Israel has sealed its borders with gaza imposing a total siege on the strip 12 days ago. The Rafah Crossing between egypt and gaza is the only way right now to allow vital supplies in. One big question is whether foreign Passport Holders and dual nationals at least 600 of whom are american according to the Us State Department will be allowed out. For more on this, i spoke to our reporter at the Rafah Crossing, rushdi abualouf. The palestinian employees who are supposed to coordinate, they were informed, to move to Rafah Crossing as quickly as possible to start, facilitate and run the process of taking the goods from the egyptian trucks into the palestinian trucks, and then they will start transferring them. I saw cars around, red cross cars around. Also some truck was carrying quite heavy machine to fix the road. We understand from the local source inside the crossing that the system, the computers and the systems are not working. And they need to be able to put a generator first and then start to run the system so they can process the issue. But this is a very significant, i think, sign, that things are moving. And the hope was started last night when hamas decided to release the two american hostages there. The hope was started and overnight there was a lot of work in these talks for days and days and days about opening this humanitarian corridor. The egyptians told me this morning that the delay was because egypt wants some sort of Sustainable A Corridor to allow food and medicine. This place for two weeks, nothing has entered gaza. And we understand that every day gaza received 500 trucks of different like goods and fuel. And if we say that they need thousands of trucks, we understand that they are 4,000 trucks worth of food, medicine, water, a Field Hospital and many essential equipment for the hospital, which are struggling to cope with the shortage of fuel, the shortage of medicine and the shortage of almost all the essential equipment and medicine. They need to treat the thousands of people injured in this conflict. Earlier i spoke earlier to the bbc middle east correspondent, tom bateman, on the desperate need foraid in gaza. The situation, why this aid, its absolutely critical that it gets in is because as weve been hearing increasingly over the last week, i mean, basically, water is running out. There is a complete israeli siege around gaza. Now, the only relief point was that Rafah Crossing to get anything in. So the israelis, the energy minister, had said that not a single power switch would be turned on to gaza, not a single water tap turned on until he said hostages were freed. So, you know, now the Rafah Crossing is open. What that means is some supplies getting in. But i mean, the desperation people are in has been illustrated by the United Nations this week. Theyve been talking about, for example, people being reduced to drinking sea water, people drinking dirty water from agricultural wells containing pesticides. Theyre really worried now about a spread of infectious disease, potentially of cholera. Thats what often happens when there is no proper water supply. Some medical clinics already reporting an increase in cases of diarrhoea in gaza. So the situation is absolutely critical. Those 20 trucks, its going to take a little while. We were hearing about the need to transfer the goods from the egyptian lorries to the palestinian ones. Weve seen in the last sort of half an hour or so, the egyptian lorries going in and some trucks coming back empty. Theyve moved off the containers, so theyre making progress. But as weve heard repeatedly, lots of aid agencies saying this is helpful, but its not going to be enough. And adding to the sort of desperate scenes amongst civilians that youre describing there. And of course, we had the us president in israel this week saying, remember israel, you have a right to defend yourself, but not all palestinians belong to hamas. There is a duty to take into consideration the plight of Palestinian Civilians. When we talk about fuel, fuel is used to desalinate water, isnt it . There are no sort of fresh Water Supplies inside the gaza strip, but israel is worried about fuel, doesnt want to let it in because its worried that hamas, which governs gaza, will use those Fuel Supplies to help its attacks, which are ongoing with rocket fire against israel. Yeah, its absolutely been the israeli position that they wont agree to, and this has all been american brokered, remember, they wont agree to any fuel going in. They cut off Fuel Supplies, importantly to the only Power Station in gaza. So that went out days ago. Theres been a blackout now for about nine or ten days. Yeah, thats the israeli concern, that fuel could be stolen, exploited by hamas, simply to power its operations, which theyre not going to allow to happen. But the problem with that is that fuel is desperately needed in the hospitals. Theyre all running on generators, those that are left still functioning. I was hearing yesterday examples of most parts of hospitals working, doctors working in the darkness and stop using elevators and things to preserve powerjust for the emergency wards. So its incredibly challenging. And as you say, they need water to operate the desalination. They need fuel, rather, to