the israeli defence force say they have struck over 100 military targets overnight and killed a senior commander. militants have continued to fire rockets into israel, towards tel aviv and other areas in the south. the world health organization has condemned israel's evacuation order. it says forcing hospital patients to relocate would be a death sentence. president biden has spoken with the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, and urged him to provide safety for civilians amid the bombardment. diplomatic efforts to prevent the violence from spreading have been stepped up, with mr biden�*s secretary of state, antony blinken, visiting cairo. he's expected to press egyptian officials to restart talks on getting aid into gaza through the border crossing. the us is sending a second aircraft carrier to the eastern mediterranean, near israel. the uss eisenhower will lead a group of ships aimed at deterring further attacks against israel, in particularfrom iran or the lebanese militant group hezbollah. we start the hour with this report from our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. sirens wail. running from rocket fire, this was tel aviv overnight, with israel striking back at gaza and the us continuing its shuttle diplomacy. it blames hamas militants for this war and its fallout. the humanitarian crisis in gaza. innocent palestinian families and the vast majority have nothing to do with hamas. applause. they're being used as human shields. in gaza, hundreds of thousands of palestinians have been fleeing the most intense bombing they've ever seen, after israel ordered a million people to head south. with desperate scenes, many are now seeking shelter in overcrowded un schools, with no aid coming in. at the border with egypt, palestinians with foreign citizenship are hoping the crossing will open, so they can leave. among them, clutching her british passport, is mariam. i'm, like, really infearand, like, every...every time ijust have to have the thought of me dying in a bomb in gaza. like, it's... it's not a good thing. like, every place i go, i go run away, and ijust find bombs. and ifind dead people. and, like, maybe one day i'll end up like them. but it's a really scary thing for me. israel's military says it's getting ready for a comprehensive offensive against hamas by land, sea, and air. the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, visited ground troops waiting just outside gaza. "the next stage is coming", he told them. "are you ready?" it's just over a week since hamas fighters crossed out of gaza and attacked israeli communities like bury. communities like this. gunmen were caught on a security camera bringing all they needed to kill and kidnap. for israelis, the pain of the deadliest day in their country's 75—year history is raw and fears are growing for those held hostage, like anab�*s aunt. there is children without mother, there is mother without children. there is a husband without wife. . cant... — ican't think about it there. we have to do everything to bring them back. this is... we owe it to them. the scale of this new conflict between israel and hamas is unprecedented, and every day its human cost is growing. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. our correspondent, nick beake, spoke to us from ashkelon, in southern israel. yes, this is ashkelon, about seven miles from gaza, and there has been a distinctive buzz of israeli drones in the air. also the fighter pilots are going overhead. they have been flying over us and a few seconds later we hear large booms. bear in mind we are seven miles away. this echoes around southern israel. that is the situation on the ground. we just heard from the israeli officials that there will be a window, a three—hour window, today in which people in gaza can move from the north to the south along one specific route. yesterday, there were two routes that were opened up for a bigger window. these timings have very much slipped. that is what the israelis are saying today. all the while, of course, the united nations saying this is completely unacceptable. the world health organization, for example, saying that trying to move people from the north to the south is just not feasible. they say specifically when you look at 2,000 people who are intensive care and in maternity units, moving from the north to the south, to the south, that is tantamount to a death sentence. extremely strong language from them. all the while, israel saying it is carrying out a proportional response to the attacks by hamas just over a week ago and this is all part of an act of self—defence on their part. earlier, my colleague, victoria derbyshire, spoke to mark regev, formerly senior advisor for foreign affairs and international communications to the israeli prime minister. he defended the israeli govenment against accusations of carrying out indiscriminate bombing in gaza. israel does not target, does not target, i repeat, noncombatants and innocent civilians. our enemy is the hamas... that can't be true because so many innocent civilians in gaza have already died. i disagree, i disagree. in every armed conflict... over 2,000 is not a large number and, what, they are not innocent civilians? first of all, those numbers are put out by the hamas—controlled ministry of health. there's no distinction there between combatants and noncombatants. and i say to you openly, we want to kill hamas fighters. we want to kill the terrorists. that is our goal — to destroy hamas�* military capabilities. we want to come out of this in a different situation where hamas no longer has military and political control in the gaza strip. we are going to smash their military machine and we're going to destroy their political structure. that is the goal of our operation. so, if hamas terrorists are being killed, especially considering what they did just a few days ago to our people, that is justified self—defence. now, we don't want to see civilians caught up in the crossfire between israel and hamas but to say that israel can't defend itself against these gruesome killers, that is a bridge too far. that has no basis in serious international law. the british foreign secretary, james cleverly, rejected allegations that israeli bombing has breached international humans rights law. international human rights law. the uk government is absolutely committed to the adherence of international law and when we see breaches of that, we raise that, including with israel. are you saying you have not seen breaches, thus far? the point is — the clear difference is from statements coming from israel, saying they respect and will abide by international humanitarian law and hamas, on the other hand, who are specifically targeting civilians... 0k... specifically putting palestinian civilians in harm's way, hiding their terrorist infrastructure in amongst civilian infrastructure and the distinction is clear. the un, us, egypt, jordan and others in the region are working together to ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care in gaza. rishi sunak will hold talks later with the king ofjordan, who is visiting several european countries to discuss the situation in gaza. king abdullah has said he is trying to rally international support to stop what he called the war on gaza. i've been speaking to the country's ayman safadi. obviously, arab feeling the enormity of the challenge that will engulf the region if we are not able to stop any violence and stop the war and stop the tremendous human toll it is taking. we are working with our friends and allies and particularly hear starting in britain, to try and see how we can stop the escalation. —— starting here. make sure siblings are protected from both sides, getting supplies in and also look for the day after —— civilians are protected. the immediate goal is to stop the violence, stop the war and to protect civilians and get humanitarian supplies in. you may have heard — humanitarian supplies in. you may have heard my _ humanitarian supplies in. you may have heard my conversation - humanitarian supplies in. you may have heard my conversation with l humanitarian supplies in. you may l have heard my conversation with our political correspondent talking about how rishi sunak released a statement last night talking about his unequivocal support for israel, talking about how we stand with israel notjust talking about how we stand with israel not just today, talking about how we stand with israel notjust today, notjust tomorrow, but always. he has been criticised for not mentioning the civilians caught up in this in gaza. was that a disappointing statement for you to hear? film. was that a disappointing statement for you to hear?