Of litres of fuel in the hands of hamas. The bbc has not been able to verify this. Hamas is designated a Terrorist Organisation by the uk and other western governments. There are growing International Calls for a humanitarian pause in the fighting, to allow aid to Reach Gaza Which continues to come under intense bombardment. The Health Ministry in the hamas controlled territory says more than 6,500 people have now been killed there 2,704 of them children. Israel says more than 1,400 people were killed in the hamas attacks on the 7th of october. Another focus of the past 2a hours has been israels furious reaction to comments made by the un Secretary General at the Security Council. Antonio guterres said the hamas attacks in southern israel had not happened in a vacuum. He also said there was no justification for the hamas attacks. Israel is now withholding visas from United Nations officials in response to the remarks. Mr guterres has spoken again in the past hour. Shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council, as if as if i was justifying acts as if, as if i was justifying Acts Of Terror by hamas. This is false. It was the opposite. In the beginning of my intervention yesterday, i clearly stated, and i quote, i have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented seven 0ctober Acts Of Terror by hamas in israel. Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. End quote. Indeed, i spoke of the grievances of the Palestinian People, and in doing so, i also clearly stated and i quote, but the grievances of the Palestinian People cannotjustify the appalling attacks by hamas. End quote. And then i went on with my intervention, referring all my positions on all aspects of The Middle East crisis. I believe it was necessary to set the record straight, especially out of respect to the victims and to their families. Thank you. Live now to our north america correspondent, nada tawfik, at the un in new york. Your analysis of what we just heard . Matthew, the Secretary General was shocked this became an issue yesterday. He said he thought he needed to set the record straight because just yesterday, he was. Many times over the last few days. Once the attack happened, he condemned the attack and has actually made these comments in the past that the attack didnt happen in a vacuum, was also stating palestinian grievances couldnt justify it. He has come out sharply, rejecting any characterisation that tries to portray him as justifying Acts Of Terror. The Secretary General coming out to speak to the press purposely for that. It is important, because the un is on the ground in gaza. Just yesterday they said they are on their knees pleading for humanitarian aid, for a ceasefire. Antonio guterres wants to keep the focus on getting all of the hostages freed, on getting aid into gaza, working towards a ceasefire. He said it was necessary to come out and set the record straight about exactly where he stands. You the record straight about exactly where he stands. Where he stands. You finish by talkin where he stands. You finish by talking about where he stands. You finish by talking about the where he stands. You finish by talking about the cause where he stands. You finish by talking about the cause what l where he stands. You finish by talking about the cause what aj talking about the cause what a ceasefire to get more humanitarian aid. Latertoday ceasefire to get more humanitarian aid. Later today weve got to resolutions that the Security Council for here, resolutions that the Security Councilfor here, one resolutions that the Security Council for here, one from The Americans and one from the russians. Take me through what there is resolutions are putting forward and the likelihood of them passing through. I the likelihood of them passing throu~h. ~. , through. I think to put it in context. Through. I think to put it in context, weve through. I think to put it in context, weve already through. I think to put it inj context, weve already had through. I think to put it in context, weve already had two failed resolutions at the un Security Council, one put forward. Apologies. As you can see, we lost the sound and picture at the un. Apologies for that. Perhaps we configured up in the little while. She was talking about the focus on humanitarian aid, so lets try to work out what the picture on the ground is like. 0ur correspondent in gaza, rushdi abualouf, has the latest on the situation there. Israeli air strikes intensify overnight with about 200, 300 air strikes across the gaza strip. One third of them is in the southern part of gaza. Its considered a safe area. Israel pushed the people to this part but now according to the number published by the local authority here, a third of the strikes overnight targeted the so called safe area and about 100 people were killed overnight in the safe area, so some people are starting to return back to gaza city because they said no place is safe. Just in the last half an hour, we have seen an explosion very close to this hospital. This is Nasser Hospital in khan younis. Its the Main Medical Centre thats serving half of the population. They are struggling to cope with the situation. This morning they decided to shut this part of the hospital, and this part of the hospital, and they are just keeping the Emergency Room and operation room working. They said our Mission Isjust to save peoples life. Anybody who is