Made yet on any ground incursion. And this is the scene live for you in gaza today as the Palestinian HealthMinistry Says the number of people who have been killed has hit 1200. Americas top diplomat the Secretary Of State, Antony Blinken has arrived in israel. Hell express us solidarity as he meets israeli officials but is also expected to urge restraint to protect palestinian civilians, as air strikes on gaza continue. Mr blinken is expected on friday to meet the palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah Faction is a political rival to hamas. We can speak now to lord darroch, kim darroch, who served as the uks National Security adviser between 2012 and 2015 and has also served as its ambassador to both the eu and the united states. If the eu and the united states. I can ask you first of this if i can ask you first of all about this visit by Antony Blinken, what can he hope to achieve . I this visit by Antony Blinken, what can he hope to achieve . This visit by Antony Blinken, what can he hope to achieve . I think tony will have three can he hope to achieve . I think tony will have three objectives can he hope to achieve . I think tony will have three objectives today, will have three objectives today, the forces a share of public support for israel. This is becoming a domestic issue back in the us, republicans claiming the democrats have insufficiently supported israel so he will want to show that, that the us is behind israel. And ready to help. Second, i think he will want to ask about immediate help and support israel needs. Third, this is where it gets difficult, i suspect he will want to ask about really plans for the Ground Offensive in gaza, if and when that is going to happen. And to make the point, this is tricky, that while a quarter of western Public Opinion israel is getting a lot of support, and rightly so. In the court of Public Opinion, western Public Opinion. When you see machine guns the outcry of public support is what you would expect but if you are two months into a Ground Offensive in gaza, basically flattening the point is, if there are Tens Of Thousands of Palestinian Refugees fleeing it, Public Opinion might look different. I think he will want to ask, what are your plans, how long will it last, how are you going to do . President joe biden in a speech at the weekend urged restraint to the Prime Minister but also a new referenced that there are, he said despite the anger that clearly exist, he is urging them to operate by the rules of war, he said there are rules of war. What does he mean . Here he means minimising, avoiding if at all possible civilian casualties, that sets constraints about what you do in military terms, trying to make the operation if there is to be one as short and quick as possible. Thinking about what to do about the Refugee Problem that will inevitably reliance arise. The other thing, in the end, israelis will be conscious of Public Opinion, they will note what europeans are saying and even more what The Americans are saying. In the end they will do what they think is necessary for their own security. I think Antony Blinken will have important messages to get across but there will be limits to how much he can influence israels action. American citizens have been caught up american citizens have been caught up in this, 22 americans estimated kills, 17 missing. , Hostage Expert travelling across the united states, a massively complicated factor. fine a massively complicated factor. One fears for the a massively complicated factor. Ole fears for the hamas a massively complicated factor. me fears for the hamas held a massively complicated factor. Iez fears for the hamas held hostages. Maybe The Americans could help with this. But i dont know what the prospects are or who you can negotiate with. They dont have much influence, Mahmoud Abbas and fatah, about what goes on. This will be perilous. About what goes on. This will be erilous. ,. , a,. , about what goes on. This will be erilous. ,. ,. , ~ , perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken is perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken is going perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken is going to perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken is going to go perilous. You mention Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken is going to go and Antony Blinken is going to go and speak to him tomorrow. What you get about how that conversation will run . �. , � ~ about how that conversation will run . �. , � ~. ,. , run . Antony blinken will have two objectives. Run . Antony blinken will have two objectives, one, run . Antony blinken will have two objectives, one, to run . Antony blinken will have two objectives, one, to try run . Antony blinken will have two objectives, one, to try and run . Antony blinken will have two objectives, one, to try and ensure that what is happening in gaza doesnt spread to the west bank. He will be urging Mahmoud Abbas to stay calm, so those reports you havejust been