Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240703

With the leaders of the uk, canada, france, germany and italy. Frances president , emmanuel macron, and the dutch Prime Minister, mark rutte, have also now announced theyll also visit on monday and tuesday. At the rafah Border Crossing , several trucks from a second convoy at the rafah Border Crossing, several trucks from a second convoy carrying humanitarian aid from egypt have crossed into the gaza strip. The convoy had earlier been detained at the rafah crossing for several hours so that they could be searched to ensure they were carrying only aid. The us Secretary Of State, Antony Blinken, has warned iran against any escalation of the israel gaza war. He was speaking on cbs news, after irans foreign minster warned israel and the us, The Middle East may go Out Of Control if Israel Military action continues, and blamed the us for providing Military Support to israel. With more on all of this, heres our correspondent wyre davies injerusalem. Israeli air strikes against what it says are strategic hamas targets have left parts of the gaza strip looking like a wasteland. Such bombings, say palestinians, is indiscriminate by its very nature and is resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. Many of those victims are children. These casualties were filmed in central gaza. There are other graphic images too distressing to broadcast, showing the bodies of at least a dozen children. At another hospital in gaza city, this 18 year old, a us citizen who lost a sister in the shelling, urges the American Government to get him and the surviving family out of gaza. After 20 trucks carrying basic food and medical aid were allowed into gaza yesterday through the border with egypt, it was hoped a similar number would cross today. But, says the un, its nowhere near the 500 trucks daily that are needed to sustain a population of more than 2 million. 30 , according to our sources, of the infrastructure is already destroyed. The un says that many who fled south to escape israeli bombing are now heading back to homes in northern gaza, towards the shelling, so dire is the humanitarian situation. Some people will die if they dont get insulin on a regular basis. There are 50,000 pregnant women in gaza. Water is absolutely necessary to keep them alive. But the situation is set to worsen. Thousands of israeli troops, tanks and heavy armour are preparing for a full scale Ground Offensive in gaza, once bombing from the air achieves its objective. Its what israel says it has to do if hamas is to be crushed. I have no doubt that israel will need to go in on the ground to be able to effectively hurt and undermine and weaken hamas, but also, to be able to project power in this region and show the world and its other adversaries that are watching that we have capabilities, and i think its a matter of day or days until that happens. But israel knows a Land Invasion of gaza could trigger conflict in the wider region. In the palestinian west bank, a hamas cell preparing for an attack was hit in the city ofjenin, says israel. And in southern lebanon, where hezbollah militia have threatened to avenge any invasion of gaza, cross border skirmishes may be a portent of things to come. But israels Prime Minister warned hezbollah and its sponsor, iran, not to get involved. If hezbollah decides to enter the war, theyll be making the biggest mistake of their lives and hit with unimaginable force, said the Prime Minister, talking to Israeli Soldiers in the north today. One factor that mr netanyahu cant control is the fate of 200 israeli and International Hostages being held by hamas in gaza. Free them now Theirfamilies Fear an israeli invasion may put their lives in further danger. 0ur gaza correspondent, rushdi abu alouf, reports from inside one of the aid camps in southern gaza, where the situation is desperate. About 2,000 families living in these tents. They are people displaced from the north, in gaza. This is, a camp has been built by the unrwa. I was speaking to the families here. They said they are struggling to find water. They are struggling to find food. They are struggling to find a bathroom. They said the bathroom here is a real challenge. They said security, also, is a real challenge because as you know, hamas has been under really heavy attack by israel for the last two weeks or so, so there is no police around the area to maintain law and order, a few problems here, social problems in the area. But those people, they said, we have been given very little food, very little water, very Little Medicine to the people who are in need for this. This is an example of how 700,000 people who are displaced from the north are living in a very difficult condition in gaza city. The unrwa is planning to have more and more camps like this, once the egyptians are allowing more tents, more food, more fuel and more medicine. Earlier i spoke to Magnus Corfixen he is the humanitarian lead at 0xfam gb. His team is currently in gaza. He says more aid on the ground is urgently needed. 0xfam, of course, welcomed yet another aid. Aid convoy of 14 trucks have passed into gaza, as well as the 20 trucks yesterday. But we must also say that its a drop in the ocean considering the large scale humanitarian needs that currently are within gaza. I mean, we have more than two Million People in need of humanitarian assistance. More than one Million People have been displaced. And people inside gaza need the most basic necessities such as food, water, fuel and access to health services. So theres still a far, far way to go considering that before the current crisis, more than 100 trucks would cross per day through the rafah Border Crossing. So theres still far, far to go. Magnus, you have colleagues on the ground who are working in gaza at the moment. What sort of conversations are they having with you about what theyre dealing with . Well, yes. 0xfam, we have several colleagues and colleagues from