not a life threatening issue, they will not be getting treatment in this hospital. They said this is because we need fuel, and fuel has not been coming to this hospital. They said we are trying to secure any amount of fuel from oil tanks near the border or from an old factory that is storing some fuel, but this is not a sustainable situation, to keep this facility going. Unless there is a sustainable humanitarian corridor that allows fuel and medicine to this hospital, and other, many hospitals around the southern area, its going to be a catastrophic situation. The hospitals here, they said we are having, we used to have some sort of arrangement with the local authority to provide fuel to the hospital. But since israel is targeting, everything belongs to hamas, including the ministries, including the old facilities, roads, everything is damaged. So even if hamas have got fuel, im not sure about that, how are they going to make it under fire, how are they going to transfer the fuel under fire to people . What is hamas asking a senior hamas commander told the bbc a couple of days ago that we are ready to give the hostages back if israel stops its air strikes on gaza, and also allows fuel. So fuel now is the main Essential Issue for hamas. And they said in order to handle the hostages, we need calm in order to deal with the crisis on the ground. We need to have calm, which is israel, i think, until now, is not allowing. Earlier i spoke to mohamad hes from west london but is currently trapped in gaza with his family. As you can imagine, the phone line is quite patchy but we hope it gives you a sense of what life is like right now for people in gaza. I started by asking mohamad what the past two weeks have been like for him and his family. After week one, a big ordeal for me and my family, a nightmare, unbelievable. Something never in 100 years. I know you have got to the crossing point, but tell me where you are living, how many Family Members are with you and what it is like, food, water. We have been on the move for ten days. Looking for a place we can feel a little bit safe. There is bombing everywhere. There is no food, no clean water. Children, most of them are sick now. You have bad hygiene, you get sickness. Everything is hectic. If you need to have some bread, you need to queue for three orfour hours. You have to sort yourself out somewhere. Today i went to buy eggs, i walked for around two hours to buy some eggs for the kids. It is a hell of a time, it is very, very difficult. And there is no prospect. I cant imagine what we will do today, tomorrow, are we going to go. Are we going to find a shelter . What are you being told about the Foreign Office about getting out . I have been told they are working around the hour to get us out. That is all. They keep calling every day, this is good. There is no actual plan how they will get us out. It doesnt look good. We need some action plan, parties to agree on foreign nationals to go out. This is very important, but this by itself is not a big dealfor the parties. There is much bigger problem they need to sort out. Final question, what are you actually saying to your children . You have described the bombing around you, how tough getting through each day is. What do you say to your kids . My kids are three years old, two years old and four months. I say there is some fireworks. They start screaming, i hate fireworks, daddy. They closed their ears. They wake up in the middle of the night screaming, where is mummy . They cant get to sleep. All night it is bombing. We couldnt sleep. The children were scared. Everything is like a dream, a nightmare, actually. Everything is going wrong. Mohamed speaking to me earlierfrom gaza. It is being reported by reuters, citing the Wall Streetjournal, who have talked to us and israeli officials, saying israel has agreed to delay the invasion of gaza so us can rush Missile Defences to the region. This is a report coming from the Wall Streetjournal, citing us and israeli officials as their sources. It has been over ten days since israels Prime Minister was there in the border regions, meeting with soldiers, saying our you ready. We are still waiting for any particular move in terms of ground invasion, but this report saying israel has agreed to delay the invasion so the us can rush Missile Defences to the region. We will bring you more in the next few minutes. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making the headlines. A man has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years behind bars for murdering his girlfriend just eight weeks into their relationship. Christopher mcgowan was out on bail when he attacked Claire Inglis at her home. He was found guilty at the high court in stirling last month. One of the two killers Ofjames Bulger has been granted a private hearing to decide whether he should be released from prison. The board will decide Ifjon Venables is safe to live in the community or whether he must remain injail. He was ten years old when he and Robert Thompson murdered two year old james bulger. Four uk astronauts could soon be heading into orbit on an all british mission. An American Company that organises visits to the International Space station is developing the plan. Houston based axiom has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Uk Space Agency to try to make it happen. Those just some of the details on that all British Space