Are expected to rise as the attacks are ongoing and many remain unaccounted for. In addition, over 100, possibly more, is really so and military have been reported captured by armed groups, including women, children and the elderly. Some are being held hostage inside israel and many others have been taken inside the gaza strip. Meanwhile, hamas and Palestinian Islamicjihad have launched thousands of rockets, which reach central israel. I recognise the legitimate grievances the palestinian people, but nothing can justify these acts of terror and the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians. I reiterate my call to immediately cease these attacks and release all hostages. In the face of these unprecedented attacks on israeli air strikes appointed gaza. Im deeply alarmed of reports of over 500 palestinians, including women and children, killed in gaza and over 3,000 injured. Unfortunately, these numbers are rising by the minute as Israeli Operations continue. While i recognise israel because my legitimate Security Concerns and also remind x trial that Military Operations must be carried out in strict accordance with International Law. Civilians must be protected at all times. Civilian infrastructure must never be a target. We already have reports of israeli Missile Strike and Health Facilities inside gaza, as well as multi story residential towers and a mosque. To all the schools schools sheltering people and gaza were also hit. The number sheltering is increasing as the heavy shelling and air strikes continue. I am deeply distressed by the announcement today that israel will initiate a complete seizure of the gaza strip, nothing allowed in, no electricity, food or fuel. The humanitarian situation in gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities, now it will deteriorate exponentially. Medical equipment, food and fuel and other humanitarian supplies are desperately needed, along with access for humanitarian personnel. Relief and entry of Essential Supplies into gaza must be facilitated and the un will continue efforts to provide aid to respond to these needs. I urge all sides in the relevant parties to urge the United Nations access to give assistance to palestinian civilians. I appeal to the International Community to mobilise immediate humanitarian support for these efforts. The un Special Coordinator and i are engaging with leaders in the region to express our concern, our outrage and to address efforts to avoid any spill over to the wider middle east. Even in these worst of times, and perhaps especially in the most trying moments, it is vital to look to the long term Horizon Irreversible action that would importer important extremists. This most recent violence does not come in a vacuum. The reality is that it grows out of a long standing conflict with a 56 year long occupation and no political end in sight. It is time to end this vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred and polarisation. Israel must see its needs for legitimate security, and palestinian posse clear perspective for their own state realised. Only a negotiated peace that fulfils the legitimate National Aspirations of palestinians and israelis, together with their security aligned, the long held ambition of the two state in line with un resolutions, International Law and previous agreements can bring long term stability to the people of this land and the wider region. Thank you. That people of this land and the wider region. Thank you. People of this land and the wider region. Thank you. That is the un Secretary General, region. Thank you. That is the un Secretary General, starting region. Thank you. That is the un Secretary General, starting by Secretary General, starting by condemning the attacks over the weekend by hamas. We describe them as abhorrent, he gave an update in terms of numbers, over a country is really staid and more than 2500 injured. He said i reiterate my call to immediately cease these attacks and release all the hostages. He went on to say im deeply alarmed by reports of over 500 palestinians including women and children killed including women and children killed in gaza and 3,000 injured. He said he is deeply distressed by the announcements today that israel will initiate and complete siege of the gaza strip. Our correspondent is in jerusalem listening to that and can give us the latest of what is happening where he is. Certainly great clarity there from the un Secretary General, but predicting that those numbers that ijust Secretary General, but predicting that those numbers that i just went through will rise through the coming hours and days. That through will rise through the coming hours and dim hours and days. That certainly is the case. Hours and days. That certainly is the case just hours and days. That certainly is the case. Just listening hours and days. That certainly is the case. Just listening to hours and days. That certainly is i the case. Just listening to Antonio Gutierrez there, he says now is the time to end this vicious cycle of bloodshed. The problem is, when you look at the images you have been showing in the past couple of hours it seems that the number of debt will only rise, and that is because here in israel more than 800 people have lost their lives, and gaza more than 560 people have been killed in the un Secretary General talking about his deep distress at the prospect of a siege, because this is what the Israeli Defence minister has been talking about today, saying that fuel, food and other supplies reaching gaza will effectively be stopped. All the while this huge activity in the air with this intense assault on gaza, carried out by the Israeli Forces. Also rockets coming back to the other way. Today we were at the funeral of a british man killed on Saturday Morning he had been serving in the Israeli Forces. He was killed on the gaza border. More than a thousand people had tribute to him. The Air Raid Siren went off, there were explosions in the air and more than a thousand people took cover. Some people hid under trees, some were ducking down beneath the gravestones. That was an indication of how quickly the situation has escalated. This isjerusalem, we are far from gaza escalated. This isjerusalem, we are farfrom gaza here. In escalated. This is jerusalem, we are far from gaza here. Escalated. This is jerusalem, we are far from gaza here. In terms of what the government far from gaza here. In terms of what the government have far from gaza here. In terms of what the government have been far from gaza here. In terms of what the government have been saying i the government have been saying through the Course Ofjust today, in terms of options, what is being considered now . Considered now . Interesting listeninu considered now . Interesting listening to considered now . Interesting listening to the considered now . Interesting listening to the prime considered now . Interesting l listening to the Prime Minister considered now . Interesting listening to the Prime Minister of israel earlier, he was saying that this is only the beginning and thats an enormous force, to use his phrase, will be used, and he says the justification is that militants continue to come out of gaza and onto israeli soil, largely through the gaps in the fence created on Saturday Morning, and have not yet been sealed, even though the israeli say they are in control of the south of their country. It was the Defence Minister who was talking about the siege and spelling out what it would mean in the coming days and weeks. Interestingly, kattar said today it is willing to mediate, to try to find common ground, but at the moment when we see what is happening and the pictures coming out, any sort of short Term Solution to this violence, that will be extremely difficult to find. In violence, that