— for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to _ for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to civilians, _ for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to civilians, we _ for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to civilians, we came - for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to civilians, we came in l it comes to civilians, we came in very clearly injordan and the rest of the arab world condemning the killing of civilians from both sides. palestinian and israeli lives matter. we expect that our shared human values would dictate that we take a firm stand on all of us, against the killing of civilians, no matter what their nationality, identity is. what we all need to do is support and all speak against war, against violence as a path to achieving anything because it will not. it willjust push us deeper into the abyss of violence and death and destruction. what we need to do is support peace that will ensure safety, security, for palestinians, israelis, and everybody in the region. israelis, and everybody in the reuion. ~ , ., region. we were 'ust hearing in the last few minutes— region. we were just hearing in the last few minutes about _ region. we were just hearing in the last few minutes about missiles - last few minutes about missiles going over into israel from southern lebanon. we have been hearing from hezbollah in recent days, talking about how they are fully ready to get involved when the time comes, they said. do you get the feeling that the wider region being brought into this is inevitable? the that the wider region being brought into this is inevitable?— into this is inevitable? the danger is there. into this is inevitable? the danger is there- we _ into this is inevitable? the danger is there. we are _ into this is inevitable? the danger is there. we are dealing _ into this is inevitable? the danger is there. we are dealing with - into this is inevitable? the danger is there. we are dealing with a - is there. we are dealing with a very, very tense and difficult situation. there is talk of the ground invasion continuing and images coming out of gaza will be provocative to everybody. it will be painful to everybody, as were the images that came at the beginning of that. the possibilities are there, that. the possibilities are there, thatis that. the possibilities are there, that is why we are urging self restraint and urging this war to stop. for civilians to be protected. if that happens, we are looking at the prospects of a regional war and that would just bring more death, more destruction, more suffering, to everybody in the region. the sad thing is that for several years we have been warning against this, for several years we have been saying violence is not the path. the absence of hope is just not going to get us anywhere. for several years we have been working on trying to avoid this moment and to open a path that would restore faith in negotiations as a path to both palestinians and israelis. the palestinians and israelis. the palestinian right to freedom and statehood and the israeli right to live in security. these two go hand—in—hand, you cannot have one without the other. in the us, the pentagon has ordered a second aircraft carrier group to the eastern mediterranean. according to us officials, the uss eisenhower is part of american efforts to deter hostile actions against israel or any efforts toward widening the war. earlier, we spoke to brendan kearney, a retired colonel with the us marine corps, who gave this assessment of the us military build—up. i think they're all prudent moves. the united states was fortunate enough to have the gerald ford carrier battle group already in the med when all this, sadly, started here over a week ago. it's still going to take 8 to 10 days for this new carrier battle group to get there. and it's also going to take about the same amount of time for a marine amphibious ready group to come from the persian gulf, sail up through the suez to also get to the eastern med. and they willjoin us aircraft, us air force aircraft, that have already been pre—positioned in the far east there. so, it's...it�*s a build—up of forces, but it's prudent. it's probably a wise move on the part of the american administration. i think, again, putting the forces over there and putting them in a position where if you have to use them, they are available. i don't think there's any preconceived decision on the part of the united states government to go ahead and get involved in this conflict. we've managed to stay out of most of them over the years when it comes to israel and these periodic conflicts with the arab nations and certainly with hamas and hezbollah. but if it comes to that, by having these forces there, the united states is going to be able to launch a very, very powerful strike against whether it's hamas, hezbollah, obviously sending a message to the group that's in charge of both of them, which is resident in iran right now. live now to tarikjasarevic, from the world health organization. joining us live from geneva. the who has been talking about this evacuation order that israel has given people in the north of gaza. talk us through your concerns about that. ~ ., ., , _, . that. well, we are really concerned about order. _ that. well, we are really concerned about order, because _ that. well, we are really concerned about order, because it _ that. well, we are really concerned about order, because it would - that. well, we are really concerned about order, because it would put l that. well, we are really concerned. about order, because it would put at risk the lives of more than 2000 patients in northern gaza who have been treated in two major and many other smaller hospitals. there are lots of patients who are on life support, people on ventilators, people needing haemodialysis, newborns in incubators, pregnant women with complications. all of these people cannot simplyjust be moved. that is why we have called on israel to reverse this decision. health workers in the north of israel right now are still receiving patients in their facilities, israel right now are still receiving patients in theirfacilities, lots of patients are in corridors and even outside on the street. these health workers are facing very difficult choices, whether to leave and try to look for safety for themselves and their family or to stay and treat the patients and at the same time, risk being bombed. the third option, tried to treat patients very well knowing that it could do harm to those people in their care. could do harm to those people in their care-— could do harm to those people in their care. ~ ., , , ., ., their care. what is the situation in terms of the _ their care. what is the situation in terms of the electricity _ their care. what is the situation in terms of the electricity for - their care. what is the situation in terms of the electricity for the - terms of the electricity for the hospitals?