By hamas while underscoring the need to minimise civilian casualties in gaza. The president will hear from israel, helped Conduct Operations that help minimises civilian casualties and enable humanitarian assistance to floaty civilians in gaza anyway that does not benefit hamas. To that does not benefit hamas. To that end today and at our request, the United States and israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable donor nations and humanitarian organisations to Reach Civilians In Gaza and them alone. Including the possibility of opening areas to help keep civilians say. It is critical that we get aid to them as soon as possible. We share concern that hamas may destroy aid entering gaza or may otherwise prevent it from reaching people who need it pulls if a mass man in any way blocked mandatory assistance from reaching civilians including by seizing the aid itself, we will be the first to condemn and rack to prevent it happening again. We welcome israels commitment to this plan and the president looks forward to discussing it further. The president s trip will include a stop in amman where hell meet with King Abdullah ofjordan, egyptian president el sisi and Palestinian Authority president abbas. President biden met earlier on monday with his National Security team in the oval office. Spokespersonjohn kirby, told reporters after blinken� S Announcement that the us is not dictating directions to the israelis, when asked about the timing of an expected Ground Offensive around the president s visit. The announcement comes as hundreds of thousands of palestinians are trying to escape gaza amid a near total israeli blockade. Israels siege has plunged gaza into a deepening humanitarian crisis, cutting off fuel, food and electricity supplies. A Senior State Department official tells our Barbar Plett Usher that getting aid to gaza will be a key part of the president s trip, which multiple arab leaders have pushed for to the us people hoping to flee across the rafah Border Crossing in the south of gaza, are still unable to escape because egypt wont open the border. This, despite diplomatic pressure for the evacuation of foreign nationals. On the egyptian side of the crossing, a convoy of humanitarian aid waits, blocked from delivering vital supplies as the crisis inside gaza deepens. And on monday, an air strike Hit The Rafah Crossing on the egyptian side. Israeli air strikes have killed more than 2750 people in gaza over the past week, according to Palestinian Health officials as israel targets members of hamas. Hamas has continued their strikes on israel, with Air Raid Sirens triggered injerusalem and tel aviv. The group is designated as a Terror Organisation by many western governments and is responsible for last weeks attack that killed more than moo people in southern israel. Israel now says the number of people they believe are being held hostage in gaza is up to 199. Hamas has released a Video Showing one of the people it took hostage during the assault on israel that triggered the war. The video shows a young woman speaking hebrew who identifies herself as 21 year old mia shem. It includes footage of the same woman receiving treatment foran arm injury. In it, the woman says she is from Central Israel and appeals for her release. A spokesman for the family said they agreed these pictures could be shown. Earlier i spoke to elise labbott, ceo and founder of zivvy media, a digital platform engaging the gen z audience. She has covered the Israeli Palestinian conflict and us Foreign Policy for years. Great to have you on. I want to start with thiS Announcement that President Biden will be heading to israel this wednesday. What do you make of that . It is obviously to show support for israel, unequivocal support that the us is standing by its ally. It is also a message to iran, hezbollah, do not even think of getting involved because the us has israels back. I would also say that as he is going tojordan and meeting with King Abdullah and the egyptian president and that is about the humanitarian situation in gaza and i think what President Biden is trying to do right now is hug the israelis close and show the us is on their side, to have that leverage on how this Ground Offensive is undertaken and to try and have leverage over the israelis as they do this to be mindful of the humanitarian situation in gaza and keep an eye on the day after, remind him that israel was working towards a full integration into the region and preserving space for Diplomatic Solutions to the crisis is the best way to do that. Also seen Antony Blinken shuttling between middle east capitals trying to work with leaders specifically on this issue of balancing and battling hamas on one side but also ensuring that civilians in gaza are protected and he has been talking about the need for both. From what you have seen, what do you think he has been able to achieve . They are negotiating heavily with the egyptians about opening the border. The egyptians have concerns. They do not want a lot of refugees crossing the border and they do not want to see a lot of palestinians going back into the sinai because that evokes an issue of what they call the forced palestinians