mentioning of palestinians being killed in the west bank, there worrying elements. Second, he will ask whether Mahmoud Abbas has any influence over hamas leaders and can persuade them to stiffen up communication lines to israel. I really doubt whether that is going to go anywhere, ijust do not think that influentially exists. Kim tarik, former that influentially exists. Kim tarik, former uk that influentially exists. Kim tarik, former uk National Security adviser, thank you. Kim daryl clark darroch. And among the us citizens missing is 35 year old sagui dekel chen. He disappeared after an attack on kibbutz nir oz, located just two miles from the gaza strip. The bbc� s nomia iqbal spoke with saguis father, jonathan, who talked about how important it is to find out what happened to those whove gone missing. The important part is that is how we know how many, many people, not just the young men who did battle, but 88 year old grandmothers, and eight month old children, who dont have cell phones, were physically removed from their homes, torn from their loved ones, and transported into hiding places, we assume inside of gaza, by hamas, in a planned, organised way. He is missing that there is no other explanation. We have been told by the army, attempts to locate all of these bodies and they are not there. So the only reasonable explanation is that they were in some stage or another healthy, wounded or deceased, were taken into gaza. Has anyone been in touch with you, jonathan, and when i say anyone, i mean us authorities, israeli authorities, who are you in contact with to try and find out more information on him . I can only speak for myself. As a family of one of the missing. But it is true, i know it to be true at least of the dozens of families in the qubits, there has been no direct contact i know of any kind of outreach, to inform us of anything, and as far as cd is concerned, he is a dual us isreali citizen like me, and so as yesterday afternoon, the us embassy in israel and the Us State Department did reach out to contact me, just to inform me they are aware of the situation. And you have this imminent Ground Operation that will take place by the israeli troops, and is that a worry, given that this hasnt been resolved, and given that The Americans do not know where americans are, including your son, if it is the case that your son is inside gaza . It is a Nightmare Scenario and i dont have any answer for you. We are all heartbroken to begin with, and doubly heartbroken, because i am assuming that we all feel this way, notjust The Americans, the us hostages there, i dont think there were many doubters but there is a consensus now that hamas must be eradicated. What is the price we are willing to pay . By the way, notjust in terms of the hostages, but we have been here before if the is a ground incursion. Israeli soldiers will lose their lives and to be injured in a ground incursion, and these are the things that israels leadership and the army must contend with. Of course, speaking for myself, what we have been asking for, i try in my limited ways appeal to the Israeli Government that the welfare of the hostages should also be the highest priority. 0n the Israel Lebanon Border tensions remain high, after Israeli Shelling struck southern lebanese towns israel says its acted in response to four days of Rocket Attacks by iran backed hezbollah. The bombardments are taking place as irans Foreign Minister is travelling to lebanon, to discuss the conflict. Earlier i spoke to our middle east correspondent, lina sinjab whos in beirut. It has been a worrying few days with rockets fired on both sides, certainly as we hear it started from lebanon and the israelis responded, leaving three members of hezbollah killed. We have to remind our audience that in 2006 because of similar situations there was a month Long War On Lebanon by the israelis because of rockets fired from lebanon into israel that left the country crippled, this is a country already struggling for years, drowning in poverty, the last thing Lebanon Needs is a war with israel. Everyone is speculating that hezbollah will not take this action. But as a Resistance Movement they want to show solidarity with the palestinians. We saw over the past few days rockets fired from here. It is hard to believe, hard to see that this is going to escalate any further, given the situation in lebanon and given many warnings that came from the International Community including the us. What do we make of the meeting of irans Foreign Minister travelling to lebanon to discuss, are we expected to hear anything about what will take place, what is your assessment . Basically, the main, strongest player in lebanon is hezbollah, not the government or the army, the militant group backed by, iran. Takes its orders from iran. This could go into further escalation and have the war spilling over into lebanon, is the fear. These are live picture from gaza, for the last 1. 