Partner Organisations inside gaza. And right now its a matter of staying in touch with them, ensuring that they are accounted for and that they are safe. But of course, everyone� s affected. All of our colleagues have had either to flee their homes, had to deal with loved ones, and had friends or family who unfortunately have passed away. So everyone is deeply affected. So right now, the priority is to basically stay in touch with them, which is very, very difficult considering the ongoing situation. And when we are in touch with colleagues, we can hear the bombardments ongoing. And so thats the situation right now. And what is the priority of us as 0xfam, but also many of our colleagues from other humanitarian organisations. One thing that isnt being allowed to cross over is fuel. Magnus, how key is getting fuel across the border to the work that your colleagues are doing right now . Well, fuel is essential. And as you have heard in the report, theres currently a lack of fuel to ensure that electricity or running electricity is key in order to run the water systems, water purification, the sanitation facilities. And in orderfor that to work, we need fuel. And then, of course, also to run the hospitals, which are strained right now. And i see massive needs. We have hospitals that are that dont have fuel and therefore electricity in order to do some of the most basic needs in order to run these medicalfacilities. And our concern is also like looking at some of the Supply Chains around food, which currently also is a massive issue. So fuel is an essential lifeline for gaza right now. Am i right in saying, magnus, that some of your colleagues are also really concerned about the plight of newborn babies in some facilities . Given that fuel crisis. Most certainly. And it is a massive concern. And we need to consider this in terms of like the next steps, because the current scenario with letting in a few trucks a day is simply not sufficient considering the humanitarian needs. And thats why 0xfam and other humanitarian organizations are calling for unfettered humanitarian access. But in order for that to happen, we also need to see an immediate cease fire, because one thing is to get the aid supplies across the border. The other thing is also to ensure that these supplies are reaching those most in need. And that is extremely challenging when bombs are falling on humanitarian workers and, of course, civilians. The archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, has visited jerusalem, showing solidarity with anglicans in the city. The Anglican Diocese ofjerusalem manages Al Ahli Hospital in gaza, where hundreds of people are thought to have died in an explosion on tuesday. Archbishop welby knows the hospital well, having opened one of its wings. Hes been talking to the bbc� s clive myrie. Its just an oasis in the middle of eastjerusalem. We meet in the garden of st georges cathedral, an outpost of the Anglican Church here in the holy land. I come out here early in the morning to pray. Theres been much to reflect on following the bloody events of the last two weeks, beginning with the hamas attack that filled him with rage. Whenever one sees something that is. Profoundly evil and horrific. The slaughter. The butchery. The cruelty to the bodies of infants up to elderly people. Uh, is. A horror that if you dont feel a sense of anger, i think youre missing something in your humanity. And then a tragedy closer to home. The blast at Al Ahli Hospital in gaza managed by the Anglican Episcopal Church ofjerusalem. Again, shock. And. A sense of. Grief. Id opened a wing of that hospital. Disbelief for a moment. Is there also a burning anger . Perhaps, and i sense this. That there isnt peace because it takes human beings. To want peace. I think thats very perceptive. Yes, this is hugely complicated. The conflict must be fought in a way that makes Reconciliation Conceivable at the end of the conflict, and they all come to an end. This business of how you fight defines how you make peace. But when you do see the Bombing Campaign that is taking place in gaza, what are your thoughts on . In gaza, what are your thoughts on that . It breaks my heart to see that, because i know that if you bomb a city, innocent people die horribly. And in agony. Children, people with no involvement were just caught up in this horrendous process. We cant lecture israel. We can appeal. Were not better than them. Were two faced if we lecture them. But we can appeal. And this is what i hear joe biden doing. What i heard rishi sunak doing, which i heard other people doing, is saying, of course, we understand if we do, of course we know how angry you are and rightly. And of course, you have the right of self defense and the duty of self defense. But be who you are. Be the best you are. I wonder. As a man of god. A religious leader. Is there a place for the suggestion that perhaps. Israel should turn the other cheek . It has notjust a right, but a duty to defend its citizens. Im not going to use the phrase turn the other cheek. But they are called by their history, by their conduct, by their nature. By the exceptional nature of israel. To be those who uphold the rules of war. Archbishop. Thank you. Well to sum up all these recent developments, i spoke with our Diplomatic Correspondent paul adams, whos injerusalem. I started by asking about the second convoy of aid trucks crossing into gaza. I think it was just a matter of time. I mean, it takes some time to to check everything. This is because, of course, the israelis are demanding that that aid only consist of food, water and medicine and that nothing else is on those trucks that could be of any use to to hamas. I think there might also have been a delay caused by the fact that there was an incident earlier on in which the israelis admitted that one of their tanks fired accidentally on an egyptian position not far from the rafah crossing, actually at a different crossing from gaza into