— terms of the electricity for the hositals? ~ , ., ., , hospitals? well, they are really runnina hospitals? well, they are really running low _ hospitals? well, they are really running low and _ hospitals? well, they are really running low and on _ hospitals? well, they are really running low and on fuel. - hospitals? well, they are really running low and on fuel. at - hospitals? well, they are really i running low and on fuel. at some point, the fuel will run out. and then hospitals cannot work without fuel and electricity. that is our second call. on that, we really need humanitarian access. we have heard from other people on your programme exactly that. we need to be able to bring all necessary supplies, including medical supplies. we have brought 80 metric tonnes of medical material yesterday close to the rafah crossing at the border and we are already working together with the egyptians, to move these supplies in as soon as there is agreement on that.— supplies in as soon as there is agreement on that. how close is there an agreement _ agreement on that. how close is there an agreement on - agreement on that. how close is there an agreement on that? - agreement on that. how close is i there an agreement on that? some people have been told they need to gather by the border in case it is opened, suggesting that it might be imminent. where are the things on those negotiations?— those negotiations? these negotiations _ those negotiations? these negotiations are _ those negotiations? these| negotiations are happening those negotiations? these i negotiations are happening at various level. un agencies are working on that as well. as humanitarians, what we can do is be ready to use that corridor. the reason i am talking to you now is really that everyone has to understand that many more lives will be lost if we don't get this access. at the end of everything, what we need is facilities because no matter supplies we can get in, if there is no end of this violence, eventually innocent civilians will suffer on both sides. innocent civilians will suffer on both sides-— innocent civilians will suffer on both sides. . ~' , ., , . innocent civilians will suffer on both sides. ., ,, , ., , . ., both sides. thank you very much for talkin: to both sides. thank you very much for talking to us- _ 12 age agencies had called on the uk government to put civilians first in the approach the gaza conflict. oxfam uk is among them. their chief executive joins oxfam uk is among them. their chief executivejoins me in the oxfam uk is among them. their chief executive joins me in the studio. thank you for coming in, you are listening to what the who was saying. can you tell me a bit more about what your teams are seeing on the ground in gaza? what about what your teams are seeing on the ground in gaza?— the ground in gaza? what happened last weekend _ the ground in gaza? what happened last weekend in _ the ground in gaza? what happened last weekend in israel _ the ground in gaza? what happened last weekend in israel was _ last weekend in israel was horrifying. what is happening in gaza today is horrifying. in both cases innocent civilians are paying for a cycle of violence that shows no sign of ending. we have colleagues in gaza and we have 30 odd people there and we have been working there for decades and we are trying to stay in contact with them but the batteries on their phones are running out because there is no electricity. some have decided to move south into the south of gaza. some have said they can't move because they have disabled family members or they don't have fuel for their cars. our own colleagues are going through, living through, the sort of horrific reality of a tiny plot of land that is under an unimaginable siege and preparing for an unimaginable escalation in hostilities. that is why we are calling for an immediate ceasefire, a de—escalation and access for humanitarians to be able to provide much—needed relief now. for humanitarians to be able to provide much-needed relief now.— much-needed relief now. for its art, much-needed relief now. for its part. israel— much-needed relief now. for its part, israel says _ much-needed relief now. for its part, israel says it _ much-needed relief now. for its part, israel says it does - much-needed relief now. for its part, israel says it does give - part, israel says it does give warnings and it isn't targeting civilians in these attacks. tiara civilians in these attacks. two thin . s civilians in these attacks. two things are _ civilians in these attacks. two things are going _ civilians in these attacks. two things are going on. - civilians in these attacks. tamrr things are going on. by shutting off water and electricity into gaza, this is collective punishment. innocent lives are being lost. people who are in need of medicine are suffering. i got a message from are suffering. i got a message from a colleague this morning and she has decided to move south. she is in a tiny house with 45 other people, they have no running water. they are drinking bottled water, but that supply is running out. and, so, there is an immediate emergency. and, of course, you know, iwas there is an immediate emergency. and, of course, you know, i was in gaza just a few months ago. it is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. and, so, escalating hostilities further will, inevitably, result in thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of innocent people's lives being lost. that's why we think it's important that all parties try to de—escalate the moment. and try to break this cycle of violence. it's only going to get worse. i of violence. it's only going to get worse. . , , , of violence. it's only going to get worse. ., , , , ., of violence. it's only going to get worse. .,, , , ., ., worse. i was 'ust trying to ask the who worse. i was 'ust trying to ask the wno about — worse. i wasjust trying to ask the who about the _ worse. i wasjust trying to ask the who about the crossing _ worse. i wasjust trying to ask the who about the crossing over - worse. i wasjust trying to ask the | who about the crossing over from egypt, over the border into gaza from egypt. that seems to be... is there any other possibility of going in any other way or is that the only route for aid agencies to get in do you think? route for aid agencies to get in do ou think? ., route for aid agencies to get in do you think?— you think? right now we have no access at we _ you think? right now we have no access at we can't _ you think? right now we have no access at we can't even - you think? right now we have no access at we can't even contact l you think? right now we have no | access at we can't even contact all of our colleagues at the moment. we work in some of the most difficult situations in the world, in yemen, syria, somalia. this is unprecedented. there is no way we can get things in or things or people out. that is why this is such a horrendous situation. oxfam has been around for more than 80 years. we stand for these principles of common humanity, the idea that, yes, there will be suffering in war, but there will be suffering in war, but there are these principles, these humanitarian principles and humanitarian principles and humanitarian law that are supposed to protect innocent civilians. sadly, the last eight days have shown those principles are not being adhered to by many parties in this conflict. i5 adhered to by many parties in this conflict. , , ., , conflict. is it is not breaching international— conflict. is it is not breaching international human - conflict. is it is not breaching international human rights i conflict. is it is not breaching. international human