to function, to power the desalination plants. And often people in their own buildings at home might have Filtration Systems that, again, need to be powered. So they need the fuel for generators to get that clean water supply. I was speaking to tom bateman, the middle east and correspondence about those aid trucks that have started coming in to the gaza strip today in an initial convoy of 20 trucks. We have also been looking at the wider situation today with a Peace Conference convened in cairo and International Diplomacy effort to trudge across the region to try to contain the situation. Natasha house dorff is a barrister and International Law expert who also liaises with uk lawyers in israel. Shejoins me now from london. Thank you forjoining us. First of all, in this situation, this very tense situation, people are looking for glimmers of hope. 0ne tense situation, people are looking for glimmers of hope. One of those being the arrival of the first track surveyed, another the release of two of the hostages currently held inside gaza, a reminder we are two weeks on today from a massacre inside israel. Moo people killed, the number of hostages taken into gaza has been updated to 200 210, in addition to the two that were released overnight. I was wondering if i can ask you from a legal perspective, how do governments go about trying to negotiate the release of these hostages . What concessions could be offered, even though we have been told in this case, none were . How would it work . The negotiations and the International Diplomacy associated is a separate situation from a legal perspective. We have heard about International Efforts behind the developments but of course, they developments but of course, they development need to be seen in the context of this abduction, as you have been reporting, over 200 hostages and those Terrorist Organisations that have led to a humanitarian crisis. Also in israel, where the families of these hostages know that the orders of these terrorists were specifically to target women and children are kidnap and torture. The International Aspects of this are extremely important and miss about israel conduct have been playing a significant role in this crisis. Perhaps i can be clear that from an International Law perspective, israel did not only have the right to a robust response but under the Convention On The Prevention And Punishment of genocide, the crime of genocide, it also has an affirmative obligation to make sure that never again means never again. figs obligation to make sure that never again means never again. Obligation to make sure that never again means never again. As you say under international again means never again. As you say under International Law, again means never again. As you say under International Law, israel again means never again. As you say under International Law, israel has i under International Law, israel has the right to defend itself. As we have been saying, these attacks orchestrated by hamas inside israel two weeks ago were unprecedented. We are talking about a massacre as well as hostage being taken. Also under International Law, as well as the right to defend yourself as a party, there are also rules of war and engagement, so its not that you cant defend yourself, its how you defend yourself in a situation. In this case, how Israel Defines itself and there has been a lot of concentration, we have been talking about aids today. The plight of Palestinian Civilians on the ground, that siege that has been tightened on the gaza strip until today, no food, no water, no medical supplies, aerial bombardment day and night. Israel says it is aimed at hamas but the number of casualties amongst millions has been very high . In compliance with its obligation under International Law to minimise civilian casualties, israel is issuing warnings of where it will be striking, hamas infrastructure, its a practice used by or law and countries. Its telling them to leave in order to try to save their lives and there have been Mass Evacuation of israeli civilians. 0f evacuation of israeli civilians. Of course, there is another myth here that israel has an obligation to supply Hamas Terrorists with electricity and other goods and that is without basis of International Law. Israel is not required to fund or assist hamas war efforts and since hamas violently seized control in 2007, israel has continued to provide a part of gazas fuel, electricity, water and also medical care to Palestinian Civilians that Hamas Neglects and abuses. That is an viable in a Military Campaign where hamas exploits these transfers, Ceiling Supplies and penetrating humanitarian organisations to mask its Terror Operations and to launder funds. And hamas uses the Electricity Grid in gaza to continue to fire missiles onto israeli civilians, but firing has continued in the last hour and youre broadcast. Some of these rockets. , as we saw with the Al Ahli Hospital car park. A third of the rockets fired in the last exchange of, i must stress in your question, there is no requirement to provide resources. International law only requires that israel facilitate the passage of food and medicine by third parties if such goods can be reliably delivered without diversion to hamas and we know that