half of them americans in exchange for a three—day humanitarian cause. 0ur international editorjeremy bowen has travelled with the israel defence forces into gaza and while the bbc had editorial control of the next report, the section with the idf has been viewed by them. like young soldiers in many wars, israeli troops looked excited, not apprehensive, as they made their final preparations tojoin israel's invasion of the gaza strip. they're moving in as the war approaches a critical point. their colleagues already inside the strip have surrounded gaza city. these men might be part of the next stage, locating hamas tunnels and fighting street by street. israel's prime minister promised his country a mighty vengeance against hamas. but with so much firepower, one question — is israel following joe biden's advice not to be blinded by rage, to defend itself, but also, protect the lives of palestinian civilians? we went into gaza with the israeli army on condition we didn't reveal their positions. video shot after they took us through the gap in the fence into gaza — though not this script — had to be submitted to their military censors. we got out of the back of an armoured vehicle and walked into a wasteland. after a month of air strikes and more than a week of tanks and troops, every building i saw was damaged or destroyed. they wanted to show us what they said was a hamas weapons factory in this wrecked structure. this is their scuba diving equipment that's meant to come from sea, from their land to our land. and they made drones that drop bombs, he said, in this workshop. places like this, he said, originated october 7 attacks. but upstairs was a family apartment. the soldiers said it was more proof that hamas used civilians as human shields, building bombs underneath a bedroom used by children. the officer said hamas — not israel — was responsible for civilian deaths. we know, intelligence. we know what we hit. we know the targets, they're approved by our command. it's not that i wake up and my objective is to ruin the city. i aim for enemy and enemy only, and i use all in my power to hit the enemy only. sojudging by the destruction here, the enemy was everywhere, you'd say? yes. israel's strategic equation measures the destruction and death it's brought to palestinians in gaza — civilians as well as hamas — against the pain of its own people and the importance of making them feel safe again. the overriding impressions i have from being here is, first of all, the level of force that israel has brought to bear on the gaza strip — a vast amount of military power. in addition, the level of destruction, massive destruction, thousands of homes gone. israel says a military necessity, self—defence. this woman's view was different. she said it was because of israel's bombardment, because nowhere was safe, because there was no food or drinking water for the children and because israel had bombed the bakeries. israel said 50,000 palestinians moved south after it promised safe passage. hamas released more videos of its fight against israel in gaza's streets. it claims victories, but it is vastly outgunned. hamas cannot win a toe—to—toe fight with israel but guerrilla tactics, hit—and—run, might drag the war out for months, and force a ceasefire. more israeli tanks were moving forward as we left the gaza strip this evening. israel's western allies support the invasion. but america's reminders about the laws of war and the pressure for humanitarian pauses suggest even israel's closest allies are queasy about this war�*s human catastrophe. jeremy bowen, bbc news, gaza. meanwhile, the g7 foreign ministers meeting in tokyo have urged israel to agree to a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow more aid into the enclave but they stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. there is us secretary of state antony blinken. we had in—depth discussions about the steps we are taking to address urgent needs on the ground. we all agree humanitarian pauses would advance key object gives to protect palestinian civilians, to increase the sustained flow of humanitarian assistance, to allow citizens and foreign nationals to exit and facilitate the release of hostages. i facilitate the release of hostages-_ facilitate the release of hostages. facilitate the release of hostaues. , ., , hostages. i spoke about this with the acting _ hostages. i spoke about this with the acting console - hostages. i spoke about this i with the acting console general of israel in new york. a short time ago. i want to start off with these reports coming in of talks on a proposed pause infighting in exchange to allow aid into gaza and for the possible release of hostages. what do you make of that potential proposal and whether or not that is a deal that israel might take? first of all, we are very focused on making sure to achieve both of our goals, first of all, to eradicate hamas's ability to hurt us and we are winning to have forces and we have pauses, and ensure civilians can leave the gaza strip, and going from the northern to the southern part of gaza. at the end of the day we are willing to do additional pauses if we know that our hostages will be released, and this is part of the call. an israeli military spokesperson also saying hamas has now lost control of the northern part of gaza. how