will be extremely difficult to find. Violence, that will be extremely difficult to find. In the south, on the border difficult to find. In the south, on the border with difficult to find. In the south, on the border with the difficult to find. In the south, on the border with the gaza difficult to find. In the south, on the border with the gaza strip, i difficult to find. In the south, on l the border with the gaza strip, we have seen a continued build up of reservists and armoured equipment. That is right. The anticipation here is that there will be a large scale Ground Offensive. Certainly that is something that the public mood seems to be expecting. Certainly on Saturday Morning, when people were talking about how the assault by hamas had taken people by surprise, particularly the Intelligence Services, huge questions for them in the days and weeks to come, but in light of this the Israeli Forces are putting together an operation, but that will no doubt take time. As you say, those forces are amassing. We have heard about reservists being called up actually the movement is towards gaza as more Israeli Forces are brought together and some sort of plan is devised and ultimately enacted. We wait to see what the repercussions of that will be. We were listening to the un Secretary General who talked about his concern at this total siege of gaza. What is the government saying in terms of just the practicalities of what it is actually imposing . The Defence Minister was is actually imposing . The Defence Minister was talking is actually imposing . The Defence Minister was talking about is actually imposing . The Defence Minister was talking about how i is actually imposing . The defence. Minister was talking about how this reaction, this response which he claimed was justified would change The Middle East, would be our watermark, really, in relations, and in terms of what has been happening here. In terms of how that will work will wait and see, but he was talking about fuel, about food, the basics for life. Outside of israel that has caused huge concern, also among some israelis, about what that will mean for the people in gaza. Lots of people are saying, where do we go, where are safe places if they leave gaza . People in gaza talking about a lack of tunnels and bomb shelters, a lot of people have been going to un school is hoping to seek shelter there, to be safe and discontinued attack. The scale of it today has been extraordinary. All the while there have been rockets coming from gaza. We heard them earlier. We went to a district earlier. We went to a district earlier that had been hit with reports of some injuries, there was damage on the street, but no deaths in a particular location. Just damage on the street, but no deaths in a particular location. In a particular location. Just as ou in a particular location. Just as you were in a particular location. Just as you were speaking, in a particular location. Just as you were speaking, the in a particular location. Just as you were speaking, the israelii you were speaking, the Israeli Foreign minister said the more than 100 people have been taken captive by hamas. That is going to be central to their thinking when they are looking at the various options in front of them tactically here. There is a huge consideration. Any Ground Offensive may well have got under way in response to what happened on Saturday Morning, but thatis happened on Saturday Morning, but that is a huge factor, the fact that 100 israeli lives are in peril. Whether this is a Special Forces Operation Which is being put together at the moment, he would imagine that the Military Elite would be called in to preserve life at this particular moment, but undoubtedly that is something which is front and centre of the thinking of the Intelligence Services and crucially the Special Forces and the other military generals who are trying to put together a plan to rescue those israelis who have been held hostage. Rescue those israelis who have been held hostage rescue those israelis who have been held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take you held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take you through held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take you through a held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take you through a couple i held hostage. Thank you very much. Let me take you through a couple ofi let me take you through a couple of the latest lines coming in. House spoke throughout the weekend to regional partners. They say they are working with regional partners to help. There is a lot of concern that lebanon might get involved. Of course today on the borders with lebanon we have seen various exchanges and shelling, so another warning there from Jake Sullivan from the white house in the last little while. On that other area we have seen develop in the last couple of hours on this programme, the move to suspend aid payments to palestinians, that move from the eu. Very interesting that spain has just said they disagreed with that move from the eu to suspend palestinian aids payments, so division there in of that announcement. That brings us to that area, because as we were reporting the biggest donor to palestine, they have suspended all aids. Austria and germany have also suspended their aid. Brute aids. Austria and germany have also suspended their aid. Suspended their aid. We heard a short while suspended their aid. We heard a short while ago suspended their aid. We heard a short while ago from suspended their aid. We heard a short while ago from the suspended their aid. We heard a l short while ago from the European Commissionerfor short while ago from the European Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement. He said the scale of terror and brutality against israel and its people is a turning point. There can be no business as usual. It then goes on to say as the biggest donor of the palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full Development Portfolio under review with a total of 691 million euros. That means that according to the Eu Commission all payments will be immediately suspended, all projects will be put under review and all Key Budget Proposals will be postponed until further notice. And all Key Budget Proposals will be postponed untilfurther notice. The commissioner goes on to say on twitter, incitement to hatred, violence and qualification of terror have poisoned the minds of too many. We need action and we need it now. Matthew, these are quite strong words from the European Commission, which normally tries to use more diplomatic language. We are also seeing other countries in europe, like austria and germany, they have said today that they are suspending aid worth a lot to the palestinians. What about the push back saying it was hamas that carried out this attack, not the palestinians, so this is not aimed at the right people . That this is not aimed at the right eole . �. , this is not aimed at the right eole . �. , , this is not aimed at the right eole . �. ,, this is not aimed at the right eole . �. ,,. ,. , people . At a Press Briefing Today A Spokesperson people . At a Press Briefing Today A Spokesperson for people . At a Press Briefing Today A Spokesperson for the people . At a Press Briefing Today A Spokesperson for the european i spokesperson for the European Commission was asked out repeatedly and what they said, their main line is, israel has the right to self defence in response to the appalling attacks by hamas, but they also stress that that should be done in line with International Law. The eu is taking what is happening in The Middle East extremely seriously. In fact, they have said today that they will convene an Emergency Meeting of Foreign Ministers tomorrow. That will be chair