5 hours or so there has been constant exposure is happening in gaza, we have heard from our correspondent in gaza talking about the conditions there, the fact fuel has been cut off, electricity, food and Water Supplies cut off. ,. � electricity, food and Water Supplies cut off. ,. , ~. ,. Electricity, food and Water Supplies cutoff. ~ cut off. The Israeli Air Force says its warplanes cut off. The Israeli Air Force says its warplanes have cut off. The Israeli Air Force says its warplanes have hit cut off. The Israeli Air Force says its warplanes have hit around cut off. The Israeli Air Force says. Its warplanes have hit around 200 targets, the focus being on gaza city, it says, and the southern town of khan younis. Among the many caught up in the conflicts of the middle east the parents of the wife of scotlands first minister humza yousaf. Nadia el nakla says her mother and father, who have been trapped in gaza since the hamas attack on israel, are terrified about what might happen next. Shes been speaking to our scotland editor, james cook. For nadia el nakla, just talking to herfamily is getting harder and harder. Her parents are in gaza visiting her brother, who is a Hospital Doctor there. They have been there for the past week, visiting my gran, my brother and his family. They are now caught up in a war situation. My mum says that theres continual bombardment from land, sea, air. They are terrified. She is terrified. She hasnt slept since monday. She feels that every part of her body is aching. Weve no electricity, weve no water. The food we do have, which is little, will not last. I have four grandchildren in this home. A two month old baby, a four year old. And today, two nine year old twins, their birthday. I ask the world to help. My newest nephew is eight weeks old, and every time the bombs go off his arms just flail in fear, and you know, i fear that his little heart cant take that continual bombardment, and yeah, they are just terrified. What is the Foreign Office saying to you . They said they are trying to get them out through rafa, but israels just declared its now a secure military zone, the gaza strip, which Means Nothing can get in and out. This is ms el naklas aunt and uncle observing the damage to their home. Her husband, scotlands first minister, is calling for a ceasefire and safe passage for those who want to leave gaza. I completely understand israels right to protect its citizens from terror, just as any country would do. But the collective punishment of 2. 2 Million People, the vast majority of whom are innocent civilians, simply cant be justified. Nadia el nakla says this video shows her cousins home in ruins. Her brother mohammed says the hospital he works in is hell on earth. The nurse lost two, two of her kids. At work and suddenly went to the er and found both. Sons dead in front of his eyes. Thats awful. You couldnt imagine this suffering. What would you say to the International Community, and i suppose, specifically, to the Israeli Government, which is in a position where it says its trying to avenge the horrific deaths of hundreds of its citizens and is trying to track down the people responsible . There is a quote i recently heard, that if you do an eye for an eye the world goes blind, and war brings out the worst of human beings, and i am sadly seeing, we are seeing the worst of human beings in this whole conflict. James cook reporting. Some pictures from jerusalem, nothing happening at the moment. We are expecting to have a Press Conference by the israeli premise to Benjamin Netanyahu and also Antony Blinken, us Secretary Of State. As we know, Antony Blinken arrived about three hours ago or so in israel and has been in discussions, we arejust in israel and has been in discussions, we are just waiting to hear now what has been said. It has been talked about as a message of solidarity, so we will hear what Antony Blinken and the israeli Prime Minister have to say. We will return when they start talking. Lets go to gaza, remind you of the situation. We have been having our cameras theyre looking at the skyline and, as you will know if you have been watching over the last couple of hours or so, of israeli air strikes, almost continuously for the skyline. Talking about a constant haze in the area some 2 Million People live, was correspondent lyse doucet. Some of the other news. And people across the uk are being asked for their views on plans to reduce the number of teenagers and children using e cigarettes. Proposals include banning certain flavours, and making vapes more expensive. The scottish and welsh governments have already said they are opposed to single use vapes. Heres our health editor, hugh pym. Theres increasing concern among teachers, parents and political leaders about the increase in youth vaping. A recent survey suggested that one in five 11 to 17 year olds had tried vaping. Its illegal to sell e cigarettes to under 18s. In a small number of cases, doctors have reported lung damage in children whove used the products. At the conservative Party Conference last week, the Prime Minister spelled out his concern