rights law conflict. is it is not breaching - international human rights law in its defence. we will talk a lot more about this in the days to come. thank you very much for coming in, danny sriskandarajah from oxfam. a missile fired into israel from lebanon has killed at least one person. it hit a settlement called shtula, near the border between the two countries. the militant group hezbollah said it was behind the attack. live now to our correspondent, hugo bachega, who joins us from tyre, near the border in southern lebanon, where there have been renewed exchanges of fire between israel's military and hezbollah. talk us through what has been happening in the last few hours. yes, the israeli emergency services have confirmed that one person was killed, a man in his 40s and three civilians were injured in this community, a community of shtula in northern israel near the lebanese border. this is the first civilian deaths on israel's northern border since the beginning of this war between israel and hamas. hezbollah said they had targeted this community with guided missiles. they said this was in retaliation after the killings of three civilians in lebanon. they said the civilians were killed as a result of israeli attacks. the israeli army hasn't confirmed that they were involved in these attacks. it shows how volatile these attacks. it shows how volatile the situation is along the lebanese — israeli border. there are fears that lebanon could be dragged into this conflict. hezbollah obviously a very powerful group with tens of thousands of rockets and missiles and tens of thousands of fighters. in the last few days, we have seen hezbollah and israel have exchanged rockets and shellings. tensions are really high in this region. i spoke to a source close to hezbollah who said that the group is on high alert that that hezbollah's next steps will be determined by what happens in gaza and if israel goes ahead with this ground offensive in gaza against hamas. again, very tense situation and with a number of incidents happening along this border amid fears that this could become another front border amid fears that this could become anotherfront in border amid fears that this could become another front in this war. hugo bachega in southern lebanon, thank you very much. with me is bronwen maddox, the head of the security and foreign affairs think tank, chatham house. let's talk about what is going on in southern lebanon as hugo bachega was talking about. we had yesterday hezbollah saying it is fully ready to get involved when the time comes —— we heard. can this be stopped and this conflict be contained? this -- we heard. can this be stopped and this conflict be contained?— this conflict be contained? this is one of the _ this conflict be contained? this is one of the big — this conflict be contained? this is one of the big risks, _ this conflict be contained? this is one of the big risks, that - this conflict be contained? this is one of the big risks, that it - one of the big risks, that it spreads into something much wider in the region and hezbollah is the big risk. it is a formidable fighting organisation, much stronger than hamas, has lots of rockets and technology and is sitting and waiting. there are lots of reasons why it might not want to do this. lebanon is in a state of upheaval itself. hezbollah, which is also involved in the government, has to consider that. involved in the government, has to considerthat. but involved in the government, has to consider that. but it is clearly threatening israel that if it doesn't like what happens in gaza, it could begin to open a second front and tactically it might want to do that if it thought that might help palestinians in gaza. what help palestinians in gaza. what about general— help palestinians in gaza. what about general support - help palestinians in gaza. what about general support from - help palestinians in gaza. what about general support from the population for hezbollah? titer? population for hezbollah? very mixed, population for hezbollah? very mixed. very — population for hezbollah? very mixed, very hard _ population for hezbollah? very mixed, very hard to _ population for hezbollah? very mixed, very hard to tell. - population for hezbollah? - mixed, very hard to tell. certainly not of a kind that would determine one way or another whether hezbollah goes ahead with this. it is more likely to come from conversations with iranian leaders. iran is very closely involved in supporting and steering hezbollah. this begins to be interlinked. the otherfront where this could open is actually the west bank itself, which is well occupied, occupied palestinian territories where there has been increasing violence, including the past week with setters shooting palestinians, not getting anything like as much attention. this is also one area where it could begin to get out of is a's control.— out of is a's control. people in the re . ion out of is a's control. people in the region very _ out of is a's control. people in the region very concerned, _ out of is a's control. people in the region very concerned, king - region very concerned, king abdullah, the king ofjordan, touring europe to discuss this and try to contain it. antony blinken, the us secretary of state, doing his tour of countries, arab countries, trying to do his efforts. do you have... what are your thoughts about the possibilities of diplomacy here? there is quite a bit. i will speak to the king ofjordan later today and ask very much about this concern that many have in the region about trying to stop this escalating. there is quite a lot of quiet diplomacy going on. qatar, which has been involved in supporting hamas is offering itself as a way to try to broker something on humanitarian aid, possibly something on the hostages. egypt is extremely involved. turkey is offering a role. although egypt doctorjohn egypt won't open its border at the moment. two refugees will stop —— although egypt-- two refugees will stop —— although egypt... it two refugees will stop -- although er nt... , ., two refugees will stop -- although er tr... , ., two refugees will stop -- although e. .t__. , ., ., egypt... it is a question of where it o rens egypt... it is a question of where it opens the _ egypt... it is a question of where it opens the border _ egypt... it is a question of where it opens the border too. - it opens the border too. humanitarian aid, it might be persuaded but it is a question of dual national palestinians coming out and that is where some of the negotiation is going. what out and that is where some of the negotiation is going.— negotiation is going. what about what as well _ negotiation is going. what about what as well is _ negotiation is going. what about what as well is saying _ negotiation is going. what about what as well is saying about - negotiation is going. what about l what as well is saying about how it wants to wipe out hamas? it is talking about it is not targeting civilians —— israel is saying. and they are justified self—defence. in terms of its endgame, you get the sense that it won't be happy until hamas doesn't exist at all. is that even a possibility? i hamas doesn't exist at all. is that even a possibility?