from their land. There is psychological effect to that. Thirdly, they want to get aid in but the us has been saying to the egyptians you need to open up the border so we can let foreign citizens out and the egyptians are saying, listen, yes it is important for those citizens to get out but it is also important for aid to get in. So right now egypt is using the border as leverage. I want to also ask you about the fact that we have seen hamas militants release a Hostage Video of one person taken hostage, nearly 200 people are being held hostage at the moment. We heard the Secretary Of State say that will be one of the topics that President Biden will address. How much has that shaped what israel and the United States are trying to do here . I think it shapes it a lot. Because of what israel is trying to undertake, hamas has these hostages hidden somewhere and it will be very hard to find them if the israelis have a rough idea of where they are, deep in gaza where hamas could be hiding them and israel does not want to do anything to hurt these hostages. Two dozen of them are americans and obviously that is a consideration. I would say however that i do not think it is as much of a consideration for the israelis now as going after hamas. They obviously do not want to lose their citizens and we have seen over the years how israel when there was a soldier taken hostage, they spent five years negotiating for him. But for israel, they need to know if they want to negotiate with hamas. Qatar and egypt are involved, they have good relations with hamas and are talking to them about getting hostages released. Do they make that bargain . Do they let hamas prisoners out of israeli jails . It is a tricky situation. You wrote a piece in politico about the us and its role in Middle East Policy and its interesting, you said it is time for a new kind of Peace Process where the us is not the sole broker. Indeed, we see President Biden meeting with the king ofjordan and the egyptian president and the president of the Palestinian Authority. What role do you think they will take . They have a role in pushing and reminding, the egyptians but really the jordanians and King Abdullah have been continually reminding the United States and israel about, we have seen the Abraham Accords where israel forms relations with arab states including the gulf states and that is great and could help the region grow with tourism and commerce and better relations between people of the region. But you cannot move forward on that until there is a solution to the occupation, until the palestinians get their own state. So what i am talking about and what i think President Biden is also trying to do, right now you are going back to basics. That is the core quartet, King Abdullah, president of egypt. That is really who it was originally. We have other players such as the uae and bahrain and saudi arabia which the us has been trying to make a big relationship with. I think they will have a bigger part in a regional Peace Process. They will have a bigger role in trying to help with reconstruction of gaza. We know that there will need to be a lot of work to rebuild gaza and i think they are going to want the arabs to really have a hand on this. It cannotjust be that the arab states want kosher hotels and tourists, israeli tourists coming in and getting tourism dollars. They need to step up and show some responsibility. They said they want peace with israel, having the bigger part in the Peace Process is what they need to be doing. We only have about 20 seconds left, do you think the us is disengaging with the middle east, would President Biden going to israel . No, us president s have unsuccessfully tried to disengage from the middle east, pivot to china, the war in ukraine. It is an important reason for the us and they will continue to remain engaged. There could be bigger players playing more of a part along with us but the us is always going to be indispensable in the region. Elise labbott, great to have you want. Thank you Forjoining Us tonight. As weve been hearing, the situation on the ground in gaza is getting worse by the day with the un warning that gazas Health System is on the verge of collapse. Well, earlier my colleague Caitriona Perry spoke with doctor natalia kanem, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund about the effect this humanitarian crisis is having on pregnant women. We are seeing images coming out of gaza of small babies in Intensive Care Units in hospitals that are under Evacuation Orders or almost out of fuel and supplies. What is the latest situation on the ground as you are aware of it . Terrible humanitarian catastrophe in the making. The big concern, especially for unfpa that works with pregnant women is opening the humanitarian access corridors and ensuring the people who are really in distress that may be in hospital are protected and they are safe and they dont have to move. What is the situation like at the moment for pregnant women in gaza . Working within gaza, we know there are well over 50,000 women who are pregnant. About 5500 of them are expected to deliver in the next coming days. Weeks, months. About 160 deliveries a day. At this