is not the case because hamas controls gaza. And in fact the basic rules outlined by the Geneva Convention and thats siege is unlawful unless they are deliberately aimed at the local population. The idf has been repeatedly clear about its objectives, defeating hamas. If government and international organisations. Iii government and international organisations. Ii i government and international organisations. Organisations. If i could Ust Interruptfi organisations. If i could Ust Interrupt either, i organisations. If i could Ust Interrupt either, just i organisations. If i could Ust Interrupt either, just a h organisations. If i could just i interrupt either, just a moment. Youve made a number of points very clearly from your perspective. As you say, under International Law, and i am not an International Lawyer, israel in this case, it is allowed by partisan International Law to have a siege. But what is not allowed under International Law is something that is alleged by aid agencies and they say that the effect on Palestinian Civilians stuck inside gaza, they say, seems like collective punishment. Seems like collective punishment. Seems like collective punishment which is not allowed under International Law. Of course, all of these legal of course, all of these legal questions are hotly contested. Its questions are hotly contested. Its likel not questions are hotly contested. It� s likely not borne out by the facts on the ground and if these Aid Organisations are invested in the interest of gulls and civilians then they should devote their resources to facilitate helping cows and civilians. Delegations you have raised as reprehensible Moral Equivalence and it has been drawn, it is utterly morally repugnant and it is utterly morally repugnant and it attaches to the suggestion of proportionality in International Law that that is about comparing t figures and that is also not correct. Every strike that israel takes is weighed up, it is analysed to make sure that according to International Law, the intestate edge Collateral Damage and the harm to civilians as a strike that is militarily necessary and that targets terrorist architecture. You sa that targets terrorist architecture. You say that these targets terrorist architecture. You say that these allegations arent borne out by facts on the ground. It is objective body such as the International Criminal court, for example, who are brought up in times of conflict to examine situations and every single individual case about whether the rules of law or engagement were respected in individual particular cases but we thank you very much for your time this morning forjoining us. International lawyer, barrister he also advises uk lawyers inside israel. We have been talking this morning about. We have been talking throughout this morning about the eight tracks that have started arriving inside gaza from the Border Crossing from egypt aid trucks. An initial convoy of 20 trucks which was agreed between israel and egypt. Joining me now is rushdi abualouf, Gaza Correspondent at the Rafah Crossing. You have said you have counted 20 trucks in, that is that initial convoy . Trucks in, that is that initial convo . , trucks in, that is that initial convo . , convoy . Yes, the convoy is ust behind me. � convoy . Yes, the convoy is ust behind me, 20 i convoy . Yes, the convoy is ust behind me, 20 trucks � convoy . Yes, the Convoy Isjust behind me, 20 trucks loaded i convoy . Yes, the Convoy Isjust i behind me, 20 trucks loaded with medicine, food, but most important from the un official here that they are having operation that is needed in the hospital which is now the main hospital, serving two thirds of the gaza population. This is 0ma crossing, back to back egyptian Rafah Crossing. Food, medicine and we understand from senior officials that there are more coffins for dead bodies are among those trucks because the Health Ministry is saying that we have 1000 more coffins of the dead bodies among those trucks because bags that needed for bodies. Most important, this humanitarian corridor that gaza has been waiting for two weeks, those people down there in this area waiting for these trucks to get the order and to start moving to somewhere. Now i can see they will escort the 20 trucks to a warehouse and they will start to distribute them to the hospitals, to people who are evacuating. 20 trucks isnt enough but this isjust are evacuating. 20 trucks isnt enough but this is just the beginning, as we understand, from the egyptians and even from the senior official who said they are aware of this corridor, we are not going to involve distributing or observing or do anything. They have the right to come and they have said that rafah is between egypt and gaza. We are welcome any kind of aid or assistance to the people in gaza, hamas will not be part of this. We knew that behind this role, there is more than a500 trucks waiting. If the mechanism works, then we should be able to have more and more of what the people need. [30 be able to have more and more of what the people need. Be able to have more and more of what the people need. Do you have an news what the people need. Do you have any news of what the people need. Do you have any news of other what the people need. Do you have