It is not the first time the idf has carried out limited ground raids into gaza, but this comes as Benjamin Netanyahu insisted a Ground Invasion of gaza was coming following questions here in israel and abroad about why it was taking so long. The Prime Minister speaking on prime Time Television in israel on prime Time Television in israel on wednesday night said the timing of the offensive was still to be determined and it would be reached by consensus. There are many pressures on israels political leaders to delay this widely anticipated attack by ground. For the latest here is our correspondent tom bateman. Israels Prime Minister said in a televised speech that Israeli Forces are preparing for a Ground Invasion but did not give any clues as to the timing. Translation we are raining hellfire on hamas. We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning. Simultaneously we are preparing for a Ground Invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how, or how many. Israels bombardment of the gaza strip has continued, the un said the most intensive yet in the past 2a hours, with hundreds killed. The Qatari News Network Aljazeera said the family of its correspondent was killed in a strike on a refugee camp in the strip. Meanwhile, the un says its Fuel Reserves in gaza are almost out and it has begun reducing its humanitarian operations. Hospitals are stopping all but emergency operations, with the un warning more hospitals and shelters could be forced to close. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said that without fuel, babies in incubators who need life support will simply die, meanwhile, the World Health Organization said that without fuel, babies in incubators who need life support will simply die, reiterating that safe and sustained access is needed, or, it says, there will be more suffering and death in gaza. To treat patientss you need electricity, for surgical theatres, for incubators, dialysis machines. So we need fuel. Fuel is also needed to desalinate the water so hospitals have clean water. Clean water is of vital importance in hospitals to keep patients safe and provide health services. Meanwhile the World Health Organization reiterated its call for hamas to release all of the hostages abducted from israel on humanitarian and health grounds. It warns many hostages had pre existing health conditions. There have been further calls now for a humanitarian pause in the fighting to allow more aid in. But for now, the war goes on. Tom bateman, bbc news, jerusalem. There has been a chorus of voices from Around The World, un agencies, human rights chief, urging for a ceasefire to allow the desperately needed aid to enter gaza. We are going to speak to someone who has a lot of experience in this area. Lets speak now to sir mark lowcock. He was the un Under Secretary General for humanitarian affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator between 2017 and 2021. Hejoins me now from london. Thank you very much forjOining Us On Bbc news. Thank you very much for Oining Us On Sac newt thank you very much for Oining Us On Sac mi thank you very much for Oining Us On Bbc newsi i thank you very much for oining us l on bbc newsi i must on bbc news. Good morning. I must beain b on bbc news. Good morning. I must begin by asking on bbc news. Good morning. I must begin by asking you. On bbc news. Good morning. I must begin by asking you, your on bbc news. Good morning. I must begin by asking you, your successor| begin by asking you, your successor martin griffiths, we understand, has been denied a visa to come to israel to try to find a solution to this humanitarian catastrophe stopping all the years he worked here on this crisis did that ever happened to you . Crisis did that ever happened to ou . ,. , crisis did that ever happened to ou . ,. ,. , you . Not in gaza or the occupied territories. You . Not in gaza or the occupied territories, although you . Not in gaza or the occupied territories, although i you . Not in gaza or the occupied territories, although i must you . Not in gaza or the occupied territories, although i must say l you . Not in gaza or the occupied i territories, although i must say the syrian authorities in 2019 basically said they wouldnt give me a visa because there are cross with what i felt i had to report to the Security Council about the Bombing Campaign with their iranian and russian allies in civilian areas in syria. This is something that happens from time to time and generally speaking things get normalised. Martin griffiths has been able subsequently to visit syria. I wouldnt take this too seriously. The really big issue is how and when can we get a large scale humanitarian Relief Operation up scale humanitarian Relief Operation up and running across the Rafa Crossing into gaza . I up and running across the Rafa Crossing into gaza . Up and running across the Rafa Crossing into gaza . I am sure you have been crossing into gaza . I am sure you have been following crossing into gaza . I am sure you have been following this crossing into gaza . I am sure you have been following this closely, | have been following this closely, there has been a proposalfor a humanitarian pause, a humanitarian ceasefire, and none of them are getting through. What is your worst fear if it doesnt happen . Weill. Getting through. What is your worst fear if it doesnt happen . Fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as ou fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know. Fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know. Gazza fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know, gazza is fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know, gazza is not fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know, gazza is not a fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as you know, gazza is not a place fear if it doesnt happen . Well, as i you know, gazza is not a place which produces any of its own food or basic essentials so everything has to come across either from israel or egypt. And there has been a blockade for two and half weeks now and that is what the facts provided in the clip you have just run, is what the facts provided in the clip you havejust run, medical supplies and everything is running out. What is needed, if we are not to get to the situation where the largest loss of life comes not from the bombing and shooting at the military activities, but from the consequences of people having no food to eat or no clean water or no medical facilities, food to eat or no clean water or no medicalfacilities, therejust food to eat or no clean water or no medical facilities, there just has to be access. It is going to need to be on a large scale. Hundreds of trucks a month will be needed, dozens of trucks a day, otherwise there will be massive loss of life. You would be able to imagine the intense negotiations behind the scenes involving israel, involving no doubt the united states, going right up to the top, to the un Secretary General. What levers does the United Nations have now when even the Secretary General himself is coming under such heated criticism . ~ ,. , ~. ,. , criticism . Well, you know, as we alwa s criticism . Well, you know, as we always say criticism . Well, you know, as we always say in criticism . Well, you know, as we always say in the criticism . Well, you know, as we always say in the un, criticism . Well, you know, as we always say in the un, the criticism . Well, you know, as we always say in the un, the un criticism . Well, you know, as wej always say in the un, the un has criticism . Well, you know, as we i always say in the un, the un has no hard power or money, all it has is a voice and what people will allow it to do. Aid agencies have money, which is not a problem in this case, and the other is safe access. I think you can see through reports of negotiations on a resolution in the seer Security Council, the need for humanitarian access, you can see some of the public manifestations of the private diplomacy that you described there. The question is how quickly that gets translated into a large scale Relief Operation. Because until that happens, there is a threat of a very large scale loss of life. Ibis a threat of a very large scale loss of life. � , a threat of a very large scale loss of life. ~ , i. ~. , a threat of a very large scale loss oflife. A ~. ,. , of life. As you know, mark, from the bearinnin of life. As you know, mark, from the beginning the of life. As you know, mark, from the beginning the word of life. As you know, mark, from the beginning the word unprecedented l of life. As you know, mark, from the l beginning the word unprecedented has been used because it is truly unparalleled, unprecedented attacks against israel and now unprecedented suffering in gaza. You know the situation in gaza and israel close up, have you ever seen a crisis of this enormity . I up, have you ever seen a crisis of this enormity . This enormity . I will give you one little example this enormity . I will give you one little example of this enormity . I will give you one little example of why this enormity . I will give you one little example of why i this enormity . I will give you one little example of why i think this enormity . I will give you one little example of why i think it. This enormity . I will give you one little example of why i think it is | little example of why i think it is unprecedented. I dont remember an example of a case where the un itself has lost so many of its own staff. 35 staff of the un are killed as a result of the bombardment over the last two and a half weeks. You will remember very well in 2003 when the un was bombed by extremists in baghdad and 21 un lives were lost. That is just one little example of the scale of this tragedy. It sort of reinforces why there needs to be away sooner rather than later to de escalate, otherwise things will simply get worse and worse. That has the potential, as you have reported, to have much wider implications. Indeed, that you very much for joining us with your insights into this deepening crisis, including what the United Nations has described as a humanitarian catastrophe in gaza. As we have been reporting the un agency running humanitarian operations in gaza says it may be forced to take a decision about how much assistance it can continue to provide because of a lack of fuel. Half of gazas two million residents rely on unrwa for food. Though limited deliveries of aid has now begun reaching gaza, israel wont allow fuel in fearing it could end up in the hands of hamas. It is only allowing food, medicine and water. It is only allowing food, medicine and water. A short time ago we heard from Juliette Touma from unrwa. Over the past 2a hours, we were forced to ration the use of fuel at unrwa. And we have started reducing some of the services, including in the Health Facilities and in the health areas that we support. We are appealing to all parties and those who have influence over them to bring in a shipment of fuel to support the unwra operations inside the gaza strip. What we are seeing in the gaza strip is unprecedented, unprecedented levels of suffering. Two