good afternoon. israel says its troops in gaza are engaged in face to face combat with fighters from hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the uk government. israel says its troops have now completely encircled gaza city, here in the north of the territory. meanwhile, 92 british nationals are on a list which means they could escape the fighting and leave gaza today through the rafah crossing into egypt. jon donnison reports from jerusalem. israel says it s at the height of its battle with hamas. its ground offensive in northern gaza is pushing forward, with the military claiming gaza city is now completely encircled. translation: we discovered encircled. translation: - discovered today a recording call with a health official in gaza who spoke with our forces and described how hamas controls fuel supplies and a hospital. while supplies are running out, they are stealing from sick patients for terror aims. we will continue to expose to the world the act of hamas and h
hello and welcome to bbc news. there s confusion over the fate of changes to israel s judicial system planned by the prime minister benjamin netanyahu. mr netanyahu had been expected to address the nation around now, following mass protests demanding he reverse the scheme. but it s reported that mr netanyahu is also under pressure not to back down from hardliners in his right wing government. earlier, israel s president issac herzog urged a halt to the legislation saying the unity of the country was at stake. i m joined now by our middle east correspondent anna foster in jerusalem. just reminders if you would, anna, of what these are judicial changes are meant to be?
today, he will be perhaps trying to suggest a pause for a freeze, rather than an actual ending of this legislation, and the question will be weather or not that will be enough for the protesters and for the growing levels of dissent here in israeli society. figs the growing levels of dissent here in israeli society. in israeli society. as you say, the demonstrations in israeli society. as you say, the demonstrations have in israeli society. as you say, the demonstrations have spread, - in israeli society. as you say, the l demonstrations have spread, more in israeli society. as you say, the - demonstrations have spread, more and more people are coming to support those protests, anna, but talk to us about the defence minister, and him leaving office, because he was starting to say that it was going to become impossible to actually run the israeli defence? the israeli defence? that s right. there has been the israeli defence? that s right. there has been real the israeli defenc
timing is absolutely critical. finnd timing is absolutely critical. anna foster in jerusalem, timing is absolutely critical. anna foster in jerusalem, thank- timing is absolutely critical. anna foster in jerusalem, thank you i timing is absolutely critical. anna foster injerusalem, thank you very much. i m joined now by the political analyst dahlia scheindlin, who has been at the protests this morning. thank you forjoining us, you are in tel aviv, tell us about the situation there in terms of the numbers who are taking part in the demonstrations? the numbers who are taking part in the demonstrations? numbers who are taking part in the demonstrations? , , , demonstrations? the big numbers were last niaht, demonstrations? the big numbers were last night. when demonstrations? the big numbers were last night, when people demonstrations? the big numbers were last night, when people were last night, when people were blocking the main traffic highway artery blocking the main traff