southern israel. So that may have been an additional complication anyway. The 14 trucks are in the uns undersecretary of under secretary the 14 trucks are in the uns Under Secretary General for humanitarian affairs, martin griffiths, has just tweeted about it in the last few minutes. He calls this another small glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid. But he says very pointedly, they need much, much more. This is just a tiny, tiny proportion of the aid that is needed. Weve had 20 trucks yesterday, 14 trucks today. There are hundreds of thousands of People Living in almost apocalyptic conditions who need a great deal more assistance than that. And according to the un, the there is a very, very increasingly dire need for fuel because without fuel, according to the head of the un Agency Responsible for dealing with palestinian refugees, there can be no humanitarian effort. The aid cannot be trucked to where its needed. The hospital generators cannot work, water cannot be pumped and they are running out of fuel. They think that they have perhaps as little as two more days worth of fuel before theres nothing left. So that is, remains an extremely serious concern for the un and the other agencies involved. Indeed, paul, they were saying they need Something Like 100 trucks a day and so far weve seen 34. Weve just heard the Conversation Details between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu, the readout from that conversation saying that there will be a continued flow of aid. What do you make of that . I mean, it doesnt sound like its going to ratchet up a huge amount. No. Look, the israelis are saying, frankly, thats none of our business. They say thats between the egyptian authorities and the un. So they are kind of washing their hands of it. Theyve said, look, were happy to let this go on, provided the various conditions that we have have stipulated are met. But as for what a continued flow of aid means and whether that does become anything remotely resembling an adequate flow of aid, well, well have to see, because i think some officials, un officials will tell you we need 200 or 300 trucks, particularly if a lot of those trucks have to be used up bringing in water. Thats a pretty bulky process. So they need a great deal more and they need it very, very urgently. Well have more news from The Middle East later this hour, of course if you want to seen more you can go to the bbc news website where we are running a live page that includes analysis and articles from some of our correspondents who of course are on the ground reporting things there. To other news, and in the uk the rain may have eased but the impact of storm babet is still being felt across several parts. People living in hundreds of homes in retford in nottinghamshire have been told to evacuate because of rising river levels and a risk of flooding. Andy gill reports. Parts of retford are already suffering the aftermath of storm babet. Up to 600 properties were affected by the flood warning. The Environment Agency says the situation is no longer severe enough to be a threat to life, but its already affecting peoples homes. Water splashing. It flooded in 2007 here after quite torrential rain. The council and the water board blamed it on the fact that the rivers havent been dredged or anything. Theyve since dredged them, but it seems to have just completely happened again. But this time its worse. Some residents have already left. This morning when i came home. Obviously there was all this. So everyones been asked to evacuate. Ive tried to get as much as possible upstairs and out the way, but yeah, itsjust horrible. But not everyone wanted to go. Alan stayed behind to look after his sick wife and his dog. The garden flooded, shelter flooded and just waiting for hours and just waiting for th house to get flooded. Well, now we can know about it. Those who do choose to leave are being offered shelter in a local leisure centre. The absolutely unprecedented rainfall has created so much water. This hasnt happened before. And theres such a volume of water come down the river all at once that basically its not designed to cope with it. In south yorkshire, the flood water has been as high as people ceilings. Chesterfield in derbyshire has also been affected. In retford, theres relief that the risk, though still present, is not as bad as it was. Andy gill, bbc news. In ukraine, six postal workers have been killed and another 17 wounded after a Missile Strike on a mail depot in the east of the country. Ukraine has blamed russia for the attack on the Sorting Office on the outskirts of kharkiv so far theres been no comment from the russian authorites. 0ur Correspondentjenny Hill has been to kharkiv a warning her report starts with flashing images. This is the moment the missile struck. There were 30 people inside at the time, postal workers preparing parcels for delivery. These pictures recorded just seconds before the archives. The rescue teams, a familiar routine, save the survivors, recover the dead. Translation we were working. There was an explosion. Everyone started running away. I helped free people. I did what i could as much as i could. Daylight revealed the scale of the damage. This depot was part of an important and well loved ukrainian postal service. Nova scotia has kept deliveries going throughout the war. When we reached the site, an official day of mourning was already underway. This once busy workplace, hushed and scarred People Living People Living in this region have grown accustomed to this level of devastation. They know only too well how everything can change in the space of a few seconds, and theyre used to russian attacks. They are happening in this region every single day. Through ukraine, ukraine and every single night, president zelensky still addresses his nation. This evening, he said ukraine would respond to the strike on what hes described as a civilian facility. There is defiance here, but