significant of a victory would that be in this military operation? one of the goals, we are not acting in any way, shape orform in revenge. even though like the president said justice may be served, the goal thrust is to make sure they are not capable of harming us again. at the end of the day the contract between citizens and the state of israel is to make sure that kids would not be extracted in pjs from their beds and executed like we suffered the october seven events. the way we do it is we eradicate every military capability to repeat what they have done on october seven. i want to put some comments to you from the un secretary general, antonio guterres. he said that given the number of civilians killed in gaza, we had earlier that number ministry to be more than 10,000, something is clearly wrong, he said, when it comes to israel's military tactics. what do you make of those comments? i think we need to have more clarity here, and i think no ambiguity is on the spot. we need to make a distinctive differentiation between deliberately going after innocent civilians like hamas on the seventh of october atrocities and between casualties of a just war. israel has the right to self—defence and israel will exercise according to international law. i think we need to make sure the secretary general understands that this is an ability for israel to prevent these innocent civilians to be heard, through the mechanisms we have tried opening corridors of sending civilians to the southern part of gaza, whereas hamas was using them as human shields and embedding with innocent civilians... if i may, just to bring some more of what the secretary general said, he also said, quoting here, it is in against the interests of israel to see everyday the terrible images of the dramatic humanitarian needs of the palestinian people. is he right? he is 100% right. the fact that hamas is continuously doing it is because they have an interest, they are embedded among their own people... while he is referring to the casualties from israeli air strikes, not anything to do with hamas. how can we have an ability to defend these innocent civilians while we are trying to evacuate them and waiting 1a days until we come in, whereas they are pushing them back into the war zone? i think it is pretty clear who is to blame and who has an interest the civilians will be hurt and using them as human shields. so in an earlier report, i just want to ask you the absolute devastation on the ground there in gaza. is there a plan in place right now for any thoughts of rebuilding efforts and how israel might be involved in that? every civilian life lost is a tragedy but the blame has to go directly to the terrorist organisation, hamas. all right. the un secretary general, the un humanitarian chief has described the situation in the occupied west bank is increasingly dire, citing the rising death toll in that area. 158 palestinians have been killed in the territory since the war began. among them are 45 children, more than 21100 people have been injured. israel's minister benjamin netanyahu has condemned the violence saying it would not be tolerated. we have more now from jon donnison reporting from the northern west bank, and a warning, some scenes in his report are disturbing. this war is not only being fought in gaza. this funeral in a west bank town for four gunmen killed by israel this week. there is anger. and defiance. but also, grief. and fear of what is to come. even before the war, the west bank was a boiling point, and the fury of what is happening in gaza as well as israel's crackdown on militants here as well as civilians has seen the temperature rise to a whole new level. it is a dangerous moment. "we have been refugees in this camp for 75 years. "everyone hasjust been laughing at us." the stress on the people, cut the streets, cut the cities, kill children. everything is stress. does it feel like war here as well? maybe. maybe in two months. maybe the war here in two months with gaza. it is connected. there is no gaza in this respect. all destroyed. and in parts of the west bank over the last month, it has already looked like war. israel, it says, targeting terrorists, including from hamas. who are fighting back. and israel has been using bulldozers to rip up the streets. it says as punishment for palestinian attacks. translation: they came and destroyed the camp and then they came again with bulldozers, he tells us. it is always like this. israeli raids of palestinian towns and villages are happening night and day. this person was just 15... ..when he was shot dead by an israeli soldier. as his sister looked on in horror. the un says the majority of palestinians been killed in the west bank are civilians, including children. and they are suffering notjust at the hands of the israeli army, but also, armed jewish settlers in attacks like this last month which left the victim still in intensive care. in the background, an israeli soldier looks on. palestinians say israel allows settlers to act like a militia with impunity. in this case, the army says it is investigating what happened. and for some, it has become too much. this man's family has farmed this area in occupied west bank for generations. at this week, they were packing up to leave. translation: we have lost our land because it| couldn't confront them. we escape out of fear. no—one was there to protect us. land has always been at the heart of this decades—long conflict. and palestinians are losing. jon donnison, bbc news in the west bank. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at other stories making headlines. it's been 400 years to the days since shakespeare's first folio was published in 1623. the collection was compiled by several of the varde's friends a few years after his death and without of many of his plays would have been lost. the bbc has talked to david tennant, about to play macbeth on stage in london. i think what shakespeare managed to do is he managed to capture the human experience. and it feels weirdly modern, actually. that he writes about the moment he was in, which seems to by dint of his genius. there were only 750 copies of that first folio, 235 original, first folios are known to survive, 150 in the us and 50 in the uk and ireland. the worldwide attention on the israel gaza was done without it, history might have lost half of his works. you are live with bbc news. major news from hollywood. actors union sag—aftra has agreed with hollywood studios to and the 118 day strike. the group said the strike would officially banned at 12:01am officially banned at 12: 01am thursday. officially banned at 12:01am thursday. embolism initially walked off the job thursday. embolism initially walked off thejob in thursday. embolism initially walked off the job injuly. thursday. embolism initially walked off thejob injuly. the negotiating committee laid out some terms of the deal saying, quote, contract valued at over $1 billion we have achieved a deal extraordinary scope. it includes above pattern minimum compensation increases, unfettered provisions consent and composition and will protect members from threats of artificial intelligence. for the first type establishes a streaming participation bonus. and go to the union for final improvement on friday. —— approval. the third applicant political debate has wrapped up in miami, florida with five candidates to the stage. they try to make a mark with photos and make a dent in forma president donald trump's big—time lead. he again chose to participate. bloody governor ron desantis and nikki haley hope for standout moments. it had the usual political posturing, tense moments as well. we will start with the political and governor desantis's response to tuesday's off year elections in which republicans believed they underperformed. i am which republicans believed they underperformed.— underperformed. i am sick of republicans _ underperformed. i am sick of republicans losing _ underperformed. i am sick of republicans losing in - underperformed. i am sick ofj republicans losing in florida. i showed how it is done. 0ne i showed how it is done. one year ago here, we want an historic victory including a massive landslide right here in miami dade county. that's how we have to do i as the nominee next november i'll hit the job done and as president are to do outside permissiveness as the nominee next november i'll hit job done and as president of the liver. job done and as president of the liver-— the liver. there was a confrontational - the liver. there was a i confrontational including the liver. there was a - confrontational including this exchange between businessmen vivek ramaswamy and former south carolina governor nikki haley. in south carolina governor nikki hale . ., , , haley. in the last event she made mitta _ haley. in the last event she made mitta mitta _ haley. in the last event she made mitta mitta joining i haley. in the last event she i made mitta mitta joining tiktok while 0range 0rder made mitta mitta joining tiktok while 0range order was actually using the app for a long time so you might want to take care of yourfamily first. so you might want to take care of your family first.— of your family first. leave my family out — of your family first. leave my family out of— of your family first. leave my family out of your _ of your family first. leave my family out of your voice! i of your family first. leave my family out of your voice! the | family out of your voice! the next generation _ family out of your voice! the next generation of— family out of your voice! iie: next generation of americans are using and that's actually the point. you have your supporters propping her up, that's fine.— supporters propping her up, that's fine. here is the truth. you are scum. _ that's fine. here is the truth. you are scum. life _ that's fine. here is the truth. you are scum. life to - that's fine. here is the truth. you are scum. life to helena humphrey he was in manly for us, who has been covering the debate tonight. third debate in the books. what you think voters watching tonight to go away from what they saw on stage? away from what they saw on sta . e? ., ., stage? one of the main takeaways _ stage? one of the main takeaways is _ stage? one of the main takeaways is that i stage? one of the main | takeaways is that donald stage? one of the main - takeaways is that donald trump very likely remains the candidate to catch up here, probably still upfront. we did see strong performances from nikki haley, ron desantis here on his home turf. but whether those performances but strong enough to make up on that 40% lead that he has over his closest rival, i think at that stage