point, the uncertainty around where to deliver is what women are reporting to us. We have had some pretty gripping understandings about the race against death when you asked to move and are heavily pregnant, you are not sure if there is going to be a complication. For women that already are hospitalised and whose newborns may need an incubator, it is a minute to minute guess about whether the fuel holds up, whether the energy that allows the incubator will be available and you can imagine if you need a caesarean section at this hour how dire the circumstances are. Also the situation regarding the lack of clean water. How will that be impacting Women And Children whether they are at the point of delivery or not . This is why the United Nations Secretary General has been so clear about rescinding this movement and evacuation order. The point being for health and hygiene, food, water, the inability to have a reliable supply of medication, nothing is as precarious as a woman carrying her child, walking and in fear, not understanding what is going to happen to her next. One of the important provisions of International Humanitarian law is Health Facilities be spared. For us as midwives are trying their best, even using hot lines to communicate with mothers trying to be able to give guidance by remote. When you reach a hospital or Health Facility that has to be a safe haven. Unfortunately, nine or ten days out, the supplies in these hospitals are exhausted. Unfpa along with other humanitarian arms including the Red Cross Have Dignity Kits at the ready at the border with egypt. We hope the good offices of all concerned will result in an opening of that corridor so that supplies can come in. For people who are trapped in the north as well, for women with disabilities, or women who have had high Blood Pressure complications, they need that medication by drip. They are not going to be able to move. We insist the Health Facilities be protected zones. Is it surprising to you that it has taken so long and still no humanitarian aid order has been established . What i have to believe in and we have to offer hope to people who are caught up in a crisis not of their own making is that the dialogue process, the Peace Process, which is the fervent wish of everyone that has caught up in this situation right now, they respected. I am surprised because as a physician myself, as a leader of a Reproductive Health group, unfpa, we know that pregnancy is actually a sacred time for the mother and the unborn child, so i really do expect that all actions will be taken to protect people who are just minute by minute trying to reeves, trying to get through a crisis. I will also say that from a perspective from the movement of people, there are times and circumstances where the sacrosanct quality of a woman in labour must be respected and this is one of those times. Thank you very much Forjoining Us. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. A us federaljudge has imposed a partial gag order against donald trump in his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The judge said she would not allow the former president to launch a Smear Campaign against people involved in the case. Special Counseljack Smith had filed a motion, arguing that mr trumps rhetoric threatened to undermine the trial. Nearly all the votes have been counted in polands general election, and it appears that the right wing law and Justice Party has lost its majority. And opposition parties, led by the former European Council president , donald tusk, may be able to form a coalition government. Mr tusk has vowed to improve relations with the eu and continue strong support for ukraine. Two Gun Manufacturers in the Us State Of Texas are now barred from selling products that can be quickly converted at home into firearms known as ghost guns. The Us Supreme Court granted a request by President Biden� S Administration to once again block a federaljudge� s order it says was intended to back Gun Manufacturers. Youre live with bbc news. Returning to the war in the middle east now and International Pressure is mounting on israel to ensure humanitarian aid can reach civilians as it continues its siege of gaza. Earlier my colleague Caitriona Perry spoke about this with tsach saar, Acting Consul General of israels new york consulate. Joining us is tsach saar, Acting Down Sewell general of new yorks consulate. Thanks indeed Forjoining Us. Given the humanitarian crisis among the humanitarian crisis among the civilians in gaza, will israel heed the calls from the us, the un, the eu among others to allow water, electricity, fuel, medicalsupplies to allow water, electricity, fuel, medical supplies and general humanitarian aid into gaza. ,. , ~ general humanitarian aid into gaza. �. , gaza. Look, were doing everything gaza. Look, were doing everything we gaza. Look, were doing everything we can gaza. Look, were doing everything we can in gaza. Look, were doing i everything we can in order gaza. Look, were doing everything we can in order to prevent and to avoid Collateral Damage and harming of civilians, innocent civilians, but i think that these questions should be directed to hamas. Hamas is blockading and