resignation, too. They know therell be more attacks. Nothing they can do now but clear up and wait. Jenny hill, bbc news. Voting is under way in argentina in polls to elect a new president as the country faces the prospect of economic collapse. The frontrunner is javier milei, a libertarian economist who says that adopting the us dollar as the official currency is the best solution to tackle the prospect of hyperinflation. A little earlier i spoke to our south america correspondent katy watson. She began by telling me about the candidates. Well, it has really thrown these elections wide open. Argentinas traditionally kind of bounced between the leftist Peronist Party and the more conservative right. But he is a man like no other. He is an outsider. Thats how he touts himself. He has very little experience. In fact, up until the primaries, few people really knew who he was. But he took the primaries by storm. He won them. And now hes got quite a cult following, really. Hes proposing quite radical plans, such as wanting to destroy the central bank, bring in the dollar as an official currency. And he effectively reflects the, you know, how fed up people are here in argentina with an ongoing economic crisis, inflation at nearly 140 , you know, two in five argentineans living in poverty. So hes a real change that many people want. But certainly that change also comes a lot of uncertainty. And of course, his critics are worried about that. Katie, ive seen him described as a shockjock, but crucially, a candidate who really appeals to younger voters. Yeah. And whats really interesting is on the streets here in buenos aires, you can see on billboards all the candidates smiling for the camera, asking people to vote. You dont see him anywhere because all his campaign has all gone on tiktok and its been really hes really managed to garner huge amounts of support through social media. And thats really, you know, its quite, quite a departure here in argentina. So, yes, it reflects a huge amount of that want for change, but certainly its making a lot of people nervous. Its making the markets nervous about what that change will actually mean. And for a country that is really, you know, economically very unstable, every day gets harder and harder. You know, a lot of people we spoke to voting earlier, you know, just didnt really like any of the candidates, frankly. But they just want something to change. They want the bad to go away effectively. And thats what these elections are very much about. More on that election and the rest of the days news on the bbc website, ill be back after a short break, do stay with us. Hello. Its obviously been a lot drier, sunnier across most of the uk after that deluge. Unfortunately, the flooding continues in some parts of the country and these are the rainfall amounts after storm babet. Eastern parts of scotland over 200 millimetres of rain, in excess of 100 across so many other parts of the uk. And in parts of east anglia, even record breaking rainfall for the month of october. Now, tonight, the skies are going to be generally clear across the country and its going to turn quite chilly. The winds will fall light. We are in a window of much calmer weather at the moment. You can see Weather Systems and cloud around the uk. But across the country, its a case of clear skies. So, calm this evening, with light winds. A bit of mist and murk forming through the early hours. Weve had a lot of moisture after that rainy weather. And the temperatures early in the morning around freezing, orjust above, in the glens of scotland. For most of us, 5, 6, 7 degrees. The south coast there, in plymouth, around 12 or 13. Rain is forecast in the tip of cornwall, perhaps nudging into parts of pembrokeshire, onlyjust, and into northern ireland. But i think the bulk of the uk, both in the morning and the afternoon, generally bright and sunny. And look at the picture across scotland in the north and east, generally sunny skies on monday. Monday night into tuesday, Weather Fronts approaching the uk once again. We are expecting thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain almost anywhere in the uk. There will be some sunshine too, so its not raining all through the day, but these eastern coasts will be fairly cloudy and damp at times, only around 11 degrees. A little bit of sunshine in the south, and one or two showers are possible in the south west. And then i think from wednesday onwards, it really turns very unsettled. Atlantic Weather Systems sweeping in on a strengthening south westerly wind, up to gale force. So heres the morning, then. Some rain across eastern scotland, but here is that main Weather Front that spreads across ireland, reaches wales, south Western Parts of england and moves northwards through the course of the day. So the last place you will see the rain on wednesday is the north sea coast. Heres the outlook for the week ahead it is a distinctly unsettled one. Remember, it wont be raining all the time, but i think a fair amount of rain again is on the way towards the end of the week, but nothing of the level weve had in the last few days. This is bbc news, the headlines. Several trucks from a convoy carrying humanitarian aid from egypt have crossed into the gaza strip. The convoy had earlier been detained at the rafah crossing for several hours so that it could be searched to ensure it was carrying only humanitarian aid. The white house says President Biden has spoken to a number of western leaders about the war between israel and hamas including israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and britains rishi sunak. And hundreds have attended a rally in Trafalgar Square in london to demand the release of more than 200 israeli hostages taken by hamas. 