that seems uncertain, if not doubtful at this particular point. it was a spirited debate as you are mentioning, but when the jabs were thrown it was over an issue for example about calls on whether to bad tiktok and non— issues like the economy or stubbornly high inflation for example which remains high on voters' mine. we saw a lot of attention on discussion of abortion but we also saw softening stances from candidates as well which could well be seen as something of a win for the democrats. this was of course _ win for the democrats. this was of course 1 _ win for the democrats. this was of course 1 may _ win for the democrats. this was of course 1 may since _ win for the democrats. this was of course 1 may since the - of course 1 may since the attack by hamas in israel. foreign policy play a bigger role as a night than in previous debates. what did we hear from candidates in previous debates. what did we hearfrom candidates in terms of not only the middle east but ukraine? . �* , �* of not only the middle east but ukraine? . �* , ~ , ukraine? that's right. and this debate was — ukraine? that's right. and this debate was held _ ukraine? that's right. and this debate was held in _ ukraine? that's right. and this debate was held in conjunctionj debate was held in conjunction with the republicanjewish coalition every candidate voicing their support for israel defending itself against hamas. the message from nikki haley and ron desantis was eliminate hamas, finish the job. tim scott one step further to say there should also be strikes on iran and more isolationist policy from vivek ramaswamy and nikki haley responding to that saying if she and putin could hear you now, with regards to ukraine, they would be salivating. he hit back at her to say you are dick cheney in three inch heels and she retorted to say a five inch, actually, and i make sure that i can run in them. but she was very clear about continuing aid to ukraine. that was a conversation in fact that ron desantis dodged more, choosing instead to speak about the southern border. i think this really was the moment we started to see a foreign policy argument come to the fore quite clearly, her experience as former us ambassador to the united nations. that well when some points. united nations. that well when some points-— united nations. that well when some points. you mentioned for my president — some points. you mentioned for my president donald _ some points. you mentioned for my president donald trump i some points. you mentioned for my president donald trump still| my president donald trump still the frontrunner here if you look at the polls. he was not at the debate but what role did you play among the candidates on stage you are vied to try to catch up to him?— catch up to him? one of the best illustrated _ catch up to him? one of the best illustrated of _ catch up to him? one of the best illustrated of this i catch up to him? one of the best illustrated of this was i best illustrated of this was the first question answered by the first question answered by the nightly news host lester holt saying to each candidate, why should you be the nominee had not donald trump? he was not even there on the debate stage yet the first question was focused on him. it was interesting of ours that conversation debate went on, the candidates gave very little airtime to speaking about him. not really daring to openly criticise him once again, perhaps indicating that they are still unsure of how to court the maga supporters to their side, court the maga supporters to theirside, cognizant court the maga supporters to their side, cognizant of the fact that they will be an important part of the selection and of course donald trump himselfjust and of course donald trump himself just 30 and of course donald trump himselfjust 30 minutes and of course donald trump himself just 30 minutes from where i am right now holding his own rally, courting their latinos vote in a 95% cuban—american community. that's the demographic that's played out well for him. the bbc's helena _ played out well for him. the bbc's helena humphrey covering bbc�*s helena humphrey covering the third republican debate in miami. so much. former president trump maybe the elephant in the room in manly but in new york it's his daughter eva unger who was the centre of attention on wednesday. she told the court she could remember the specifics about real estate deals she worked on in her time at the family business. her father and two brothers, donald trump jr and father and two brothers, donald trumerand eric trump father and two brothers, donald trumer and eric trump are accused of inflating the value of their properties to secure more favourable loans. i don't recall was the theme of ivanka trump's tacitly. she negotiated the loans under scrutiny in this case. even when prosecutors displayed her own emails and communications she claims that did not help jog the memory either on the specific conversations she had with deutsche bank or other trump organization employees. and her response frustrated prosecutors. her demeanour, smiling brightly and answering and even tones, a sharp contrast to her father's, combative style. but like a brothers she seeks to distance herself from her father's financial statements and the methods used to calculate his assets. speaking of presidential offspring, congressional republicans issued a legal summons against hunter biden the son of presidentjoe biden. the republican lead oversight committee also subpoenaed his brotherjames and the biden family associate robin walker. it's requesting transcribe interviews with five others. house republicans opened therapy to enquiry in december saying they'd uncovered evidence of president biden's knowledge of and roll and his family members' domestic and foreign business dealings. the white house accused republicans of abusing their power to conduct a smear campaign. before we go, looking at other stories making use today. 