doing whatever it can for its own citizens to stay in places where we asked to evacuate. We pre emptily warned civilians to evacuate these areas. We provided specific instructions. We gave windows of time to do that. I dont know any other western democracy that will do the same as we did, especially not after this this brutal attack that we suffered. So maybe this question should be directed to hamas. You mentioned water that they take their own and use their own water, pipelines, and turn them into rockets. So maybe they would be able to provide a better answer for that. But nevertheless, better answer for that. But nevertheless, israel better answer for that. But nevertheless, israel has closed down two of the crossings and the third one at rafah, supplies coming into gaza need to be okked or approved by israel to cross through and that permission is not being granted at the moment and there have been many calls from the International Community that in doing so, israel is in breach of International Law. I doing so, israel is in breach of International Law. Of International Law. I can assure you of International Law. I can assure you that of International Law. I can assure you that we of International Law. I can assure you that we work. Assure you that we work according to the International Law and were working with the International Community to make sure theres not to make sure theres not a humanitarian crisis, but i can tell you one thing our mission is to make sure that we eradicate hamas abilities and capabilities and will to ever commit such atrocities again and we must be able to take a look at the eyes of our citizens, of Israeli Citizens, that are still under ongoing barrages of rockets coming from hamas, covering basically 80 of the country, and to tell them that we made Everything Everything we can in order to make sure these crime of war crimes than committed against our people are not repeated. And also were doing everything we can to bring safe home the hostages. Among them many non israelis by the way. find nonisraelis by the way. And those atrocities nonisraelis by the way. And those atrocities have non israelis by the way. And those atrocities have been universally condemned by the International Community as well, but there is a humanitarian crisis in gaza. That has been singled out by the United Nations amongst others, and it is currently in the gift of israel to, if not stop at least alleviate that crisis. ,. ,. ,. , crisis. Our main goal, as i mentioned, crisis. Our main goal, as i mentioned, is crisis. Our main goal, as i mentioned, is to crisis. Our main goal, as i mentioned, is to make i crisis. Our main goal, as i l mentioned, is to make sure crisis. Our main goal, as i mentioned, is to make sure that hamas will never, ever be able to do such things again and to bring back home safely the hostages. This is what were focusing on. Yes, we would like to avoid humanitarian crisis and were doing everything we can, its in our interest. Yes, we are doing everything that is possible, by the way of courtesies that are not given to 1,400 israelis that were butchered last saturday and were doing everything we can, but our goal is one, and i said it again and again, we have to takea it again and again, we have to take a look at the eyes of the Israeli Citizens and to do everything that we can to make sure that these abilities of hamas are eradicated. Theyre using their own people, theyre causing a humanitarian theyre using their own people as human shields, using their own International Aid and changing it to weapons and armament and Military Re Enforce Ment instead of directing it to their own citizens. So, again, this is a question you should ask them, not me. ~ � , question you should ask them, not me. ~ � ,. , not me. 0k. Well, lets look at what your not me. 0k. Well, lets look at what your prime not me. 0k. Well, lets look at what your prime minister, what your prime minister, binyamin netanyahu, has been saying. He has said that the armed forces, the idf is ready to demolish hamas as he put it. Would you like to see President Joe Biden visit israel before any Ground Offensive begins . The support that the that President Biden has extended and expressed is important. Its crystal clear. He may be coming to israel, i still do not know for sure. I cannot confirm. I think that hes he sends a clear message in his statement and also by this visit if he comes, and most important thing is that its not only supporting israel with with words but also with actions and concrete actions. And we see the american presence in the region. find and we see the american presence in the region. And if we look to presence in the region. And if we look to the presence in the region. And if we look to the Situation Presence in the region. And if we look to the situation in presence in the region. And if| we look to the situation in the north of the country then alongside the border with lebanon, we have seen some fire exchanged there, you have issued Evacuation Orders to your citizens in the area there, are you expecting the conflict to spread further . I think this is it shows exactly how this whole brutal attack is orchestrated by iran when we saw