us that the middle east was telling us that the middle east was taking less and less of his time. Oh begone, we are on the brink of what . fin time. Oh begone, we are on the brink of what . , ~. , of what . On the brink of disaster. That is where of what . On the brink of disaster. That is where we of what . On the brink of disaster. That is where we are. Of what . On the brink of disaster. That is where we are. This of what . On the brink of disaster. That is where we are. This speaks j of what . On the brink of disaster. I that is where we are. This speaks of the hubris of western governments and the inattentiveness to a crisis that those of us that work on the middle east and have been watching new has been simmering for so long. And it has been left unattended and this is where we are. On a brink of a catastrophe that is going to be passed down to further generations. The israelis have the right and has made the point that they needed to respond to hamas and to decapitate the leadership of hamas and they will do that. But it is an extraordinary order to evacuate 1 Million People, to put hospitals under such pressure to evacuate the seriously wounded in just under two hours. It is an impossible request for the people of gaza to meet. It is a catastrophe and it is impossible to imagine, as you rightly have described. This is putting immense pressure on ordinary individuals who do not deserve this. Who will bear the price for this. It is a true injustice. That could have and should have been thought through and should have been thought through and handled differently. You cannot mobilise over1 Million People in 2a hours and transferred them, this is creating another crisis and displacement of epic proportion. And it will not be forgotten. Ordinary people, people who do not support hamas are paying the price and this is collective punishment. Obviously, we are looking is collective punishment. Obviously, we are looking at is collective punishment. Obviously, we are looking at the is collective punishment. Obviously, we are looking at the wider is collective punishment. Obviously, we are looking at the wider region i we are looking at the wider region and particularly focusing on lebanon at this time. The americans, the challenge i suppose for them is to support the israeli operation and that their objectives, without this escalating to the wider region. That is a delicate balance to walk. It certainly is and that is why The Americans have sent a carrier into the sea and also in the persian gulf they mean to support israel, a long standing american ally and they want to be there as a deterrent. They do not want this to open up into a multi front war. Nobody wants this to escalate but at the same time, the us is risking their reputation. They are supporting a Human Catastrophe and this will have blowback. Sincerely, hamas is a terrorist group and there is a clear need to push back and be deliberate, but at the same time, passing the baton on to individuals and pursuing this conflict or engaging in such a violent way on the population is going to perpetuate the conflict. And that, in of itself, is dangerous. And that, in of itself, is dangerous. And that, in of itself, is dancerous. ~ ,. , ~. , dangerous. We will maybe talk about the objectives dangerous. We will maybe talk about the objectives and dangerous. We will maybe talk about the objectives and where dangerous. We will maybe talk about the objectives and where this dangerous. We will maybe talk about the objectives and where this goes i the objectives and where this goes towards the end of the conflict later. Thank you very much, doctor, for that. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. The uk will send two Royal Navy Ships and Surveillance Aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean in plans to bolster security. The aircraft will begin patrols on friday to Track Threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups. Three Merlin Helicopters and Royal Marines are also being dispatched. In brighton, a 22 year old woman has been arrested on suspicion of supporting hamas at a demonstration. The group has been declared a Terrorist Organisation in the uk. Hamas members or those who are found guilty of inviting support for the group can be jailed for up to 1a years. The metropolitan police says london has seen a massive increase in reports of Anti Semitism since the conflict erupted. In the past two weeks, there have been 180 offences and incidents, compared with 26 in the same period last year. Rishi sunak called the rise disgusting, adding extra funding had been given to protect jewish institutions. Youre live with bbc news. The tensions are also high in the occupied west bank, where hamas called for a day of rage on friday in support of the people in gaza. And there have been demonstrations across the territory. At least 11 palestinians were killed by Israeli Security forces in the hours after friday noon prayers, according to the palestinian authority. Joining me now from ramallah is activist and first ever female spokesperson for the palestinian government, nour odeh. Thank you for being with us this evening. It must be a very difficult night for you and for everyone connected with the palestinian community. What do you think this Order Pretence for the Palestinian People . Order pretence for the palestinian eole . , , Order Pretence for the Palestinian Neale . ,. , ~ Order Pretence for the palestinian neole . ,. , ~. , people . Spells. Thank you for havin people . Spells. Thank you for having me people . Spells. Thank you for having me and people . Spells. Thank you for having me and i people . Spells. Thank you for having me and i will people . Spells. Thank you for having me and i will pick people . Spells. Thank you for having me and i will pick up the l having me and i will pick up the conversation you were having with your reporter. Palestinians at the moment no matter where they are feel they are reliving nakba. This is the nakba of 2023. The scenes of carnage of this dispossession in the feeling of this dispossession in the feeling of being under Assault Notjust in gaza but also here in the west bank, they are pushing everyone to a breaking point. Emotionally, psychologically. And also on the street. The anger is palpable. The fact that there is just no horizon, No End In Sight to all of this, no path that palestinians feel they can pursue towards their end goal of freedom without being punished and crushed. I think only adds to this cocktail of tension and violence. The situation we are in, is this all the