Million People are being strangled, gaza is being choked with very, very little assistance thats coming from outside. With the largest humanitarian organisation on the verge of stopping its operations. We are being banned from undertaking the mandate that was entrusted to us by the general assembly. All were asking for is to be able to do our work. Its a good start. However, theyre not enough. We received just over 60 trucks, which is less than 1 of what gaza used to get on a regular basis every day before the war started. So its a drop in the ocean of overwhelming needs. So we need much more and we need a regular humanitarian supply line that also includes fuel that comes into gaza on a daily basis without interruptions. Using the phrase now used by all un agencies working in gaza, a drop in the ocean of need. It is overwhelming the people of gaza. It is widely believed, as now seems clear, and widely anticipated and expected, the grand attack by israel has been delayed and for many reasons. Because of the 200 hostages still being held there and the need to get aid in and israel has to make its own military preparations. We understand they are doing that with the americans. Lets get a bit more insight into the thinking here in israel about the ground attack. Our middle east Correspondentjohn Batemanjoins us. There middle east Correspondentjohn Bateman joins us. There was an important speech last night by the israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. It is clear it will happen but they are still vague about exactly when. Happen but they are still vague about exactly when. What he said was we are ready about exactly when. What he said was we are ready and about exactly when. What he said was we are ready and we about exactly when. What he said was we are ready and we have about exactly when. What he said was we are ready and we have always about exactly when. What he said was| we are ready and we have always been ready and when there is a decision, this new war cabinet, that includes very experienced former generals, and the chief of staff, so the leadership of the current military, and i think that is to try and offset some reporting in israel that there is effectively already a kind of blame game between the political echelon and the military, first over the Security Failure that allowed it to happen in the first place, but also about the timing of the Ground Invasion. There is a sense now that Benjamin Netanyahu may be hesitating, that the army are waiting because of the massive challenge this will involve. We saw him basically trying to say we are ready, we will go in when we decide and a decision is being made. Then we had this morning a very important statement i thought from the israeli military, released with pictures importantly, of what they said was a limited incursion into the northern gaza strip. We have seen those pictures of tanks going in through the perimeterfence, tank fire, the perimeter fence, tank fire, inside the perimeterfence, tank fire, inside gaza before coming out. It is exactly the kind of thing you would expect. They are probing and try to destroy hamas defences. It is exactly what you do before a Ground Invasion, but it doesnt mean it is imminent. They need to keep up the momentum and the pressure on hamas and this is one way of doing it, to show they are ready and they will go in when they like, but it is also about not allowing the morale of the troops to drop as they wait. You remember. Troops to drop as they wait. You remember, after troops to drop as they wait. You remember, after the seventh they said they had carried out a limited ground red and then there was nothing for a long time and now we see images. They also must be cognisant of the mood they are hearing, that their leadership will destroy hamas and they dont see it happening. There are a lot of factors play on the minds of the military and the politicians. Absolutely. Remember, the psychological elements of this are important, the narrative of war is incredibly important. When things are announced and shown, remember it is notjust about are announced and shown, remember it is not just about as getting are announced and shown, remember it is notjust about as getting a sense of what is going on, but it is about how it is perceived, how it will affect the wider conflict and the warring parties, so that is important to remember. Of course the israeli public wants to know what is going on and here you have the state showing it is still ready for a response, and that is important. But the fact those 220 hostages remain in captivity, including the elderly and children, we have heard on the bbc this morning from relatives of one elderly lady who said One Of The Boys from a kibbutz being held would be celebrating his 12th birthday today and now he is in captivity. So there is a very, very important issue of the Politics Around this because there is all of that discussion internationally about trying to secure their release. That is a significant factor in the timing of a Ground Invasion, a huge pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu. So many factors, tom bateman, thank you very much forjoining us with your observations. You are watching bbc news Around The World and across the united kingdom. Lets take a look at some stories making news in the uk. Accommodation costs take up almost all the average Maintenance Loan received by University Students in england says Student Housing charity unipol. In the last two years, average student rent has gone up by more than 1a , while Maintenance Loans have risen