mission due to get under way. Youre live with bbc news. Lets return to the news i was bringing you that is being reported by the Reuters News Agency from the Wall Streetjournal that israel has Wall Street Journal that israel has agreed Wall Streetjournal that israel has agreed to delay the invasion of gaza so the us can rush Missile Defences to the region. More detailfrom the Wall Streetjournal� s website, saying it is a request from the us to get us air defences in place to protect us troops in the region ahead of ground incursion. That is what is being reported. Lets speak to a retired British Army Officer who was a Deputy Commander for the Us Led Coalition to defeat isis in iraq in 2016. Just a quick headline thought to those reports that are coming in, that we are still checking out. Your snapshotjudgment checking out. Your Snapshot Judgment after checking out. Your snapshotjudgment after hearing that . Good checking out. Your snapshot udgment after hearing that . After hearing that . Good afternoon. This feels plausible. After hearing that . Good afternoon. This feels plausible. We after hearing that . Good afternoon. This feels plausible. We have after hearing that . Good afternoon. This feels plausible. We have to this feels plausible. We have to confirm it. Us forces have been coming under attack in the region over the last week or so. By iranians backed militias in iraq. They been getting attacked in their base in Southern Syria and in iraq with threats of other regional attacks. The us military will be taking it seriously. It feels they are putting in place further defences. There are implications on the battlefield in gaza, not least for the troops. Weve heard the israeli troops, they are poised, ready to go. The longer the wait, thatis ready to go. The longer the wait, that is hard for them to stay at that is hard for them to stay at that state of readiness. That is hard for them to stay at that state of readiness. Lets turn to perhaps that state of readiness. Lets turn to perhaps what that state of readiness. Lets turn to perhaps what happens that state of readiness. Lets turn to perhaps what happens if that state of readiness. Lets turn to perhaps what happens if there | that state of readiness. Lets turn i to perhaps what happens if there is a ground incursion, the type of fighting. You have experience of exactly this from your time fighting. Just givers and idea of the similarities, the sort of things those troops will come up against. I think the first thing to say, there are differences, but there are parallels. I think the first thing to say is fighting in cities, everything is accentuated. By which i mean more troops are needed. You suffer more casualties. The amount of army nation that gets expended is increase. The Human Suffering goes up. Everything gets accentuated. The iraqi forces are not necessarily a match for the israeli forces, but they did have the Global Coalition support, but it took them nine months to clear through my result. They started the bottle with 100,000 troops. So they started the bottle with 100,000 troo s. They started the bottle with 100,000 troos. , they started the bottle with 100,000 troos. , troops. So much was housetohouse, that is the parallel troops. So much was housetohouse, that is the parallel potentially troops. So much was housetohouse, that is the parallel potentially we that is the parallel potentially we face here. In terms of civilians amongst all of that, what are we talking about when you look at that part of the equation . It is incredibly part of the equation . It is incredibly difficult, part of the equation . It 3 incredibly difficult, because we would expect hamas to hide in and amongst the population. They will think nothing of using mosques, schools and hospitals as defensive positions, to try and draw the israelis into traps and make it hard for them to identify their enemy, and we suffered the same. 0ne difference might be, they were largely staying and fighting to the death. It is possible hamas will seek to step away to their tunnels and meld into the population. It is incredibly difficult for the troops to clear through the streets. Every building, every piece of concrete, every tunnel is a potential defensive position. What the israelis will wish to do is not get drawn into literally building to building. They will try to strike fast and sees objectives, because if you get fixed clearing every building you will get nowhere fast. The trouble is, youve got a vast tunnel network, and one would imagine hamas have had plenty of time to prepare for any attack. That is a different dynamic, and of course, you have the whole dynamic of over 200 hostages. Of over 200 hostages. Exactly. In cities, fighting of over 200 hostages. Exactly. In cities, Fighting Underground of over 200 hostages. Exactly. In cities, Fighting Underground is. Cities, Fighting Underground is always a future. There are sellers, tunnels and sewers. 0f always a future. There are sellers, tunnels and sewers. Of course, hamas have taken to a different level. That will be hard for the Israeli Defence forces. They have experience of dealing with the tunnels, and indeed they typically try and avoid going down into them and try and deny them without going into them by destroying the entrances, using robots. That is definitely an added factor. Then youve got the real complicated factor of the hostages, who may themselves be down