1a Trucks From A Second Convoy Carrying Humanitarian Aid from egypt have crossed into the gaza strip. The uns humanitarian chief, martin griffiths, described the convoy as a small glimmer of hope for those in need. The convoy had earlier been detained at the rafah crossing for several hours so that they could be searched to ensure it was carrying only aid. It comes as us President Joe Biden has again spoken to israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the call, the two leaders affirmed that there will now continue to be a flow of humanitarian aid into gaza. But aid agencies say what has entered is not enough. In another development, the us Secretary Of State Antony Blinken has warned iran against any escalation of the israel gaza war. He was speaking on cbs news, after irans foreign minster warned israel and the us, The Middle East may go Out Of Control if Israel Military action continues and blamed the us for providing Military Support to israel. Meanwhile, the israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met soldiers at the israel lebanon border. He reiterated his support for the troops in their fight against the iranian backed his brother and issued this warning. Translation we are having a double battle one here, i at the lebanon Israel Border to make sure hezbollah backs off and the other battle, there in the south to ensure a decisive victory that will crush hamas. If hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will miss the second lebanon war. It will make the mistake of its life. We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine. And the significance for it and the state of lebanon will be devastating. Bbc arabic� s adnan el bursh has been at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al Balah in central gaza, which has been overwhelmed with casualties including women and children. Some of the images which have emerged from the hospital are too graphic to share. Children including at least two babies are among the dead. Officials from the hamas controlled Health Ministry say more than 100 people were killed as israel carried out air strikes overnight. In response the Israeli Military told the bbc that it had targeted nearby areas based on intelligence information confirming the presence of a hamas leader in the area adjacent to the hospital, who gave orders to fire towards israel from that area. Heres adnan� s report you may find some of these images distressing. The wounded civilians arriving at the luxor Military Hospital in central gaza. Many of the wounded are women and the children. This is outside israels evacuation zone. Israel told civilians to come to these parts of the strip for safety. There is no confirmation of where the air strikes came from. But outside the hospital, Funeral Prayers for those killed are being held. While families continue to arrive with more of the wounded. Translation all of this hamas. Hospital workers say they are overwhelmed. Weve been here since the Crack Of Dawn and the bodies have completely filled the hospital yard. This is in addition to the bodies which are in refrigerators which are full. We dont have enough shrouds for the bodies because the numbers are huge. Its difficult to identify the bodies. The situation is being described by those working here as catastrophic. That was from our reporter on the ground there at al aqsa hospital, in central gaza. The family of a british teenager, whos been missing since the hamas attacks on oct 7th, has confirmed she was killed. The body of noiya sharabi, who was 16, has now been formally identified. The deaths of her 13 year old sister and mother were confirmed last week. Other families are still waiting for news of their relatives who went missing in the attack, as lucy manning reports. A few months ago, mum liann and her daughters, yael and noah celebrated. Now the british israeli family are all dead, murdered by hamas. 16 year old noya had been missing as her british family confirmed her body had been identified. They said she was clever, sensitive, fun and full of life. A gifted student and linguist. Most importantly, an amazing granddaughter, cousin and niece. Were heartbroken she has gone, they said, but forever grateful she was here. Other relatives have been kidnapped. And in london, the demand was free the hostages. More than 200 held by hamas. Hanna perry and her british israeli son, nadav. This was the photo hamas posted on hannahs facebook as they kidnapped them. A gunman in the corner. I am worried sick for my mums health. I dont know how long she can survive without her insulin. I dont know how long my brother can survive without his medication. These are elderly people. There are children over there. And i want the British Government to do everything in their power. Her british israeli brother, roy popplewell, murdered, shot in the head and back. I havent grieved him yet. Ive lost my brother, but i have to do everything in my power to bring mum and dad home. Do you think the International Community are doing enough . I think more can be done. Its a war crime, as far as im concerned. These are innocent people. They havent harmed anyone. And these people need to be brought back. Nine month old kafir and four year old arielle should be playing, not held in captivity. Their mum and dad also taken. Hamas filmed the kidnap. The family describe it as two babies surrounded by terrorists. Its like the Worst Nightmare i could never imagine. Something like this could happen. I think the entire world should just scream. I think all leaders of the world should see. Look at this face, this babys face and and its a nine month old baby. It was just started crawl should be developing now not being held in i dont know where. If its on the ground in a cage, i want them to put pressure for any kind of humanitarian organisation to go inside and check on them and to release them. And you still have hope that you will see them . I have to. I have to have hope. 0ne one of those speaking at the visual. Vigils. Vigils. Marie van der zyl is the president of the Board Of Deputies of britishjews and says in the uk have a direct link to the horrors that unfolded in israel on the 7th of october. So many people here and they uk that have family and friends, people who know the hostages and their families. This is something thats not in a far away place, this is something thats affecting londoners, affecting all of us in the uk. If you can hear now, their names are being read. Its beyond heartbreaking. 