all the fronts and the danger that that may merge. We see the classic axis of evil that the iranians have built in the region and the gaza strip with proxies, in lebanon, in syria. I definitely hope that we will not be in a full scale war with lebanon and syria, but if if things escalate, theres theres a great risk for that, theres theres a great risk forthat, but theres theres a great risk for that, but i i definitely hope that we will not be there. Lets not forget who is behind this. Iran is behind this and we are fighting not only our own battles, but a much bigger combat of the west. Combat of the west. Were out of time for combat of the west. Were out of time for the combat of the west. Were out of time for the moment. Combat of the west. Were out of time for the moment. So i of time for the moment. So well leave it there. Tsach saar, the Acting Cons Sewell General of israel many the new york consulate, thanks so much Forjoining Us. York consulate, thanks so much forjoining ve Forjoining Us. Thanks for havin Forjoining Us. Thanks for having me policemen are still searching for a gunman who shot two swedish citizens. The game was abandoned at halftime. Extra security was arranged to bus them away. Belgiums prime minister, alexander de croo, called the shooting a harrowing act of terrorism. The attack prompted the country to raise its terror alert to its highest level. Thats all from us here in washington. We want to leave you with some images of gaza where it is now morning, the sun has risen. A humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. Stay with bbc news. Well have all the latest updates. Thanks for watching. Hello there. Its been a fine start to the week thanks to a ridge of high pressure. Weve had some sunshine, chilly nights, mind you, with some frost and fairly cool days. Tuesday, the last of this settled, chilly weather, because by wednesday onwards, we start to see low pressure taking over, bringing gales, heavy rain, but also milder air too. Now, this area of low pressure has been named Storm Babette by the met office. Thats going to continue to push northwards, affects our shores wednesday, thursday, merges with a larger area of low pressure, and that area of low pressure itself will affect us for the end of the week and into the weekend. So Rainfall Totals really mounting up across the board, but particularly so across more northern and eastern parts of the country. And we do have some concerns for eastern scotland, which could see heavy and persistent rain throughout this week, which could lead to localised flooding. Of course, the ground is pretty saturated here as well. However, for tuesday, its a fine day. Chilly start there, therell be some early mist and fog, plenty of sunshine around. The breeze picking up across southern britain, and well start to see this Weather Front bring some patchy rain to southwest england, southwest wales, then push up towards Northern Ireland later in the day. And temperatures will be a little bit higher than monday, 12 to 16 degrees. But the winds will continue to pick up through tuesday night. Rain will splash its way northwards, into Northern Ireland and scotland. Elsewhere, largely dry, variable cloud, some clear spells. There will be some further rain pushing into the southwest by the end of the night, but nowhere will see frost. Its going to be a much milder night, 9 to 12 degrees. Wednesday then, we see Storm Babette start to push up in towards southern britain, bringing gales and heavy rain. Initially, well start off with that early rain across scotland. That will tend to clear away. Much of central and Northern Britain will have a fine day on wednesday. Quite windy, though, those winds picking up through the day from the southeast, and it turns much wetter across south wales, Southern England later in the day. Some heavy, thundery rain here as Storm Babette pushes northwards. Widespread gales developing as well. But on the mild side, 13 to 17 or 18 degrees in the south. On thursday, Storm Babette will be affecting the north of the uk, rain piling into eastern scotland, strong and gusty winds here. Further south on thursday, something a little bit quieter, but its going to stay quite windy, with sunny spells, showers or longer spells of rain, and temperatures up to 18 or 19 degrees here, mid teens further north. But we see further very wet and windy weather on friday, certainly across the south and the east of the country. That lasts as we head into the weekend as well. See you later. Voiceover this is bbc news. We will have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. Welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. Despair and dread stalk the streets of gaza. Israels bombardment of the territory has reportedly killed more than 2,700 palestinians. That toll is bound to rise if when an Israeli Ground invasion begins. All this because israel was attacked from gaza by gazas rulers, the jihadists of hamas, whose murderous assault saw more than 1,400 men, Women And Children killed. My guest is husam zomlot, the chief palestinian diplomat in london. Hamas, it seems, wanted a devastating war. But what about palestinians not with hamas . What are their options