— even a possibility? i think that's rirht. even a possibility? i think that's riht. it even a possibility? i think that's right. it won't _ even a possibility? i think that's right. it won't be _ even a possibility? i think that's right. it won't be happy. - even a possibility? i think that's right. it won't be happy. israeli even a possibility? i think that's i right. it won't be happy. israel has a long history of pursuing its enemies very tenaciously. for several years. and getting many of them in the end. it has a lot of the world's support in retaliating against the hamas leadership who have organised these horrendous attacks on israeli civilians. but i don't think you can wipe out an idea lry don't think you can wipe out an idea by killing the leaders. and the danger they are facing. but as we saw in afghanistan and iraq, you can kill some of the leaders and yet another generation rises up. in a different form _ another generation rises up. in a different form somehow. in terms of the numbers of hamas fighters that they are in gaza at the moment, is it possible to even put a figure on it? i it possible to even put a figure on it? ., �* 4' it possible to even put a figure on it? ., �* ~ ,., it possible to even put a figure on it? y ~ ,_ it? i don't think so, reliably. the actual number— it? i don't think so, reliably. the actual number of— it? i don't think so, reliably. the actual number of leaders, - it? i don't think so, reliably. the actual number of leaders, a - it? i don't think so, reliably. the actual number of leaders, a few| actual number of leaders, a few dozen, you can come down to really two will stop not all of these people are inside gaza, of course. they are around the region. but hamas supporters is a much wider question. we have certainly had from the palestinian ambassador this morning that he thought most in gaza supported the more moderate party of the palestinians that remains to be tested, there haven't been elections for 50 years. and we don't know. most palestinians in gaza at the moment simply we want to keep alive. i suppose that is what people need to keep in mind, i suppose, the humans at the heart of all of this. we are having calls from the british government today for that to be kept in mind, isn't it? and that is the focus of sony different governments at the moment, trying to remind everybody that it is the civilians who are suffering in this. this is the most difficult _ who are suffering in this. this is the most difficult decision - who are suffering in this. this is the most difficult decision for. the most difficult decision for israel. , ., the most difficult decision for israel. ., , ' israel. -- so many different. it has the world's — israel. -- so many different. it has the world's support _ israel. -- so many different. it has the world's support pretty - israel. -- so many different. it has the world's support pretty much i israel. -- so many different. it has| the world's support pretty much for retaliating against hamas. to some extent it has _ retaliating against hamas. to some extent it has been _ retaliating against hamas. to some extent it has been hotly _ retaliating against hamas. to some extent it has been hotly debated i retaliating against hamas. to some| extent it has been hotly debated for warning palestinians in northern gaza that this assault is coming. but for shutting off humanitarian aid to southern gaza, that is where the decisions get really difficult. thank you for talking to us. thanks for watching, you are watching bbc news. hello, again. it's been a pretty cold start to the day. in fact, for some of us, it's been the first frost of the autumn. temperatures got down below freezing across many northern areas, down to minus four celsius in cumbria. but even further south in oxfordshire and south wales, those temperatures got down just below freezing. lots of sunshine, though, through this morning. that will continue throughout the afternoon. it will stay dry for most of us. one or two showers just around the coast there of norfolk clipping the coastline, showers coming in across northern and western areas of scotland. but generally speaking, fewer showers compared to yesterday. still a little bit breezy across scotland, but those winds are not as strong as they were yesterday and lighter winds as well for england and wales. and temperatures this afternoon getting up to about 9 to 12 degrees celsius. if anything, it could be, in fact, a bit colder than it was yesterday. now through this evening and tonight, still a few showers across northern scotland, down the north sea coast as well. there'll be some fog developing across northern england, parts of wales and south west england as well that could be quite dense into tomorrow morning. and again, it's going to turn quite chilly. these are the temperatures in the towns and cities, 2 to four degrees. but heading to the countryside, those temperatures once again close to if notjust below freezing. monday morning starts off, though, with this area of high pressure situated across the uk. a weather frontjust bringing some showers across the far north of scotland throughout the day. on monday, there could be a few showers coming into kent, perhaps into south west scotland as well. but for most of us it's going to be a dry day. the patchy mist and fog in the morning will clear away variable amounts of cloud, really. so there will be some bright, some sunny spells, but perhaps more clouds compared to today. and temperatures once again, about 11 to 13 or ia degrees. as we go through the rest of the week, that area of high pressure gradually moves away to the east and then we'll see low pressure moving in from the south. and that will bring some spells of rain, strengthening winds as well across many parts of the uk. and with that southerly flow, we are going to see milder air slowly moving its way in as well. so it won't be quite as cold as we go through the later stages of next week. so just a summary then really for monday and tuesday look dry with some sunny spells, wednesday onward, that's when it turns more unsettled. but you notice those temperatures rising about 13 to 17, perhaps even 18 degrees. bye— bye. this is bbc news. the headlines: israel is massing troops near gaza as it prepares for the next phase of its military operation — planning an attack from air, land and sea to, quote, "wipe out hamas". the operation is in retaliation for hamas attacks on israeli communities last week, shooting dead civilians and taking hostages. thousands of people are fleeing the north of gaza, following israeli evacuation orders — as the humanitarian crisis in the territory deepens. the un estimates nearly a million palestinians there have now been displaced. and the palestinian health authority says more than 2,000 people have been killed in israeli air strikes. the world health organization has condemned israel's order for the evacuation of 22 hospitals in northern gaza, ahead of an expected ground offensive against hamas. they said forcing more than 2,000 patients — including those in intensive care and new—borns in incubators — to relocate to southern gaza "could be tantamount to a death sentence". and president biden has spoken to the israeli and palestinian leaders — as the us steps up efforts to contain the escalating conflict. mr biden urged israel to provide safety for palestinian civilians and to issue a condemnation of hamas. and the us secretary of state, antony blinken, will visit egypt today as part of a tour of arab countries aimed at preventing the violence from spreading. the un, us, egypt, jordan and others in the region are working together to ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care in gaza. rishi sunak will hold talks later with the king ofjordan, who is visiting several european countries to discuss the situation in gaza. king abdullah has said he is trying to rally international support to stop what he called "the war" on gaza. i've been speaking to the country's foreign minister ayman safadi about the meeting, what can be achieved, and how civilians can be helped. obviously, arab fearing the enormity of the challenge that will engulf the region if we are not able to stop any violence and stop the war and stop the tremendous human toll it is taking. we are working with our friends and allies and particularly here starting