0ne one man who has first hand of hamas. Is paul martin he is a journalist who in 2010 was taken by hamas in gaza. Paul is the Editor In Chief of the online publication correspondent dot world. Well, it took place in 2010. I was making a film, a Documentary Film about a Rocket Firing Militant who had changed his mind and become a moderate i wanted to create peace with israel. As a result of which, he was arrested, told he was a spy, was about to be sentenced to death, as many others who have been arrested and accused of such things are. I felt he wasnt likely to be a spy since he was making a film with me about why he disagreed with the system, which is hardly what a spy would be doing. So i thought maybe i could save his life by going to gaza, as i often did, and give evidence in what was to take place, a military trial. When i got there, they told me i was his agent or spy master or something of that nature and was locked up and had two mock executions and was eventually set free 26 days later. In fact, that is a photograph of me being released. Of me being released by one of my captors. So that was an unpleasant experience, but it happens injournalism and i have subsequently met a number of top hamas officials, they have kind of apologised, they invited me back to gaza. And i have been able to continue myjournalism, not quite the same way, but it is still something i am very passionate about. Tell us what it was like when you were held by hamas. You have written about it in the past. But just tell our viewers a little bit about what that experience was like. It was quite harrowing from what you have written, of course. Yes, so the first night i was there, a gunman came in, i was handcuffed at that time, put a gun towards my head, started to pull the trigger and then he held the trigger for a while, it seemed like a long time to me, i must say. And eventually lifted the gun up into the air, laughed and smashed the barrel of the gun on my knee, which was seriously damaged. But that was just my introduction to the 26 days of captivity. Another time, i was taken up to the top of a building where i expected to be thrown out. It turned out i wasnt, it was just an intimidator exercise. I was thrown into a much smaller cell later with prisoners who had been tortured, i could hear torture going on all around me in the cells alongside me. I wasnt sure whether they were instructed not to torture me, but they did threaten that if i didnt sign a confession, then bad things would happen. Of course, i did not sign it. And eventually, i dont know exactly why, but i think the pressure of holding a western journalist who was quite well known started to tell. I was supported by Archbishop Desmond tutu in south africa because i had a long anti apartheid record and this may have helped. In the end, i was released after 26 days and i have been back only one since then. When you see what is happening at the moment and we have just been talking about more than 200 people who are being held hostage currently by hamas, what insights can you share about what might be happening at the moment . What secured your release, for example . Well, as i say, i had the advantage of being a well known international journalist, that obviously did help. And these people who are now currently held and none of them are that well known, i think the british and the american Passport Holders have got a greater chance of survival than the israelis do because they would hold a few israelis a day kind of bargaining chip, but they dont need that many. I am being rather cynical here, but i think that is the way things are seen. Whereas the british and americans could be useful in persuading The Americans or the british to do something that the hamas authorities want to be achieved. So i think there is a chance of survival for these people, but not a great chance for the majority. I mean, that certainly is the hope. You wrote in your article when you talked about your experience that you have had deep conversations with hamas. Of course, as you said earlier, you have interviewed them a number of times as well. What can you tell us about this group that we wouldnt know . Well, i think you have to understand that they of fighting a war on various fronts. They are not just fighting a physical war, it is an information war, a propaganda war, they are fighting. And they do not want to be seen as a bunch of bloodthirsty killers. Obviously what happened on October The 7th has given the impression, perhaps correctly, that they ordered a bloodbath. No, they may find that is quite a popular cause in some parts of the arab society, but it is certainly not benefiting them on an International Scale and on the international stage. So i have a Feeling Thatjust as they did in my case, they may start to climb down on some of their rhetoric and their demands and they may start to concede in various areas. So i dont think one should look at hamas as being a complete bunch of bloodthirsty killers, i think they have a particular agenda, the agenda is to wipe out the state of israel, there is no doubt about that, but they are not completely irrational. In fact, the people that i have met, the leaders of hamas, i have met the deputy leader, the leader and various others, all come over as people who actually are planning, who are thinking and can be reasoned with. But obviously within the framework of the extreme islamic philosophy, it is an islamist philosophy. Any room for thejews to live as a state in The Middle East. Earlier i spoke to david schenker, who between 2019 and 2021 was the main middle east adviser to the us Secretary Of State. Hes also been a Senior Adviser at