16 suspected leaders and associates of the gambino crime family have been arrested as part of a joint operation by us and italian authorities. their chart with racketeering, extortion, witness retaliation and conspiracy and fraud. the justice department has a 17th aspect is still at large. the family is one the five prominent new york area mafia syndicates collectively known as le cosa nostra. a massive explosion is a texas chemical plant and how outside the city of houston has loved one person injured, triggering a stay—at—home warning from residents living nearby the plant and evacuating one school. the blast followed a fire at the sound resource solution factory which makes paint and glue remover. official said the danger of the airborne chemicals remains unknown. the national in washington, dc bid farewell to the three giant pandas who left for china on wednesday. departure marks the first time in more than half a century the nation's capital will not be home to any of the iconic animals. in 1972 china loaned the us its first giant panda after president richard nixon resumed the two countries' demonic relations. now for pandas remain in the us, all in atlanta. that's all from us in washington. i am carl nasman. alcoholics anonymous pickup at the top of the hour. stay with us. —— our colleagues in the uk. hello there. wednesday brought us some pretty big weather contrasts across the country. for the southeast of england, we have a persistent band of rain, it was raining for most of the day, bringing these rather grey skies, quite windy as well. most of the uk have actually managed to see something a bit brighter through the afternoon with some sunshine, shower clouds getting in here to northern ireland. and here are the showers on the radar picture from wednesday. the speckled shower clouds extend right out into the atlantic to near greenland. and all of those shower clouds are coming our way. so it is going to be quite an unsettled looking weather picture over the next few days, really. now, over the next few hours, a bit of rain crosses northern england, a few showers here and there. most of them will be across western areas. these are the kind of temperatures that you'll start off thursday with. so quite a chilly start to the day, cold enough for a nip of frost across northern scotland, mostly eastern scotland, central and eastern england, east wales starting off on a dry and sunny note, the showers across western areas. but as we go through the day, you could see an odd shower just about anywhere. they'll always be most frequent, though, towards wales and southwest england where they could merge to give some slightly longer spells of rain. and as well as that, it'll be quite windy around the coast, gusts of around 40, perhaps the low 50mph. now, friday is another kind of showery day, but this time the winds are generally coming in from a northwesterly direction. and that means the showers are going to tend to be draped around coastal areas. if you live away from the coast, you've got a much better chance of it being dry and sunny as well. temperatures running quite close to average for the time of year, about 8 to 11 degrees. now, as we head into the weekend, saturday looks all right. sunday, the big question mark isjust how quickly this band of rain comes in off the atlantic. at the moment saturday, the better of the two days of the weekend, plenty of sunshine around, maybe a few early morning mist and fog patches. but for the vast majority, it's a dry day. perhaps just one or two showers rolling in to the far northeast of scotland. temperatures not really changing too much, around 8 to 11 degrees celsius. the big question mark on sunday is just how quickly this band of rain gathers and moves in from the west. it might be a lot slower coming in. and if that happens, well, sunday could also be a dry day with plenty of sunshine around as well. so there's a bit of a question mark about sunday's forecast in terms of whether we do see that band of rain spreading its way in. voice—over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. the us is still the world's most powerful nation, but its ability to shape geopolitics, to suit its own interests, is under severe strain. president biden portrays america's backing for ukraine's war against russian aggression and israel's war on hamas as a twin defense of a values—based international order. but much of the world isn't buying it. inside america, too, there is significant pushback. my guest is fiona hill, former us national security council expert on russia. how dangerous is this new world disorder? fiona hill, welcome to hardtalk. thank you so much, stephen. as we speak to each other, the world's headlines