in britain, to try and see how we can stop the escalation. make sure civilians are protected from both sides, getting supplies in and also look for the day after. the immediate goal is to stop the violence, stop the war and to protect civilians and get humanitarian supplies in. you may have heard my conversation with our political correspondent talking about how rishi sunak released a statement last night talking about his unequivocal support for israel, talking about how we stand with israel not just today, notjust tomorrow, but always. he has been criticised for not mentioning the civilians caught up in this in gaza. was that a disappointing statement for you to hear? oh, i think, when it comes to civilians, we came in very clearly injordan and the rest of the arab world condemning the killing of civilians from both sides. palestinian and israeli lives matter. we expect that our shared human values would dictate that we take a firm stand on all of us, against the killing of civilians, no matter what their nationality, identity is. what we all need to do is support and all speak against war, against violence as a path to achieving anything because it will not. it willjust push us deeper into the abyss of violence and death and destruction. what we need to do is support peace that will ensure safety, security, for palestinians, israelis, and everybody in the region. we were just hearing in the last few minutes about missiles going over into israel from southern lebanon. we have been hearing from hezbollah in recent days, talking about how they are fully ready to get involved when the time comes, they said. do you get the feeling that the wider region being brought into this is inevitable? the danger is there. we are dealing with a very, very tense and difficult situation. there is talk of the ground invasion continuing and images coming out of gaza will be provocative to everybody. it will be painful to everybody, as were the images that came at the beginning of that. the possibilities are there, that is why we are urging self restraint and urging this war to stop. for civilians to be protected. if that happens, we are looking at the prospects of a regional war and that would just bring more death, more destruction, more suffering, to everybody in the region. the sad thing is that for several years we have been warning against this, for several years we have been saying violence is not the path. the absence of hope is just not going to get us anywhere. for several years we have been working on trying to avoid this moment and to open a path that would restore faith in negotiations as a path to both palestinians and israelis. the palestinian right to freedom and statehood and the israeli right to live in security. these two go hand—in—hand, you cannot have one without the other. should we talk about the humanitarian corridors and what progress has been made, if any? the clear area people are focusing on is the border with gaza and eject, which remains close, even for aid organisations going in or out —— gaza and easyjet. organisations going in or out -- gaza and easyjet.— gaza and easyjet. early this morning. — gaza and easyjet. early this morning. no. _ gaza and easyjet. early this morning, no, israel- gaza and easyjet. early this morning, no, israel is- gaza and easyjet. early this i morning, no, israel is refusing to allow them into gaza. this isjust unacceptable by any standards. to be frank, why is it denying access to food and water and energy and fuel to ukraine is a war crime, and we aren't hearing the same here? it is enormous, it is painful, just beyond words, in terms of the human loss had caused. we cannot do more of the same. there are 2.3 million people in gaza in an area of 140 square kilometres, the most densely populated area on earth. these are innocent people, young women, children, elderly. why should they be punished? denying access to food is punishment, and we should all be clear in saying it. non—others want war. clear in saying it. non-others want war. , ., ., ., , clear in saying it. non-others want war. , ., ., ., war. israel will argue it has a rirht to war. israel will argue it has a right to defend _ war. israel will argue it has a right to defend itself - war. israel will argue it has a right to defend itself from i war. israel will argue it has a | right to defend itself from the attacks it suffered a week ago. it will also talk about how it can't negotiate with hamas, and it seems as ground invasion is imminent. israel has to take action, has to be seen to deal with the situation. it needs to restore security for its people. needs to restore security for its rerole. ~ ., needs to restore security for its neale, . ., . ., needs to restore security for its rerole. ~ ., . ., ., needs to restore security for its rreole. . ., . ., ., ., people. we are clear, we are for the security of — people. we are clear, we are for the security of israeli _ people. we are clear, we are for the security of israeli people _ people. we are clear, we are for the security of israeli people and - security of israeli people and palestinians. both human people, human beings, both deserve equal measures of security and protection. that is a given, non—others would argue the other way. we wouldn't be human if we didn't. israeli lives matter, palestinian lives matter. what will happen? can you see a diplomatic solution? unfortunately it doesn't look _ diplomatic solution? unfortunately it doesn't look like _ diplomatic solution? unfortunately it doesn't look like that _ diplomatic solution? unfortunately it doesn't look like that at - diplomatic solution? unfortunately it doesn't look like that at this i it doesn't look like that at this point. if you continue down this path, the only thing it will produce is more death and suffering for palestinians, israelis and everyone. both deserve a right to peace and dignity and security. they go hand—in—hand. instead of drawing down the path of war, which carries the real threat of spreading to the whole region, let'sjust... i mean, the loss has been there, and it is painful and sad and tragic. let's not go to more losses, and let's focus on what can really bring security, that is stopping the war and all coming together behind a plan on stopping this once and for ever. and that only means a path for peace on a two state solution. can ou peace on a two state solution. can you imagine _ peace on a two state solution. can you imagine this attack happened from hamas and there is a realistic path to a 2—stage solution? can you imagine israel being willing to do it after the attacks on its soil? emotions are high, the loss and pain is deep, nobody argues against it. it is ourjob as people in positions of responsibility, how we protect people and give them a future. war won't achieve anything. it isn't the first time we see it. what did war and by this achieve? from both. it got us nowhere, it got us here. the priority is just stop this craziness and golfing the region and risking pushing us all to the abyss, and as terrible as the losses are, for the israelis and palestinians, how do we get to a place where we are not in this space we been pushed into? we need to create our own space for peace, now we are pushed into a space for violence.