fault of israel . Are 1500 people who have lost their lives in gaza and another 11 palestinians killed today in the west bank. But what about the leadership within the palestinian communities . It is lacking. The rhetoric has always been that there is not a partner for peace, how do you respond . If been that there is not a partner for peace, how do you respond . Iii are been that there is not a partner for peace, how do you respond . If we are auoin to peace, how do you respond . If we are going to be peace, how do you respond . If we are going to be honest peace, how do you respond . If we are going to be honest and peace, how do you respond . If we are going to be honest and we peace, how do you respond . If we are going to be honest and we are going to be honest and we are going to assess where we are now, we have to assess where we are now, we have to look at the sponsor of the so called Peace Process who have utterly failed to deliver, who have utterly failed to deliver, who have utterly failed to have the leadership role, who have made the Palestinian Peace court look like fools for many years or eroding their legitimacy and standing and pushing the current leadership that in order to engage with the world they must maintain Division Within Palestinian Society. They must refrain from holding elections, must refrain from holding elections, must refrain from holding elections, must refrain from re legitimize palestinian institutions. We cannot start assessing what is happening now and looking at the 7th Of October and really, the miserable fact is that the Peace Process failed everybody. Let fact is that the Peace Process failed everybody. Failed everybody. Let me Ust Interru T failed everybody. Let me ust interrupt to i failed everybody. Let me ust interrupt to say i failed everybody. Let me ust interrupt to say goodbye i failed everybody. Let me just interrupt to say goodbye to l failed everybody. Let me just l interrupt to say goodbye to our world viewers. We will go to a short break. I want to keep going if you have the time. I hear what youre saying about the way the Israeli Government in fact the former premise are admitted as much that they had undermined the palestinian authority, i think you call that divided rule, and the have paid the price for putting too much, not trust in hamas, but certainly giving too much to hamas over the years. Do you think the Palestinian People in gaza, after all the misery they will suffer at the end of this, are going to question, irrespective of the role that israel played in this, will the question this hamas leadership and what they are providing for Palestinian People . I will give you one more irony to add to the list of ironies about this region. Which is that in the elections that were held in 2006, hamas won a majority in parliament, not because the majority of people in gaza voted for hamas, but in fact, it was the ballot boxes of the west bank that gave hamas that as win. So its a rule of gaza is not out of popular endorsement. It is defective. It was a violent takeover. De facto. We are far from a point where palestinians can tell hamas which is now under fire, and the many eyes of the palestinians fighting back, that they need to hold hamas accountable, not that they cant at this point. You were talking about a defenseless civilian population being ruled by someone who has absolute control, a group that has absolute control over the gaza strip. But that is just another irony. Palestinians in gaza are paying the price for a situation, in part, also created by the sanctions imposed on them. For choosing the wrong party in elections. And never having the chance to vote again. We elections. And never having the chance to vote again. Chance to vote again. We all remember chance to vote again. We all remember what chance to vote again. We all remember what happened l chance to vote again. We all| remember what happened in chance to vote again. We all remember what happened in 2006. Chance to vote again. We all remember what happened in 2006. Only one minute left here, but i was recalled and i travelled around the wage and with my palestinian cameraman, jimmy, wage and with my palestinian cameraman,jimmy, he wage and with my palestinian cameraman, jimmy, he was always the one stop on the border. It always reminded me that although the people in the region supported the palestinian cause, the governments did not necessarily follow in at the moment the Egyptian Government the north african Egyptian Government is blocking the rougher crossing what would you say to the egyptians about what theyre doing the moment. What theyre doing the moment. Rafah crossing. They did try to open it for humanitarian assistance but it for humanitarian assistance but it is a terrifying prospect for the egyptians to accept 1 it is a terrifying prospect for the egyptians to accept1 million or more palestinians to take that responsibility. Egypt wants guarantees that these palestinians will be allowed back and so far, it has not received them. It would be very difficult for egypt to live with that, in the eyes of its own public and in the isa palestinians, who by the way, i have many friends in gaza, i lived there for many years and worked there they tell me, we are not going. We may accept the idea of being dispossessed from gaza to another part of the gaza strip, but to leave gaza is too traumatic. For the majority Refugee Population there to even fathom at the moment. I hope that they would be forced into that but it will take a lot to convince egypt that would be temporary because very little or in the region is temporary. Temporary because very little or in the region is temporary. Thank you for coming the region is temporary. Thank you for coming out the region is temporary. Thank you for coming out to the region is temporary. Thank you for coming out to the the region is temporary. Thank you for coming out to the programme l the region is temporary. Thank you i for coming out to the programme this evening. We are watching the clock because that 2a hour deadline is running out. One of the hospitals in just two hours to evacuate tonight. We will keep a close eye on events in gaza city tonight. Hello, im christian fraser. Youre watching the context on bbc news. Lets ta ke lets take a look at what the Israeli Gaza Conflict means. Israel increases its presence on the northern border with libya. Sorry for the pause, i was just looking at President Biden there. I didnt know whether he was going to go to the podium, we will be on the sport, lets listen to the president , be talking