the pentagon, and is now a seniorfellow at the washington institute. I think hes trying to keep our allies on board, trying to explain to them what he understands israels objectives are, and trying to mostly contain what appears to be a trajectory toward a broadening of the conflict. Thats not happening on its own, and thats happening because iran is giving the order for that. And what the posture not only of the United States, but our partners should be toward that incitement, finally working with our partners to get the necessary humanitarian support to the palestinians who are suffering so much under the yoke of hamas and this brutal air campaign. We spoke last week just after, i think President Biden� s visit to israel. Some people say that really did play a part in the opening of the rafah crossing and those 20 trucks crossing on saturday. But its clearly not enough. Can he use his leverage to ensure that humanitarian aid continues to be delivered to people who are in desperate need . Well, i think he can. These twenty trucks were something of a trial run to see if they could get supplies over, if israel could actually inspect the goods to make sure that there would be no contraband weapons, ammunition going to hamas. And the nature of whats on those trucks, whether it is just food, medicine and water rather than fuel, that hezbollah, that hamas could use, i think quite possibly for for the war effort. I think this and the issue of humanitarian resupply for palestinians is something that the United States can play a very constructive role in then and wouldnt have to put too much leverage and pressure on israel to get that going. David, your old boss, Secretary Of State Antony Blinken, today warned iran against any escalation of the conflict. But where do you see irans next possible moves . Well, my former boss was actually secretary pompeo, but i think that that were seeing a deliberate campaign of escalation by iran, not only encouraging hezbollah to broaden its provocative activities against israel in the north of israel, but targeting american troops in syria and iraq. And then, of course, as your correspondent mentioned earlier, houthies, the iranian backed militia in yemen, shooting off 19 missiles and drones at israel. I think there has to be a message, europe matters to iran, the United States, they dont listen to us, but europe matters to them. And this is why these phone calls were so important. Macron and others in europe have better, stronger, more open ties. Can talk directly with the iranians and convey a message to hold fire. Because this is going to spin Out Of Control. And you mentioned those phone calls, do you think there are particular conversations that President Biden hasnt had that he needs to be having . Notably, theyre all european and across canada so all western nations. To really find a solution he needs to engage with regional partners as well. The president regional partners as well. The president was regional partners as well. The president was out regional partners as well. Tue president was out there subsequently, he wanted to have the summit with president cc and that got cancelled because of the incident at the church. There were so many palestinians killed. Sisi foot up on his way home the president did apparently talk to sisi, they are ongoing conversations. I think he conversations. I think he conversations weve not heard about yet is actually with china, because china also has a role here and strong ties, is the leading purchaser of smuggled iranian oil in violation of the sanctions. This is an important relationship to iran and i hope there are european, us and i hope there are european, us and other officials that are talking with beijing about how they could play a constructive role in preventing this from broadening and from including not only middle eastern, iranian Terrorist Proxy Partners but also drawing some help from the United States into the conflict. ,. , from the United States into the conflict. ,. , from the United States into the conflict. ,. , conflict. Discussing some Phone Conversation conflict. Discussing some Phone Conversation that conflict. Discussing some Phone Conversation that us conflict. Discussing some Phone Conversation that us president. Conflict. Discussing some phone i conversation that us president Joe Conversation that us President Joe Biden has been having this evening. Were getting reports of a telePhone Conversation between hamas leader and irans Foreign Minister. We dont have too many details about the reports coming in from Reuters News Agency says in a statement the pair discussed the means of stopping what they described as israels brutal crimes in gaza. Just coming in, news that the leader of hamas and irans Foreign Minister have also had a Phone Conversation this evening. Plenty more on that story on the bbc news website. Lets move on for now. Lets move on for now. As storm babet causes damage across the uk, scotland is bearing the brunt of the weather. In angus and aberdeenshire people are returning to their flooded homes to assess the damage caused. People are now cleaning up and making repairs. Alexandra mackenzie reports from brechin. So, this is where all the damage. Yeah. Has been. Its just devastating. Christine and her partner davey are trying to salvage some of her belongings. Ijust cant get my head round it. So, whats the worst thing for you, do you think, about whats happened . Losing everything. Ive got to start again. For people that doesnt have the money, how can they start again . It doesnt feel like home now. Like many others in brechin, christine has no insurance. She said it was just too expensive because she lives so close to the river. Well do what we can, obviously, help her out and things like that, because she got told she couldnt have insurance here. A lot of companies wouldnt even look at her because its such a high risk area. The flooding has subsided in brechin, and this family has started