— space for violence. should palestinian _ space for violence. should palestinian refugees i space for violence. should palestinian refugees be i space for violence. should i palestinian refugees be allowed space for violence. should - palestinian refugees be allowed into eejit? —— egypt. -- egypt. no, we will never accept populations-- _ -- egypt. no, we will never accept populations... gaza _ -- egypt. no, we will never accept populations... gaza has _ -- egypt. no, we will never accept populations... gaza has been i populations... gaza has been destroyed — populations... gaza has been destroyed in _ populations... gaza has been destroyed in the _ populations... gaza has been destroyed in the north. i populations... gaza has been destroyed in the north. you l populations... gaza has been i destroyed in the north. you cannot transfer the _ destroyed in the north. you cannot transfer the crisis _ destroyed in the north. you cannot transfer the crisis into _ destroyed in the north. you cannot transfer the crisis into the - destroyed in the north. you cannot transfer the crisis into the region l transfer the crisis into the region because any talk of population displacement willjust because any talk of population displacement will just take this conflict into a totally different dimension. conflict into a totally different dimension-— conflict into a totally different dimension. you have 2 million palestinian _ dimension. you have 2 million palestinian refugees _ dimension. you have 2 million palestinian refugees in - dimension. you have 2 million| palestinian refugees in jordan. dimension. you have 2 million i palestinian refugees in jordan. 2.6 million, palestinian refugees in jordan. 2.6 million. and _ palestinian refugees injordan. 25 million, and we will never palestinian refugees injordan. 2.15 million, and we will never accept any palestinian is being pushed out of their country. the answer is we have to look beyond this difficult and painful moment, as what can be done to make sure this is not going to hit us again, as history of the region has been. the scottish national party's annual conference starts today in aberdeen and will include a key debate on scottish independence. our political correspondent nick eardley is in aberdeen for us this morning. it has been a difficult few weeks for the snp. this is a chance for them to gather together and sort everything out, i suppose. it is certainly a _ everything out, i suppose. it is certainly a chance _ everything out, i suppose. it is certainly a chance to _ everything out, isuppose. it 3 certainly a chance to try. i suspect they will want to be talking about that independence debate this afternoon, where they will try and find a way to force a uk government to agree to another referendum. the plan from the new leader humza yousaf is if the party wins a majority of seats at the next general election, they would use that as a mandate to open talks with the uk government about trying to make that a vote happen. another referendum, that is. the backdrop to this conference for the snp is pretty disastrous, actually. it's been a rough few months for the snp, there is a police investigation ongoing into the finances. there was the defection of one of their mps last week to the conservative party, there was a crucial by—election a couple of weeks ago where the snp were trounced. the big fear a lot of people you chat to in the snp have is that labour could win a number of seats of the snp at the next general election. there's a big bottle going on for part of the central belt of scotland between edinburgh and glasgow and other parts in the west, where labour are hoping to make a big comeback. it is a tricky time for the snp. they've been on the back foot over the last few weeks, last few months, actually, and they will try to use this conference to get back on the front first. given all those things we talked about, it may be easier said than done. humza yousaf has had _ may be easier said than done. humza yousaf has had a _ may be easier said than done. humza yousaf has had a difficult _ may be easier said than done. humza yousaf has had a difficult time - may be easier said than done. humza yousaf has had a difficult time in i yousaf has had a difficult time in terms of politics. he is having a difficult time personally because his in—laws are trapped in gaza at the moment. his in-laws are trapped in gaza at the moment-— his in-laws are trapped in gaza at the moment. yes, that is right. his mother-in-law_ the moment. yes, that is right. his mother-in-law and _ the moment. yes, that is right. his mother-in-law and father-in-law l the moment. yes, that is right. his i mother-in-law and father-in-law were mother—in—law and father—in—law were visiting a relative in gaza when some of the situation there really escalated over the past few days. he was on bbc one this morning and was talking about what sounds like a harrowing story. he got a phone call in the middle of the night from his in—laws saying they had been forced out of their house, they thought it was about to be bombed and they have been given notice there was an incoming air strike. that turned out to be incorrect. a really emotional first minister was on the airwaves talking about how his mother—in—law was saying her goodbyes. he's been talking about what could be done to alleviate some of that suffering in gaza, talking about humanitarian corridors being opened, about a ceasefire required to allow people in gaza to get out of those more dangerous part of gaza where we are expecting a ground offensive from israeli forces over the next few days. as i say, he's clearly visibly shocked and emotional about what has gone on with his family, but at the moment they remain trapped in gaza. it's not clear how they will get out. ., asia. fist about what has happened? -- south asia. �* ~' about what has happened? -- south asia. �* ,, , , asia. at eight o'clock buildings started shaken _ asia. at eight o'clock buildings started shaken under- asia. at eight o'clock buildings started shaken under a - asia. at eight o'clock buildings i started shaken under a magnitude of 6.3 earthquake after it hit afghanistan, the third in the last eight days. panic residents ran out of the buildings and they were sleeping following two earthquakes, which were followed by two strong aftershocks. the geological survey says the epicentre was 30 kilometres north—west of the city near the border of iran. but have officials are saying they are investigating if any major damage has been caused. many of these villagers are difficult to reach out to. in the past two earthquakes, more than 1300 people were killed, and thousands displaced. we saw these heart—wrenching images of mass graves being tugged up for those killed. people are already sleeping in the open, they have nowhere else to go. they are staying intense, and this third earthquake has shaken residents in the western part of afghanistan. residents in the western part of afghanistan-— afghanistan. 0k, thank you for raivin us afghanistan. 0k, thank you for giving us the — afghanistan. 0k, thank you for giving us the update. - poland is electing a new parliament today in a vote which is too close to call — but that both sides say will determine the country's future direction. the governing right—wing law and justice party is battling to secure a record 3rd term in office — while the liberal opposition civic platform led by former prime minister donald tusk hopes to oust them. our correspondent sarah rainsford is in warsaw and explained what's at stake at this election. we're outside a polling station here in central warsaw. and people have been coming here since pretty early this morning. the polls opened at 7:00 and it's been quite busy inside. people coming with their children, some people coming with their dogs as well to vote. lots of people taking selfies at the ballot box as they drop their papers into the urn here. lots of people saying that this is an extremely important election for poland, and i think there is a fair amount at stake. people describe this as the most important vote since 1989, since the end of communism here in poland. and they say that essentially this is about poland choosing its future, the values it represents. and also this is very much about poland's relationship with europe, its position within the eu. the campaigning itself has been extremely negative by both sides, each one accusing the other one of being a threat to poland's future. so the governing law and justice party is presenting the civic coalition opposition as a threat to security. they claim that they support an unlimited migration. the opposition itself is presenting the governing party as a threat to democracy itself. so, as i say, very, very bitter campaign, a very personalised campaign between the two leaders of those two parties. and a fair amount at stake here. lots of people certainly keen to come out and vote early to make sure that their vote counts in this election. there are some really key, key issues at the heart of the election. certainly the opposition is sounding the alarm, if you like, about those things, pointing to precisely the eu's concerns about the rule of law here in poland, about the politicisation of the judiciary, also about the independence of the media, the fact that the public media here, the state television in particular, has essentially become a tool of the ruling peace party, the law and justice party. so those are the key worries, the sort of backsliding on democracy that the opposition here points to. in terms of society, though, this is a pretty conservative society. abortion has been a major issue. it's essentially almost impossible to get an abortion now legally here in poland. that is an issue at these polls as well. but i think, you know, this this whole question about poland's position within europe, the increasingly antagonistic relationship between warsaw and brussels that we've seen developing, how will that develop going forward if the governing party wins another term in office? will that relationship get worse? in fact, some people here are worried that actually poland could end up leaving the eu, that that's what the government has planned. but there is broad support for the eu and that's why the opposition is playing very hard. the idea that it will reverse the problems with the eu, that the antagonism will end and that poland's future is firmly within that democratic kind of family of values. we will have plenty more from sarah later in the day. we will have plenty more from sarah later in the day. now to australia where thousands of people have been attending pro—palestinian rallies in the state capitals today, despite police threats to curb them, amid high tensions. one of the largest rallies was in sydney, where protest organiser, the palestine action group, said around 5,000 people attended. many rally—goers waved palestine flags and chanted "free, free palestine". earlier we heard from the bbc�*s phil mercer in sydney. the australian administration is led by the labour prime minister, anthony albanese, and he was very quick a week ago to condemn those attacks on israeli civilians and territory within israel by hamas militants. and we're hearing today that the australian foreign minister penny wong is trying to organise evacuation flights out of tel aviv. these would be government chartered aircraft and military planes for australian citizens wanting to leave the region. so as far as australia is concerned, this is an extremely dangerous fluid situation, and as far as those citizens of australia wanting to leave, the government in canberra is trying to do all it can to take them to safety. so it's safe to say that this is a story that is dominating the news agenda here in australia. both sides of the conflict are extremely concerned about what is unfolding many thousands of kilometres away in the middle east. lets bring you some live shots from gaza that we can see, you can see some black smoke in the horizon. there been various plumes of smoke rising in the last few hours. there is another one. the un saying more than1 million people have fled their homes in the gaza strip in the past week. israel has given palestinian residents of northern gaza more time to leave. but as you can see, the aerial bombardment ahead of the ground offensive against hamas is continuing. plenty more on what is going on in gaza throughout the day. do stay with us on bbc news. hello, again. it's been a pretty cold start to the day. in fact, for some of us, it's been the first frost of the autumn. temperatures got down below freezing across many northern areas, down to minus four celsius in cumbria. but even further south in oxfordshire and south wales, those temperatures got down just below freezing. lots of sunshine, though, through this morning. that will continue throughout the afternoon. it will stay dry for most of us. one or two showers just around the coast there of norfolk clipping the coastline, showers coming in across northern and western areas of scotland. but generally speaking, fewer showers compared to yesterday. still a little bit breezy across scotland, but those winds are not as strong as they were yesterday and lighter winds as well for england and wales. and temperatures this afternoon getting up to about 9 to 12 degrees celsius. if anything, it could be, in fact, a bit colder than it was yesterday. now through this evening and tonight, still a few showers across northern scotland, down the north sea coast as well. there'll be some fog developing across northern england, parts of wales and south west england as well that could be quite dense into tomorrow morning. and again, it's going to turn quite chilly. these are the temperatures in the towns and cities, 2 to four degrees. but heading to the countryside, those temperatures once again close to if notjust below freezing. monday morning starts off, though, with this area of high pressure situated across the uk. a weather frontjust bringing some showers across the far north of scotland throughout the day. on monday, there could be a few showers coming into kent, perhaps into south west scotland as well. but for most of us it's going to be a dry day. the patchy mist and fog in the morning will clear away variable amounts of cloud, really. so there will be some bright, some sunny spells, but perhaps more clouds compared to today. and temperatures once again, about 11 to 13 or 14 degrees. as we go through the rest of the week, that area of high pressure gradually moves away to the east and then we'll see low pressure moving in from the south. and that will bring some spells of rain, strengthening winds as well across many parts of the uk. and with that southerly flow, we are going to see milder air slowly moving its way in as well. so it won't be quite as cold as we go through the later stages of next week. so just a summary then really for monday and tuesday look dry with some sunny spells, wednesday onward, that's when it turns more unsettled. but you notice those temperatures rising about 13 to 17, perhaps even 18 degrees. bye— bye. live from london. this is bbc news. israel's army prepares for a ground offensive of the gaza strip — the next phase of its military operation against hamas. palestinians living in northern gaza have been given a three—hour window to move south. thousands have already fled by vehicle or on foot. the un's aid agency has told the bbc that gaza is "being pushed into an abyss." the foreign office is telling british nationals in gaza to prepare in case the rafah border crossing into egypt is opened. and president biden speaks to the israeli and palestinian leaders as the us steps up efforts to contain the escalating conflict. hello, i'm lucy grey. israel has renewed its warning for people in the northern half of gaza to leave, as it continues intense airstrikes across the territory. troops are massed on the border with gaza ahead of an expected ground incursion. the israeli defence force say they have struck over 100 military targets overnight and killed a senior commander.