on the clear up. Weve been in this house 60 years, and ive never seen it as high. You felt a bit helpless to start with, to be perfectly honest, because obviously, nobody could get access to places, and you were just wondering and hoping that everybody was ok and safe. That was the most important thing. And then as soon as people could get access, everybody, it was all hands on deck. As it is across all sorts of households across brechin, thats the way brechin does stuff. Christine says her life is in limbo, and even if she can eventually go home, she is frightened this could happen again. Alexandra mackenzie, bbc news, brechin. From the floods and indeed the war in The Middle East the news agenda has been bleak. Hopefully this next item will change gears and lift your mood a little bit. In northern ireland, Heavenly Sounds are filling the air of londonderry over the next few days, as more than 2000 singers are in town. The citys International Choir festival, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary attracts groups from all over the world, as our reporter Keiron Tourish explains. In all the years since it started, the City Of Derry Choral Festival has welcomed 10,000 singers from across the world, from australia, america and all over europe. But its the local youngsters who are always the most excited. Ijust love singing. Its like one of my favourite things to do and ive loved it forever, so im really excited to be doing this competition and be with all my friends. And its so much fun to do this sort of thing and be with my friends in this choir. Its faced many challenges, too, not least the pandemic. Events were staged online to make sure it continued. Weve battled pandemic, weve had virtual festivals, weve had partial festivals where its been a mixture of online presentation and live. But thankfully, were fully back to live events at this stage. Theres a message that this area, the northwest part of this island, is a centre for wonderful cultural activity generally, but singing in particular. So that message has gone out nationally and its gone out globally so that weve welcomed choirs literally from every continent. Well, bar the antarctic. Some uplifting news for a change. Plenty more on all of the days news on the bbc news website. Hello. Its obviously been a lot drier, sunnier across most of the uk after that deluge. Unfortunately, the flooding continues in some parts of the country and these are the rainfall amounts after storm babet. Eastern parts of scotland over 200 millimetres of rain, in excess of 100 across so many other parts of the uk. And in parts of east anglia, even record breaking rainfall for the month of october. Now, tonight, the skies are going to be generally clear across the country and its going to turn quite chilly. The winds will fall light. We are in a window of much calmer weather at the moment. You can see Weather Systems and cloud around the uk. But across the country, its a case of clear skies. So, calm this evening, with light winds. A bit of mist and murk forming through the early hours. Weve had a lot of moisture after that rainy weather. And the temperatures early in the morning around freezing, orjust above, in the glens of scotland. For most of us, 5, 6, 7 degrees. The south coast there, in plymouth, around 12 or 13. Rain is forecast in the tip of cornwall, perhaps nudging into parts of pembrokeshire, onlyjust, and into northern ireland. But i think the bulk of the uk, both in the morning and the afternoon, generally bright and sunny. And look at the picture across scotland in the north and east, generally sunny skies on monday. Monday night into tuesday, Weather Fronts approaching the uk once again. We are expecting thicker cloud and outbreaks of rain almost anywhere in the uk. There will be some sunshine too, so its not raining all through the day, but these eastern coasts will be fairly cloudy and damp at times, only around 11 degrees. A little bit of sunshine in the south, and one or two showers are possible in the south west. And then i think from wednesday onwards, it really turns very unsettled. Atlantic Weather Systems sweeping in on a strengthening south westerly wind, up to gale force. So heres the morning, then. Some rain across eastern scotland, but here is that main Weather Front that spreads across ireland, reaches wales, south Western Parts of england and moves northwards through the course of the day. So the last place you will see the rain on wednesday is the north sea coast. Heres the outlook for the week ahead it is a distinctly unsettled one. Remember, it wont be raining all the time, but i think a fair amount of rain again is on the way towards the end of the week, but nothing of the level weve had in the last few days. Welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, im arunoday mukharji. Lets get you the headlines. Several trucks from a convoy carrying humanitarian aid from egypt have now crossed into the gaza strip. Dialling up the diplomacy President Biden holds numerous calls with western leaders over the israeli gaza crisis. Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, tells soldiers the war against hamas was � do or die for israel. We are now in a double battle one here, at the lebanon israeli border, to make sure hezbollah back off, and then the other battle there in the south, to ensure decisive victory that will crush hamas. China and the philippines trade blame over a collision in disputed waters of the south china sea. Welcome to bbc news broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. We begin with the push to find a diplomatic solution to the israel gaza war which appears to be ramping up. Us President Joe Biden has again spoken to israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The most recent communication was over the phone, but the pair met in person on wednesday when President Biden visited israel to show support. The white house also says the president has discussed the war